American Democracy From the Eyes of a Democratic Fundraiser

By Terrence McNally, AlterNet. Posted February 27, 2007.

Terry McAuliffe, former head of the Democratic National Committee, is a very accomplished player in American politics, and as the chair of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, he will be in the spotlight again for the next two years.

McAuliffe claims he does what he does so the average American can enjoy a chance at the American dream. A self-described Irish storyteller, he's written a lively book about his political career, the kind an average American can enjoy.

The book, "What a Party," is a fun read. But I also wonder what Terry McAuliffe has learned in the trenches about why that vision of an America that serves the people has been so difficult to achieve? Why has it been so hard to win elections with that laudable objective? And why so hard to implement when in power? Think universal healthcare.

After years of fundraising for Democrats, McAuliffe chaired the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, then served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. For the first time the DNC raised more than the RNC -- over $535 million.

McNally: When did you start your first business?

McAuliffe: When I was 14. My father had said, "Terry, you want to go to college, that's great. You'll have to pay for it." I was walking home one day in Syracuse, N.Y., after caddying -- carrying two golf bags up and down hills for five hours. I got about ten dollars, so basically I was getting $2 an hour. I figured I was throwing my life away. I got to start my own business. I got to get going.

I saw a guy out doing his driveway, hot tar all over him, and I said that's what they'll hire young kids to do. Got home, typed up a letter, went door to door, had 10 to 15 jobs my first day, From there, I went out and conned my uncle out of a truck, started buying all the tar wholesale, and I was off to the races. It was a great experience.

McNally: How did you first get involved in politics in a big way?

McAuliffe: My father was the treasurer of the Onadaga County Democratic Party. Ever since I was just a toddler, he had me going to events with him. I met LBJ when I was just a little tyke. I'll never forget huge LBJ looking down and asking, "How you doing, son?" Probably the only time in my life I was speechless. And I just stayed active. I did petition drives, licked stamps, sealed envelopes ...

McNally: You were financial director for Carter's reelection campaign at 22 ... ?

McAuliffe: I was going to law school. Friend of mine working in the Carter campaign said they needed help raising money. I'd never done it before, but I said, "Oh, heck, I can always go to law school." I left, and within a year I became Carter's No. 1 fundraiser and then his finance director.

McNally: "What a Party" is not your normal political memoir. How did you decide to write this book in this way at this time?

McAuliffe: I put it all out there -- about Yassir Arafat rubbing my leg at dinner one night, about the Korean Secret Service thinking that Bill Clinton and I were lovers. It's about 400 pages, and I think you'll actually laugh at most of 'em.

But on the serious side, I got really upset after the 2004 election. We should have beaten George Bush by 10 points. I thought the Kerry campaign blew it. Now I don't write this book to be negative. In fact, I sat with John Kerry at dinner and said here's what I'm writing. A lesson is learned by mistakes, so I figure it's time to lay it out. I talk about what we did wrong in 2000, and about the three or four things we really screwed up in 2004. Absolutely handed the election to George Bush. Got to learn by that if we're going to win in 2008.

McNally: Tell us those three or four things.

McAuliffe: You should know Kerry agrees with me, so it's not like he's mad.

He should have responded to the Swift Boats ads immediately. The man went to Vietnam, fought for this country; George Bush didn't -- and we lose the issue.

Second thing, we're not allowed to use George Bush's name at the Democratic Convention in Boston. Could not use his name. So how do you beat a guy if you can't even talk about him at your convention?

McNally: That was the word put out by the Kerry campaign ... Bush had shown such incompetence, and they wouldn't let anyone criticize ... ?

McAuliffe: Including me. The chairman of the party, that's your job.

And third, the day Bush said on the Today show that he couldn't win the war on terror. In the book, go through this one ad nauseam, which will sicken your stomach. How I tried to call John in Nantucket. "Get off the island. Go to Pennsylvania, where United 93 went down, and say, 'I'll win the war on terror.'"

Bush just said he couldn't win what was his only argument for reelection, and no one told John about it supposedly. And the press asks him, and he's out windsurfing. Huge mistake for us. Blown opportunity, Bush went out the next day, cleaned it up.

And one thing I'll never get over -- they had $15 million left in the bank on election day. Here I am at the party, having outraised the Republicans. I even secretly borrowed an extra $10 million the weekend before, just in case. And they were sitting on this money. For the life of me, I can't understand why.

See more stories tagged with: democrats, dnc, hillary clinton, terry mcauliffe

Interviewer Terrence McNally hosts Free Forum on KPFK 90.7FM, Los Angeles (streaming at kpfk.org).

Liked this story? Get top stories in your inbox each week from AlterNet! Sign up now »