Dean Opponent (Roemer) Bows Out of Chairman's Race

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - Tim Roemer, the only remaining opponent of Howard Dean (news - web sites) in the race to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee (news - web sites), said Monday he's bowing out of the race — but he offered a warning to Democrats.

Dean, the former presidential candidate and governor of Vermont, is expected to win the DNC chairmanship at the election Feb. 12.

Roemer, a former congressman from Indiana and a member of the Sept. 11 commission, said Democrats must be more inclusive in their outreach to fast-growing parts of the country.

"I got into this race five weeks ago to talk about the devastating loss we experienced in November," Roemer said in an interview. "It was not about 60,000 votes in Ohio. It was about losing 97 of the 100 fastest growing counties in the country. If that's a trend in business or politics you're in trouble."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=548&ncid=696&e=1&u=/ap/20050207/ap_on_el_ge/democrats_chair

[xultar]

1. Congratulations Dean supporters both Past, Present, & Future...REMEBER

To continue your support of DEAN regardless.

You can start by opening up your wallets and donating to the DNC.
Someone suggested that Donations end in .06 to let them know why you are donating.

So time to get started. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Don't forget how passionate you were in the primaries and continue that passion all 4 years of his tenure as DNC chair.

Congratulations. Now put some action behind the passion.

[KittyWampus]

9. Good Idea... the .06 cents. And it's nice to see things ending smoothly

that, in itself, is a very good sign, IMO.

[SW FL Dem]

42. We need to make sure the DNC knows what the .06 signifies

i.e., that the contribution is coming from a DU member

[NWHarkness]

46. The .06 is not just a DU thing

It's already been suggested on Salon's table talk, among other places.

[calimary]

19. What does the .06 signify?

2006?

Just wondering. Count me in, in ANY case.

BTW, brothers and sisters, we will now see an AVALANCHE of press about how flakey Dean is, how weirdo Dean is, they'll haul out that scream videotape, they'll laugh at him, they'll try to marginalize him and sneer at him, and laugh at how we just self-immolated as a party. That will be wishful thinking on the enemy's part, and their patsies and other stenographers in the press will be dutifully recording this. But the rumors of our death will prove to be greatly exaggerated.

Just please remember to disregard it all. It's being sent as a message to us to stay down like good little doggies. tim roemer was a trojan horse. I'm glad at least that he's capable of reading the writing on the wall.

NOW, we have to solidify behind Howard Dean, and STAY SOLID.

They will be whispering distraction and temptation in our ears like the snake did to Eve. We HAVE TO resist it all, and FIGHT BACK. Take the ascendance of Howard Dean as a metaphor. He's the fighter. That he remains the last man standing should be taken as a metaphor. A symbol. HE is the guy who prevailed. Not the capitulators and the cavers and the make nice-nice types and the Neville Chamberlains. The straight shooter is the last man standing. Let's take that and run with it.

Here's my suggestion, humbly but earnestly submitted:

Any time, and I do mean ANY time you hear some wrong-winger or wrong-winger in sheep's clothing, like a judy woodruff or paula zahn or wolf blitzer or joe scarborough or tweety or george will or ANY of those pundit types, go into thermonuclear war mode (hey, the republi-CONS would do no less if they felt they were attacked). STORM them with angry emails, faxes, letters, phone calls. SAME THING for anything you read in any newspaper, magazine, weekly, or online whatever. RESPOND. And do so QUICKLY. RAPID RESPONSE is EVERYTHING. They should know that whatever it is that they're trying to do to tear down Howard Dean will NOT be tolerated.

Like, for example, your dog keeps trying to jump on you when you want him to stay on all fours, do you keep letting him do it with no behavior correction, or do you give him a firm, loud "NO!" immediately upon the offense, so the dog will connect the two? When you're trying to potty-train your kid, is one time enough to take him or her to the potty, just assuming he/she will get it instantly, or is it something you need to do over and over and over and over until it finally sinks in?

