Soon-to-be DNC Chair Howard Dean: How do you see him?

[UdoKier]

Poll question: Soon-to-be DNC Chair Howard Dean: How do you see him?

Soon-to-be DNC Chair Howard Dean: How do you see him?

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. Just what we need n/t

[Liberal Veteran]

2. I just open my eyes and there he is, everytime.

:D

[UdoKier]

6. Don't take this personally, because I am a big Dean fan.

But it's interesting that the first two supportive posts are from members with GLBT avatars.

It's been clear for some time that a lot of his support is from the GLBT community, apparently because of Vermont's civil unions laws.

My question is, why is it that the other factions of the democratic part are not behind him as enthusiastically? Do you think there is a bit of homophobia, because he's been painted as "the gays' candidate"?

Or are they just afraid of a democrat who's proud to be a democrat and opposed the war?

[rigel99]

7. He hasn't courted the other factions

but they are for him, they just need to be included.
we've done a pretty ok job in GA of including greens, libertarians, ethnic groups, etc. but still the DFA meetups are full of white upwardly interested politicos ...

when we got a charter bus and shipped in 400 elderly for Dean's candidacy announcement, we made 400 lifelong dean supporters an huge participants in the cause.. it's our job to do the recruiting to not only Dean's movement, but the larger fiscally responsible and make things happen progressive movement.. but good question.... i wondered that myself..

what on earth is that red # at the end of your posts? i thought maybe the US deficit in 2010?

[UdoKier]

9. It's the national debt RIGHT NOW.

And your other point is interesting.

I was a huge Dean backer last spring, and I never understood why he didn't catch fire with some groups. But good work there in GA, and congrats on putting the bravest woman in the congress, Cynthia McKinney, back where she belongs!

[SmokingJacket]

14. I have no idea why more people don't support Dean.

It's never made sense to me. I'm loathe to think it's any kind of homophobia -- I've never thought of him as "the gays' candidate" anyway, though I'm very pro-gay marriage.

He's intelligent, well-spoken, and tolerates no bullshit. What a relief!!

It might be left over from the primaries. People got very behind "their guy" and maybe don't want to support their guy's enemy. I don't know.

Frankly -- I'd prefer to use the resource that is Howard in a more powerful position than DNC chair. But maybe he'll make that position more powerful.

[Cocoa]

3. Dean transcends his role as divider

he's actually much more than a tool used by the RW and the media to play off other dems, like Kerry, Dean's other rivals for the DNC, and now McAuliffe.

He was actually a very successful governor, and I think he'll make a fine DNC chair.

[flamin lib]

4. He's a lot more moderate than the right makes him out and

he has given my party a backbone. He is in a great position to energize the party, refine the message to one of human rights and values and to capture the disenfranchised moderate Republicans.

[w13rd0]

8. There are few other figures...

...that would be embraced by both my neighbor (a 'far lefty') and brother (ex-GOP very conservative hawk), with both recognizing that the media has painted a false portrait of him, and both now being 'eyes open' to the dangers of propaganda and consolidated media...

But that's Dean. Moderate, liberal? How antiquated are these notions? Could we be any more artificial or insulting to the american people?

The media is hurting America. Liberal and conservative aren't even viable descriptors for an over-arching worldview anymore. Like the story of the blind men and the elephant. I guess in more ways than one.

Dean is a pragmatist, a realist. He's outspoken and plain-spoken. He'll be a great chair for the party.

[HereSince1628]

5. The problem is not that Dean is a moderate, the problem is that

in the DLC dominated organization, being moderate requires moving significantly to the left.

That raises the question of how far the corporate teats will stretch. If they won't reach back to the middle, then politicians are going to have to find another way to suckle. That scares the hell out of them.

[demnan]

10. I think Dean is great!

Just to hear him talk - how he relates to young people, how he understands the "kitchen table" issues, makes me very encouraged for our future with him at the helm.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

11. He's a Conservative! He just pretend to be a liberal...

Pro-NRA, pro-death penalty, very tough on criminal justice and not an environmentalist.

[Melodybe]

13. Are you saying that I am not a liberal?

I am pro second ammendment, pro death penalty, and pro environment.

Dean said not long ago that he thinks environmental issues should be more in the forefront.

Dean is a good democrat, what more can we ask?

[Dr.Phool]

12. Howard's the man

I worked for him last winter, and I'm glad he's made the comeback. He's just what the party needs. He called out Bush when Daschle and Gephardt didn't have the balls to.

[democrank]

15. Dean is a breath of fresh air.

I don`t care if he`s a little to the left or a little to the right. What matters to me is that he actually has a spine.

Dean was my Governor for many years. Sometimes I agreed with him and sometimes I didn`t. I respected him because he said what he meant and meant what he said. He`s intelligent, innovative, gutsy and principled. When Howard Dean tells you something, you can believe him. And, when he makes a mistake, he`ll say so. Give him a chance.

The last thing Democrats need is yet another so-called leader who can`t even find the courage to speak up and uphold basic Democratic Party principles. Instead we get idiots who scramble to get a seat on the Crossfire set so that they can remind America how great the Patriot Act is.

Goodbye,Terry. Too bad you never did get a chance to meet with regular folks. That`s where the ideas are.

[katinmn]

16. I think he brings a lot of what's been missing to the table

In addition, he has done so much to rejuvinate the Dem party and he deserves this.

[bigwillq]

17. Dean RULES!

I will be a happy man when Howard is elected as DNC chair!:bounce: