The Suckering of Howard Dean

[donsu]

http://www.counterpunch.com/frank02022005.html


The Establishment Corrals the Deaniacs


-snip-

Washington insiders are ecstatic that Dean will rush his grassroots enthusiasts right through the stodgy gates of the Democratic establishment. They hope the ex-Vermont Governor can corral these anti-war Deaniacs, and keep them well situated within the confines of the party.

Letting them flee would be the worst mistake they could make. The Democrats need their money and party loyalty -- indeed they are the Democrats only life-support.

Plus, Dean's symbolic role will most likely eliminate any chance of a presidential run in 2008. Instead the Democrats will be able to say they have a "progressive" leading the fundraising wing of their party, so why throw Hilary Clinton into the cage to battle the Republicans?

-snip-

The Democratic loyalists who will cast their vote for Howard Dean realize the DNC chair post is the best place to situate the mangy pest. Slap ol' Dean in a position that has little to do with policy, and much to do with corporate fundraising, they say -- we'll at least get his grassroots cash.

Best of all it'll shut the guy up. No more tangents. No more unscripted interviews. He'll have to tout the party line at every turn. Which is all any of the party elite ever wanted anyway.
-------------------------------

well, Deaniacs, is he right?

[NYCGirl]

1. Pretty much nothing written in Counterpunch is right.

They have slime in there about Kerry, Clark, and other Democrats.

[donsu]

4. guess slime is in the eye of the beholder as I've seen many a

fine article at Counterpunch

[Capn Sunshine]

11. Face it, they have an agenda

it's the destruction of the Democratic Party, because these wackos think that's what we need to wake the left up.
I wish them well on their mission, but I know what the underlying theme of anything I read there is.

They are NOT our allies.

[bryant69]

2. I'm not a Deniac

But I don't think it's safe to assume they can co-op Dean without being co-oped in turn. It's how the game is played in politics, you often have to work with people you don't entirely agree with. Dean will have to toe the party line, yeah, but he will also get an expanded voice in saying what the party line is.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[AntiCoup2K4]

3. A new Dean bashing thread every 5 minutes

Damn, they must be getting desperate over there at DLC headquarters.... :)

[donsu]

6. this thread does not bash Deam - read it again

nt

[sandnsea]

12. Counterpunch? DLC?

:crazy: That doesn't even make sense.

[last1standing]

5. Maybe he's right, maybe he's wrong.

We won't know till it happens, but I think that anytime we can place a progressive into a leadership position within the party we will have more leverage to get our message out.

One thing he's wrong about though is saying that the DNC chair is merely symbolic. There is a great amount of power in that position and I think Dean will use every bit of it.

[TeacherCreature]

7. I sometimes like Counterpunch but Joshua Frank is a fanatic Dem hater

So what do you expect?

And the Dean panic continues....on the left AND the right.

Interesting...

[Justitia]

26. Agreed - Joshua Frank DESPISES Dean, & most other Dems as well

He also thinks the Greens are too moderate / corrupted too.
Keep this in mind whenever you read anything he writes, it's usually poisonous.

[TeacherCreature]

29. And yet--here it is....posted out of context.

I wonder why?

[bemildred]

8. It remains to be seen.

It is easy enough to predict that Mr. Dean will not have his way
with the party without resistance from the old line party hacks.
My guess would be that that resistance will take the form of trying
to ensure that Mr. Dean's efforts do not result in a return of the
party to political power, i.e. internal sabotage. Who will win in
that struggle remains to be seen. It appears to me that Mr. Dean's
rhetoric supports the idea that he knows what to do, and has a good
chance to bring about some real reforms. That of course will be
very disruptive for the sclerotic old US political system.

I don't think that anybody paying attention thinks Dean was the
preferred choice of the party hacks, so I think the "Dean is right
where they want him" rhetoric is bogus.

[mattclearing]

9. Everyone is trying to slime Dean again.

It's an effort by the media to ruin him.

Surprised that Counterpunch is involved though. They seem to have given up on the Party.

I haven't.

People who think Dean supporters are easily suckered back into the party just because the man is in the establishment are going to be sorely disappointed.

It will take more than a token gesture to satisfy Dems like myself.

They better fight like mad.

[LittleClarkie]

15. Everyone, darling?

I beg your pardon.

This Kerrycrat is SOLIDLY behind Dean.

I wondered if this article was a calculated effort to make progressives think that they're being gamed. But then I don't think the suggestion is coming from DLC. Somehow I don't think they and Counterpunch go together.

I really don't like that resource much. They remind me of a leftist NewsMax.

[mattclearing]

24. I was referring to the media.

Counterpunch is more of a radical organization.

The DP has never been and never will be good enough for them.

[WI_DEM]

10. The position will be what Dean makes of it

I don't see him as a figure head.

[quiet.american]

13. "Dean" of the Party

Well, I would wager it won't take long for "the establishment" to realize Howard Dean is not "their father's DNC Chairman."

Howard Dean's choices throughout his life have always tended toward the maverick -- it's going to take more than a collection of Washington dilettantes to change that.

As for "containing" Deaniacs -- oh, please -- laugh out loud!

[BlueInRed]

14. "misunderestimated" again

I think they thought Dean would disappear off the stage after the microphone enhanced "scream" and now they realize he's not going away. Better him in the DNC than railing away at the establishment would be my guess.

I think Dean will balance going the party line and speaking out when he believes its right and necessary. Anyone who thinks Howard Dean can simply be muzzled isn't paying close attention.

p.s. - I support Dean AND others, so I don't consider myself a "Deaniac". My impression is when someone throws out that label, they probably aren't a Dean supporter.

[moggie12]

16. Well, that's an incredibly illogical argument

Duh, it was Dean's idea to run. This argument is ridiculous:
They're making it sound like electing Dean DNC chair is part of some evil plot to stifle Dean and his supporters. This would only make sense if the Democratic leadership had DRAFTED Dean to run for the DNC.

Does anybody know anything about this "CounterPunch" site? Is it a RW front group or something? It seems like they're trying to encourage consipracy threories and whip up discord among Democrats.

[CWebster]

18. That's "Counterpunch", not "CommomDreams"

and yeah, I would venture that a great many of us read "CommonDreams". At least I have it bookmarked.

[BlueInRed]

19. Common Dreams is a good site, Counterpunch not so much

Common Dreams is a great site with lots of opinions from all sides of the Democratic tent. Counterpunch, on the other hand, is much more controversial.

[CWebster]

17. No one expects Dean to be a Leftist

Just a Democrat to hopefully take the party back.

[blm]

20. Typical attack that always ends up benefitting the GOP.

Operatives attacking Democrats from the left is such good fun.

David Horowitz

[Larkspur]

21. Joshua Frank is a well known anti-Dean writer

He is wrong more about Dean than he is right. The Washington insiders did not want Dean. Yes, they wanted Dean supporters money and volunteer time, but they wanted the Good Doctor to stay in Vermont. But we wouldn't let them.

Second, Dean as DNC Chair will not be silent. He has already aired that he would have voted against the Gonzales nomination and Pelosi and Reid, like a pair of vipers, tried to tell Dean to keep his mouth shut. Dean won't. He may become more Media savvy as he gains more experience, but Dean as DNC Chair does not put Dean in a closet. We won't let that happen and it will be hard not to notice 300 plus supporters cheering on Howard Dean, the DNC Chair, at every public appearance.

Frank will never understand why Dean supporters love Howard Dean and how we will reshape the Dem Party into a winner. He's as clueless as the arrogant elitests who can't stop Dean.

[janx]

23. BRAVO!

:toast:

[donsu]

22. what I'm asking is this:

is the writer right in thinking they picked Dean in order to keep him in check and to get the Deaniacs money and help?

we are not talking about the merits of Counterpunch or the writer himself, but what he had to say.

[CWebster]

25. maybe

but it doesn't come free.

[Justitia]

27. short answer: NO

and you must always consider the bias / motive of the writer, in determining what he hopes to ACCOMPLISH or ACHIEVE or COMMUNICATE with his piece.

[hippiechick]

28. Yep.

I think I said it here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1523630#1523641

[goodhue]

30. I'm not a Deaniac but

I think this analysis is simple-minded and inaccurate. DNC members will not be corraling a pest but rather empowering the grassroots. At least that is the story I'm sticking with.