Same thing with this.

Furthermore, reinforcement should be applied LIBERALLY (pun intended) with ALL our Democratic reps. They need to know THIS IS HOW WE'RE PLAYING THE GAME NOW, FOLKS. WE ARE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. TIME TO FISH OR CUT BAIT. They need to be told, in no uncertain terms, that they are expected to play ball or else, and get with the program. Evidently, this is the message that's come pretty loudly and clearly to various DNC activists who've been doing phone bank activism. I got one of those calls myself and I said clearly and resolutely - NOT ANOTHER DIME, and NO I WILL NOT SIGN UP AGAIN - UNLESS THE DNC ELECTS HOWARD DEAN AS ITS NEW CHAIR. After she tried arguing with me and reasoning with me, she finally gave in and admitted that I wasn't the first person she'd heard that from. GOOD. The Bob Shrums and Al Fromms have to be sent packing. They've led us to several straight losses in the elections, not just presidential BUT midterm as well. Their idea of moving to the middle and capitulating and turning their backs on what we are as Democrats instead of trying to figure out how to persuade the public that OUR way is BETTER, and to more effectively communicate and package us as a party and a philosophy has gotten us exactly NOWHERE.

All contrarians HAVE TO BE read the rules and ordered to comply. OR ELSE. The time for taking prisoners and accepting excuses and capitulations - HAS PASSED.

We're UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT, and I, for one, couldn't be more delighted!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

34. I'm with you, Calimary,

Very well put indeed!

[Maat]

63. Me, too, Calimary (I'm on Board!)!

n/t

[calimary]

74. Cheers, Maat!

Let's go get 'em!

BTW, JohnONeillsMemory posted this in another Dean-related thread (one about his take on newt garbage) and I thought it was just an absolute humdinger!

It's about psy-ops and how you manipulate the language and the presentation in order to persuade-persuade-persuade. Which is what we have to do. Note in here, they endorse repetition. If you read through this, you may find yourself concluding that the wrong-wingers got a hold of this handbook before any of us Good Guys had ever heard of it...

http://www.tscm.com/CIA_PsyOps_Handbook.html

(Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare
Army Manual 33-1 1979)

The target groups for the Armed Propaganda Teams are not the persons with
sophisticated political knowledge, but rather those whose opinion are formed
from what they see and hear. The cadres should use persuasion to carry out
their mission. Some of the persuasive methods that they can use are the
following:

Interior Group/Exterior Group. It is a principle of psychology that we humans
have the tendency to form personal associations from "we" and "the others," or
"we" and "they", "friends" and "enemies," "fellow countrymen" and
"foreigners,""mestizos" and "gringos."

The Armed Propaganda Team can use this principle in its activities, so that
it is obvious that the "exterior" groups ("false" groups) are those of the
Sandinista regime, and that the "interior" groups ("true" groups) that fight
for the people are the Freedom Commandos.

We should inculcate this in the people in a subtle manner so that these
feelings seem to be born of themselves, spontaneously.

"Against" is much easier that "for." It is a principle of political science
that it is easier to persuade the people to vote against something or someone
than to persuade them to vote in favor of something or someone. Although
currently the regime has not given the Nicaraguan people the opportunity to
vote, it is known that the people will vote in opposition, so that the Armed
Propaganda Teams can use this principle in favor of our insurrectional
struggle. They should ensure that this campaign is directed specifically
against the government or its sympathizers, since the people should have
specific targets for their frustrations.

Primary Groups and Secondary Groups. Another principle of sociology is that
we humans forge or change our opinions from two sources: primarily, through our
association with our family, comrades, or intimate friends; and secondarily,
through distant associations such as acquaintances in churches, clubs or
committees, labor unions or governmental organizations. The Armed Propaganda
Team cadres should join the first groups in order to persuade them to follow
the policies of our movement, because it is from this type of group that the
opinions or changes of opinion come.

