Have a Strategy Like "those Chinese coolies who built the railroad" Did

Our Guv is in serious jockey mode right now and the strategy he seems focused on is one that puts him in position to show as the horse race enters the stretch run. It's one thing to express an opinion as a superdelegate, but quite another to stalk the talk show circuit and have the hometown press sex it up as hot commodity.

The other strategy--avoiding a convention fight by picking someone sooner rather than later--is bogus, given that it was the same excuse used for quickly coronating John Kerry in 2004. It's more conjecture than strategy. Where is the Governor's evidence from recent presidential elections that fighting through the convention is worse than christening someone early? Democrats have proved that they are no less inclined to screw it up later than they are sooner.

And what's all this about being "a problem solver"? How about being more of a "a problem shifter," moving problems out of certain areas and imposing on others (remember how Mayor Bredesen helped pay for the new stadium with Metro Water millions that are still going to it)? There are still a number of states that have to hold primaries, so why not let the process run its course rather than jumping their claim to attention?

The Democratic Party boss would have none of the Guv's white-horsemanship:

[Howard] Dean is personally engaged in this process, he's had numerous conversations with over 60 leaders inside and outside of the Democratic Party, to hear their thoughts, get their input and encourage them to help reinforce the importance of keeping the party united behind our nominee in November.... He does not want to discuss those conversations publicly because in Washington, you can work behind the scenes and not worry about getting credit and actually get something done —or you can talk about it in the press and not get anything done.