Since the early days of the Clinton administration, the Democratic Leadership Council’s “National Conversation,” the group’s major annual event, has been a key stop for Democrats who hoped to be party leaders, and in many cases, president. It was a place to be seen, to impress possible donors, and to solidify one’s place as a serious national player.
At least, it used to. This year’s DLC event appears to suggest the group has lost some of its sway.
TNR’s Ryan Lizza noted the other day the line-ups for the “National Conversation” from the last several years.
Bill Clinton keynoted in 1999 and Al Gore in 2000. In 2001, the event featured Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh, Hillary Clinton, Tom Daschle, and future governors Kathleen Sebelius and Janet Napolitano. In 2002, the National Conversation was a major stop for anyone testing the waters for 2004. Lieberman, Bayh, Daschle, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Mark Warner, John Edwards, and Dick Gephardt were all there.
The following year, 2003, was a little less star-studded but still featured Bayh, Napolitano, Sebelius, Warner, Ed Rendell, Jim McGreevey, and Jennifer Granholm. The big attraction in 2004 was Kerry, who was by then the nominee and was eager to show off his centrist credentials. In 2005, the event was again attended by top presidential contenders: Bayh, Warner, Vilsack, and Hillary Clinton. But tellingly, unlike in the run-up to 2004, when even a labor liberal like Gephardt felt obliged to show up, there were no traditional liberals in attendance. Edwards, once a DLCer himself but now reinvented as a liberal populist, was conspicuous in his absence, as was Kerry, who was still flirting with a run.
By last year, about a dozen Democrats were openly considering presidential bids, but only two — Vilsack and Hillary Clinton — wanted to be part of the DLC’s event.
Which leads us to this year. Lizza noted late last week, “Watch the guest list closely. It will be a good indicator of the health of the New Dem brand.”
The list was announced yesterday. By all indications, the DLC brand is in trouble.
Here’s the press release from the group.
DLC Chair Harold Ford, Jr. and DLC Founder and CEO Al From, along with Honorary Chair Governor Phil Bredesen, and Co-Chairs Mayor Bill Purcell, Rep. Jim Cooper, Rep. Lincoln Davis announced that the 2007 DLC National Conversation will be held in Nashville, Tennessee from July 28 to July 30. The purpose of the National Conversation is to foster fresh policy ideas and political perspectives among Democrats from every region of the country and every level of government. Over 300 national, state, and local leaders attended last year’s Conversation in Denver, Colorado and hundreds are expected to participate in Nashville this July, showing the continued strength of the DLC’s support nationwide.
Or perhaps not. Based on the DLC press release and media accounts, it doesn’t appear that any of the Dems running for president want to take part in the DLC event. It’s possible someone from the eight-person field will agree to attend, but if any had accepted the group’s invitation, it stands to reason that the DLC would have mentioned it in the announcement. It didn’t.
Given this, it seems fair to say that the DLC “brand” is in decline. For Democratic activists and the netroots, the three-letter abbreviation itself has practically become a dirty word — conjuring images of Joe Lieberman, watered-down principles, capitulation, and a compromise-to-a-fault style of politics. The reputation seems to be catching up to the group.
One assumes none of the Dems’ major presidential candidates would want to label themselves as “DLC Democrat.” It’s the first campaign cycle in quite a while in which that’s the case.