Techniques of Persuasion in Talks or Speeches:

Be Simple and Concise. You should avoid the use of difficult words or
expressions and prefer popular words and expressions, i.e. the language of the
people. In dealing with a person you should make use of concise language,
avoiding complicated words. It is important to remember that we use oratory
to make our people understand the reason for our struggle, and not to show off
our knowledge.

Use Lively and Realistic Examples. Avoid abstract concepts, such as are used in
universities in the advanced years, and in place of them, give concrete
examples such as children playing, horses galloping, birds in flight, etc.

Use Gestures to Communicate. Communication, in addition to being verbal, can be
through gestures, such as using our hands expressively, back movements, facial
expressions, focusing of our look and other aspects of "body language,"
projecting the individual personality in the message.

Use the Appropriate Tone of Voice. If, on addressing the people, you talk about
happiness, a happy tone should be used. If you talk of something sad, the tone
of the voice should be one of sadness; on talking of a heroic or brave act, the
voice should be animated, etc.

Above All, Be Natural, Imitation of others should be avoided, since the people,
especially simple people, easily distinguish a fake. The individual personality
should be projected when addressing the population.

>snip<

The result desired is a guerrilla who in a persuasive manner can justify all of
his acts whenever he is in contact with any member of the town/people, and
especially with himself and with his guerrilla companions by facing the
vicissitudes of guerrilla warfare.

This means that every guerrilla will come to have effective face-to-face
persuasion as a combatant-propagandist in his contact with the people, to the
point of giving 5-10 logical reasons why, e.g. a peasant should give him a
piece of cloth, or a needle and thread to mend his clothes. When behaves in
this manner, no type of propaganda of the enemy will be able to make a
"terrorist" of him in the eyes of the people.

[calimary]

70. Dahlink - welcome to DU!

Yay, California! We also need to keep the Gropenator contained. But that's another story.

Hugs!

[calimary]

71. Oops...

self-deleted. Sorry!

[calimary]

73. Aw poo - goofed again.

Sorry...

But welcome, anyway, fellow Californian. We need to make SURE we stay blue. But then again, with Dean surging ahead now, that may not be such a challenge. California went BIGTIME for Dean during primary season, before our voices were cut off by the order of things.

[SW FL Dem]

48. I wasn't a Dean supporter in the primaries

but I think he will bring new ideas and new people to the party. That is a very good thing.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

83. It means we have all got to work harder

No more big fat donners with strings attached is good. But it will probably mean much more volunteering.

We have got to reach out to the middle to get them to fight for themselves with us.

[yorkiemommie1]

61. well said

esp about repeate rapid response. no more

milquetoast equivocation.

and we need to tell the people the truth about what is being done in the name of BUSH.

tell 'em that we're gonna tell 'em.

tell 'em

then, tell 'em what we just told them.


repeat.

[Me.]

72. Yes, Yes

a thousand times yes.

[Cha]

86. Thank you, calimary!

We need to do this and I glad you wrote it out so well for us all! :party:

[DirtyDawg]

89. Of Course They'll Ridicule Dean

...but the thing about Howard is that he never comes out second best in any head-to-head encounter. MSM will have to talk to him and if they have his repig counterpart sitting there, it'll be a beat down of the first order. The only reason Dean lost the nomination is that he had to fend off the democratic jackals nipping at his rear while fighting the media ridicule and the right wing pols everywhere else. He'll carry the message and the passion everywhere he goes. It'll be a new day, mark my words.

[jasmineblue]

92. I'm also with you!

I also told the DNC they wouldn't see another cent from me unless they showed some backbone by electing Howard Dean as DNC chair. Totally agree & will do my part with RAPID RESPONSE.

[Depth03]

35. This is great news..

<http://www.depthaudio.com/Dean.htm>

Howard Dean Remix

[cal04]

2. YEAH! Dr. has a lot of work

to do!

:bounce: :kick:

[MaineDem]

3. I know DNC members who were never contacted by Roemer

All the other candidates at least sent email to the voting members ... most called in person. Roemer never did either. I wonder how serious a candidate he was all along?

Now the only races to be decided this weekend are for Vice Chair.

[BiggJawn]

26. He's a Hoosier.

We grow some of the most half-assed Democrats in the Nation here in Indiana...

[MaineDem]

32. You have my sympathy

But half-assed Democrats are usually better than full-out ass Republicans. Usually... ;)

[BiggJawn]

39. Oh, very true!

I'll take a lukewarm Democrat over a cold ReTHUGlican any day! :D

[davidinalameda]

4. inclusive?

gee, I thought the Democrats were the inclusive ones

or does he mean something else--like throwing our core beliefs to the curb and becoming Republican lite

[zara]

5. Yeeagh!

[tabasco]

44. The sound of Bush puking all over himself ...

the night he got his first DUI !

[Azathoth]

6. Roemer's right

Losing 97 of the 100 fastest growing counties is a distinctly worrying trend. Unfortunately, Roemer offered no viable solution to the problem.

We can only hope that Dean will be able to.

[Andy_Stephenson]

8. 97 of 100

Have bbv?

The Dr is in! WoooHooo

[pokercat999]

11. Roemer's solution was the same as Kerry and H. Clinton

move right to be a Republican Lite.

[FreedomAngel82]

18. I saw a bit of a Q&A not long ago

on CSPAN with the canidates and one guy was talking about democrats and religion and that made me a bit uncomfortable and he also said how some people encouraged him to run but he never said who did. Was that Roemer? I believe the person might've been from Texas? And I think I remember hearing how this person was the only democrat on the 9/11 Comission Hearing appointed by Bush. Was that Roemer or another guy?

[Eloriel]

81. Yes, that was Roemer

A real charmer, huh?

ROTFL.

[saracat]

40. Kerry was NOT repuglican Lite. He is more liberal than Dean.

Check out his record. This thinking makes me ill.And I Supported Dean for chair so don't flame me. I like Dean, but Dean is a moderate. Kerry is the liberal.

[Debi]

55. Yes, but is he 'electable'?

;)

[saracat]

59. 59 million people thought so.

And probably more if the votes had been counted!:)

[Debi]

60. Counting votes?

Novel theory....we tried that in the state of Washington and look at the mess we're in there!!!

[saracat]

62. That isn't just vote counting ,silly! The silly state of Washington

seems to think it has at least two political parties!The nerve. One of the most hilarious conversations I have had lately was with a repug Wa. State investments broker. He was arguing for Election Reform! I told him I agreed and I thought we should recount the presidential election in Ohio, Nevada , and New Mexico as well. In fact, I thought a revote was a great idea. He began to stutter and said , well, that was different, and we shouldn't take it that far! I said well, then I guess it is all about whose ox is being gored, isn't it?

[Debi]

65. Hopefully WA Courts

will behave the way the SC did...

"What? the election is over, try again in four years will ya?"

[saracat]

69. No Kidding. Silly Repugs!

:eyes:

[pazarus]

93. wouldnt it be beautiful if

small cases like that actually lead to bipartisan support of election reform?

For the ultimate in 'see what its like?', I like to see the right-wing blogs that cry foul and how unfair it is and how they were cheated. I seem to remember such smugness telling us to 'get over it' in 2000.

On the other hand, we should be arguing for election reform instead of telling them to get over it, no matter how satisfying it is.

[dansolo]

84. But Kerry is ashamed to be a liberal

The problem that a lot of us had with Kerry is that we truly believe that he is liberal in his heart, but he seems to be afraid to stand by his own convictions.

[pokercat999]

95. His record may be liberal but he ran as a "middle of the roader"

which today means far right of center. I'd rather have a conservative democrat that will actually stand up for themselves, say what the mean and mean what they say, than someone pretending to be in the middle. Which by the way is my definition of "Republican lite".

[fob]

12. Roemer left out this part of the election 2004 analysis though

http://www.ecolivingcenter.com/board/politics/messages/47.html

-snip-
Under Clinton, the Democrats broke the GOP hold on the more mature inner-tier suburbs (in places other than the South). These were places like Montgomery and Delaware counties near Philadelphia; Oakland County outside Detroit; affluent New York City-area suburbs of New Jersey and Connecticut; and Montgomery and Franklin counties surrounding Dayton and Columbus, Ohio.

Clinton and then Al Gore (news - web sites) in 2000 won these places with a fiscally moderate, socially liberal message.

This year, Kerry held almost all of these counties and even expanded the Democratic advantage in some areas. For instance, he became the first Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964 to win Virginia's affluent Fairfax County.
-end snip-

[Cha]

87. Cool! I didn't know that about Kerry and

Fairfax County, Va!

I think we were cheated out of a lot of votes for Kerry..so in my mind there was another coup.

[Left Brain]

52. Yeah, and just *maybe*

those counties didn't "lose" like some think they did. Call me a CT, I don't care. I fully believe it was stolen -- again. The depth of the deception? Who really knows?

Good on Dean, I'll open my wallet if he's the man.

[Kosmos Mariner]

67. Be careful about statistics...

Fastest growing always makes the headlines. But,what are the total population numbers? A county of 10,000 people in 2000 that now has 20,000 in 2005? Big Deal. You'll find a lot of smallish exurban counties in those numbers. You have to dig deeper into the demographics to find the regions that have excellent DEM growth potential, and the ones that we need to work on.

Demographics is destiny.


:dem:

[CAcyclist]

97. Right and also the reasons these areas are fast-growing

People are buying houses in the more affordable areas because housing prices have risen so much. And a lot of these people are bringing their liberal values with them when they move from the cities. It isn't about white flight anymore.

[Liberty Belle]

7. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Thanks for sharing the good news. Can we break out the champagne yet?

[Eurobabe]

10. See ya Tim

:hi:

Hello, Dr. Dean!!!!

BTW, have you checked the hate mail this article has generated on the Yahoo boards? Sheesh...

[4_Legs_Good]

13. Holy cr@p! WE DID IT!!!

Way to go Dean!!!!!

Wow, now it's our turn to prove that the DLCers were wrong and we could have won with a non-establishment candidate!

Let's get to work. I'm soooo excited!!

david

[BlueInRed]

14. yeah, baby! nt

[Rainscents]

16. Good for Dean!!!

Lets everybody unite behind Dean!!!

[FreedomAngel82]

15. HURRAY!

I'm so excited Dean is going to be the new chairman. This is exciting. :bounce: :kick:

[DFLforever]

17. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, Dean's In!

That was the easy part...now the real work begins.

[Cha]

88. LOL!

:toast:

[tridim]

20. Wow! Best news in 5 years..

Finally, my guy won! It gives me hope that things will get better very soon. If Rove wasn't such an evil bastard, I'd feel sorry for him. Dean will eat him up and spit him out. Watch BushCo's reaction to this news.. They will play the reverse psychology game just like they did in the primaries. Fortunately for us, it backfired this time. :)

[NYCGirl]

21. And now she sings!

[tridim]

27. ...

[Debi]

56. hehe!!

:wow:

[proud patriot]

22. YaaaaaaaaaaaaHoooooooooooo !

This makes me very happy

[janx]

23. I'm waiting until Saturday to celebrate.

Just in case...

[Mr. McD]

24. So does this mean that

The Times They are a Changing

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

[Me.]

25. I'm Waiting Till The 12th

to whoop and holler, till they announce it, and there's no going back. I don't trust the powers that be and will hold my breath until it's official. As for Roemer's injunctions, I don't think trying to pass for republicans will work, and I have no interest in doing so. I like the way Dean is reframing the issues and how they are presented, and I can't help but wonder if Dean had been on the 9/11 commission if *ush would have been given the pass that Roemer and the others gave him.

