Was Dean's strategy responsible?

The rush to credit Howard Dean's "50-state strategy" for the Democratic wins is apparently on -- here's Adele Stan on Tapped:

As much as I've seen Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, all over the airwaves in the last 24 hours, I've yet to hear him sing the praises of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, whose 50-state strategy appears quite vindicated this morning. You'll recall that there's been a blood feud between the two men. Now I'm waiting to watch Emanuel do that goofy dance (did anybody watch him after Pelosi's victory speech?) with Dr. Dean -- and maybe give the DNC boss a big bear hug.

The problem is that we have no idea if Dean's strategy was responsible or not. It's totally plausible that the money was spread out over the whole country to little effect, and that a national anti-GOP wave pushed the Democrats to victory.

Comments

[SomeCallMeTim]

But the argument against Dean's strategy was that it imperiled Democratic chances for the House and the Senate for the sake of investment in the future. That seems a stretched reading today. Even if Dean's focus on a 50-state strategy did not bear fruit in this election, it remains an investment in the future that (one hopes) will pay dividends down the road.

[lily]

No, it is not totally plausible. Dean turned on the lights in places where the Democrats had felt ignored, exploited, and isolated for years. There are letters of gratitude to him from all over that give testimony to this. By reviving Democratic party structures in places like Idaho we are laying the groundwork for more Deomcratic presence in statehouses, governorships, influence with the general public, and future successful Congressional campaigns. We are also inserting into the Democratic party the populist eliment that's needs to win a national election. Beltway people don't understand the electorate the way someone like Tester does. The fifty stae strategy helps dilute the blinkered insular and out-of-touch views of the Beltway folks. It was arrogant and misguided for the beltway types to write off big hunks of America. Rahm owes Dean an apology.

[Sean]

Dean's strategy was responsible. Had the Democrats not run candidates in red states, there would not have been candidates to support. Webb's win in Virginia is a two-fer, actually, with Tim Kaine's previous win being the first shot across the red state bow.

You've got too much political experience to be another speculating pundit, Brendan.