Though others have already been weighing in on my behalf, let me congratulate Howard Dean for taking my advice on how to save the Democratic Party. OK, I was trying to save the Republican Party. But as long as someone is listening…

Really, though, the choice of Denver over New York City for the 2008 Democratic National Convention was a no-brainer. The Democrats had nothing to gain coming to NYC, in terms of symbolism or “changing the map” coming into the next presidential election, and everything to gain by going out West.

Howard Dean put it well in a statement this morning:

There is no question that the West is important to the future of the Democratic Party … The recent Democratic gains in the West exemplify the principle that when we show up and ask for people’s votes and talk about what we stand for, we can win in any part of the country. Additionally, we have a number of strong Democratic leaders in the West who will be a part of showcasing the vision of Democratic leadership for America as we introduce the next Democratic President in the Rocky Mountains.

There is no part of the country more full of opportunity for the Democrats or danger for the Republicans than the interior West.

The Times notes the trend here:

Five of the eight states in the interior West now have Democratic governors. The party picked up about 25 state legislative seats in November’s elections as well, gaining ground in Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Colorado and Idaho, while suffering a net loss of seats to the Republicans only in Montana. The United States Senate swung to Democratic control partly on the shoulders of [Jon] Tester, who defeated Senator Conrad Burns.

And while the Democrats are out courting the libertarian-ish interior West, the Republicans will be staking their claim in the populist Midwest, specifically Minneapolis.

Thus, the realignment realigns on.