[Al-CIAda]

29. Good writtens to Whitewash cOmission co-conspirators. -eom

[David__77]

28. The only danger (if it's possible) remaining...

...is that the establishment will pull in someone else to run at the last minute. Is that even possible technically? If not, then the deed is done. Now hopefully this can be the opening salvo of a transformative campaign.

[sendero]

30. I doubt that..

.... instead they are more likely to follow through on their thread to make the DNC chair a less important position.

We'll have to fight the Rep-Lites every step of the way, of that much I'm pretty sure.

[MaineDem]

33. I doubt that, too

I believe Dean has the committed endorsement of over 50% of the voting DNC members. This could be the start of something good!

[janx]

31. I'm waiting until Saturday to be safe but

YEEEAAARRGGHHHHH!

YEEAARGGHHH!

:grouphug: :toast:
:hug: :kick: :party: :bounce: :hi:

:toast: :bounce: :hug:


:party::party: :kick:

[sasquatch]

36. Beutifal. Dr. Dean can start by ridding us of the traiter Joe Lieberman

:thumbsup:

[NYCGirl]

37. Well, we have to get another Democrat to run against him.

Otherwise, we don't want a republican taking his place.

[DFLforever]

43. Somehow I don't think the primary goal of the DNC chair will be defeating

Democratic senators, even if they're Dinos.


But maybe you can contact a local DFA chapter...B-)

[pazarus]

94. Jewish Republicans like Lieberman

know how to get their key jewish vote: they have to run as Democrats. The Democratic party sees a chance to win with Lieberman, so they support his campaign regardless of his personal views and votes. Fuck him, I hope a real Democrat steps forward in Connecticut and calls him on it. Let the purging begin, I say.

[d_b]

38. YEAH!

I'm looking forward to '06 :bounce:

[MR. ELECTABLE]

41. "Fastest Growing Counties" -- what a load of crap

Hey, if "Podunk" county in the middle of BFE (those flyover states where nobody lives) has 20,000 people, and 1,000 rich rich bastards like Cheney "move" there, I guess that would be a 5% growth rate, which sounds good-- until you realize it's only 1,000 people.

Most of those counties are probably growing because republicans need places to build there mansions and wide open spaces to drive their Hummers and Land Cruisers. That and republicans HATE other people in general, so the further apart they are the better.

That probably works in our favor though because it keeps the disease from spreading.

[American Tragedy]

47. Furthermore, those are probably located in states we've lost anyway

like Wyoming & Utah. I hope that they're concentrating their numbers there, rather than infecting the places where we have real potential. I'd rather see them control a few states where nobody lives, than expand their influence throughout the whole country.

[spunky]

45. Woo-hoo!!!!

The only downside is that now Dean won't be able to run in '08, which I hoped he'd do, even if he had to do it as an Independent. But, with his leadership maybe we'll pick up some seats in '06 and be in good position to get a good candidate in '08.

*does deaniac happy dance*

[jswordy]

49. ROEMER BOWS OUT; DEAN STANDS ALONE FOR CHAIR

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/10839037.htm

[Moderator]

50. Dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1219042

[sniffa]

51. and the dean stands aLone

the dean stands aLone
hi ho the derry-o
the dean stands aLone

[jswordy]

53. Drat! Beat! Story locked is not the same one, at least.

HI SNIFFA!

CONGRATULATIONS TO HOWARD DEAN. You will make us all proud.

[rocktivity]

54. Since Saddam always ran unopposed, too

Can we expect the Rethugs to accuse the Democrats of supporting him?

But seriously, folks, I'm ready to get to work. The actual vote isn't until Saturday, unless I'm mistaken. Between this and waiting for my computer upgrade parts to be delivered, this is getting to be a long week!

:crazy:
rocknation

[Rebel_blogger]

57. Don't you know Rove is peeing himself now???

This has to be some scary news for Karl and his buddies ...

[lonestarnot]

58. I hope he does a little poopie too!

:hurts:

[UrbScotty]

64. Diebold is going to have a hard time with this one! (nt)

[Debi]

66. How long does it take to recount 447 votes?

And which Republican operative will be doing the counting?

