Democrats Dis the DLC

The Democratic Leadership Council holds its convention and none of the candidates shows -- despite heavy lobbying. Perhaps more than anything else, this is the 'MoveOn Effect.' The Democratic contenders know that there simply is no significant DLC constituency in the primaries -- particularly in comparison to the MoveOn/DailyKos crowd.

Further, Joe Lieberman was the DLC's favorite candidate in 2004, and what do MoveOn and DailyKos think of him? If you're Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, the DLC mantle is only a burden -- at least right now. If you're Richardson, or Dodd, or Biden, you know that being the DLC guy will only set you back with people who volunteer and vote.

This is more worth watching for the 'Double A' prospects on the Democratic side:

Centrist Democratic governors like Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Brian Schweitzer of Montana will be attending. Still, for some the gathering feels like a concert without the lead acts.

These are elected Democrats in red states, who hope to be the next Harold Ford, or Jim Webb, or even Bill Clinton. Through shrewd politics and centrist policy, they might be seen as the next big moderate Democrat to attract attention on the national scene. Sure, they'll eventually run afoul of the MoveOn crowd, but it would only be after the DLC helped them rise to prominence. If you're Brian Schweitzer, you take that deal.