[mmonk]

68. Tell Roemer

some souls aren't for sale.

[donheld]

75. This will be very good

I think Dean is a wonderful choice for us. :bounce:

[ScreamingMeemie]

76. Excellent!

Sour grapes anyone?

[neuvocat]

77. I'm very happy with this.

[GoreDean2008]

78. Bush's Lame-Duck Period Begins Now

With Dean we can take back America!!!!!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

[PATRICK]

79. Not only looks good but details

about the process(contrary to the arcane mysteries of the GOP takeover mob) show that it pretty much is that the bickering over the top handwringer model and the DINO ABD ADD shows that there is a power shift going on. As there should be with the same quality of resistance they showed to the GOP bullies. In other words the DC elite is losing big time, and why not? there is no show leader to anoint a chair.

The two big news items are Dean's consummate skill in working for this post, name recognition or not. That is good. The second is that the state party chairmen and others disgusted with the alienating power wads in the current DLC leadership are getting the main voice.

Incompetence of the losers continues with no dismaying burst of suicidal rationality to preserve their abuse of position. The grass roots is going to prevail.

I think Dean will make a transition from candidate to party builder though the media, slanting as always with the eager help of the Foggy Bottom asses and bitter failures will continually respond to the GOP request to tag and characterize Dean- their way. If Dean does one thing it is coping with this inevitable handicap(ANY party chair would be subject to the same sneering smear. Some would meekly, dumbly bow under it.) Another thing is destroying the fears(mainly aided and abetted by the weak sisters who have nearly destroyed the party) of narrowing the base. Switching the dynamic where Murphy's Law seems the rule for debate and strategy can be based on the monstrosity and suffering that is Bush and the reality of truth and populist support for the party in ESSENCE. More than techniques is fighting the cloud of unknowing the monsters have spread over the battlefield to save their cowardly behinds.

Looking very good, so much so that it already is beyond progressives beating the old guard and into true party building. Luckily by their weak internecine squabbling and fumbling attempts to throw candidates against Dean, the old guard has proven(as has the GOP) that little quality follows a descent into rightist lunacy. Insanity and lousy leaders are the BEST that the Tweedledee and Dumb new world disorder can produce. Small wonder that the USA threatens to become a substandard loony bin controlled by the most dangerous inmates.

Before the election the wisest thing the campaign people and DNC said was that with all their natural advantages they should win or else be held accountable. Thank God someone is holding the power dweebs to their prophecy.

[d.l.Green]

80. Let's all show them the $$$ after Saturday. This shouldn't have been so

difficult. We can change the Repug-lite direction of this party for good by rewarding good behavior...:toast:

[dansolo]

82. So then why does he insist on following the same losing strategy?

The biggest concern I have is that some in the Democratic Party, sensing the momentum of Howard Dean, will now try and undermine him behind the scenes to discredit him.

[IronLionZion]

85. Here are those 100 fastest growing counties

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/countypop1.pdf

it is a pdf file.

the vast majority of those counties are in the South and red states. Georgia has half of the top 10. any theories on this?

My guess is that a lot of these places are receiving a lot of hispanic immigrants, white flight, or uncontrolled suburban sprawl. I'm probably wrong.

Whatever the problem is, Dean Democrats can fix it if we "show up" and listen to these people. It's sounds so simple, but we haven't been doing it.

[lovuian]

90. Go Dean Go!!!

:bounce:

[Cha]

91. Here's my little happy dance for Dean!

[CAcyclist]

96. Being more inclusive could also mean

being more welcoming and listening to the progressives who have left the Democrats for the Greens or who have dropped out of politics.It's not just the right-wingers who count.

The majority of US citizens picked None of The Above for president in my opinion. When more people (40%) don't vote than who voted for either of the candidates, that's sending a message, too.

[Anwen]

98. Good! We need Dean now more than ever... n/t