A label for Howard Dean...what is he, anyway?

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

Poll question: A label for Howard Dean...what is he, anyway?

Since labeling Dr. Dean seems to be a hot topic, maybe we need to nail a single word description down, once and for all.

Trying to label this complex human as one single idealogical concept is tough. And, he is probably one of the most human politicians out there.

So, let's label the guy and move ahead to other things. MKJ


edited to amend the redundant "idealogical idea" phrase.

[hedda_foil]

1. Common-sense.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

3. There is absolutely nowhere in politics for common sense

it's dangerous, don't you know.

MKJ :7

[saracat]

2. By his own admission, Dean is a centrist. He is NOT a liberal or a

"progressive".He was voted the fourth most conservative governor in the nation by the governors conference when he was governor of Vermont. And he wasn't "socially liberal either".He begrugded the money for public defenders as he thought "95% of accused people were "guilty anyway".But he is definately better thananyone else we could have had as chair. He is at least bringing some excitement to the job!

[Selatius]

4. Hah, you put "socialist" on there? By what definition?

Bernie Sanders. Now THERE is a socialist! :)

BTW, I hope Bernie wins, but then again, I have an issue of bias given that I'm a libertarian socialist.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

LOL, ya know that universal health care thing...it's SOCIALIZED medicine

run for the hills. MKJ

[Selatius]

12. That could make him a member of the Social Democrats, not a socialist thou

In my mind, a socialist is one who simply does not believe capitalism should be the basis of our economy, that it is not the "answer." More moderate socialists would append that to say that it isn't the "long-term answer," meaning they favor a transitional phase of some kind or only favor a transition when certain conditions are met.

Though Dean may favor universal health care, he has never come out to state unequivocally that socialism should be the basis of our economy. More realistically, Dean advocates capitalism with a few social programs tacked on to make it more "humane."

There is a difference between being a social democrat and a democratic socialist.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

16. Uh, I'm a little embarrassed to admit I included socialist because I've

heard it used as an argument against universal health care, by RW know- nothings.

I really appreciate your clear description of socialism and would really be interested in what the transitional phase looks like.

I would whole-heartedly agree that capitalism has enormous flaws as an economic foundation.

Would you say we are veering toward fascism or theocracy? Or some other restrictive governing agenda? MKJ

[Selatius]

17. It's fascism we're in danger of falling under

Fascism = corporatism. What you're seeing is another incarnation of corporatism. The previous incarnation of corporatism is well known to everyone here: Mainly, Nazi Germany.

In both cases, corporatism utilized religion as a wedge issue to distract the populace, while power was being concentrated at the expense of democratic institutions, usually in the name of security.

Religious fundamentalists wish they could be the ones calling the shots, but it's the people who hold the money who have their hands on the levers of power.

It's all right that you used the term "socialist." It has become a catch-all phrase for rightwingers when they think a person is moving too far to the left, so they throw out the term "socialist" knowing full well that people would automatically think of only the USSR because in the US, socialism was almost always automatically equated to totalitarianism. It's meant to shame the person down.

[brainshrub]

5. I voted Doctor.

I know he isn't progressive in the canonical sence... but dammit I don't care.

All I know is that the good Doctor is just what the Democratic party needed, and that's good enough for this dyed-in-the-wool liberal.

[Syrinx]

6. progressive populist

That's what I'd call him, if I were to use a label.

[Guaranteed]

31. That's what he is. nt

[saltpoint]

7. I like thinking about him. I like that he's smart as a whip, --

-- vigorous (arguably the most vigorous personality in politics since the Kennedy brothers early on).

I like his range of thought and his directness of expression. We admired these traits in Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman and I sense them in great quantity in Dean also.

I like that his wife did not kiss anyone's ass on the campaign trail last year in the primaries and remained at home to treat her patients.

I like that Dean is our party's Chair and I definitely believe good, good things will come of that as we go along. I feel more and more convinced each day that he's the man for the job. Terry McAuliffe was one hell of a decent man but I'd personally hire Dean for this position. The party can use that brain and vigor.

I like that he requested to room with two Afro-American roommates in college.

I like the idea of someone like Howard Dean as a physician and as a world-changer.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

8. Wow, a great summation...

I really like him, too. However, it seems that unless we can come up with a one word description for him, he won't fit neatly into a category and well, we can't have that, can we?

I will say unequivocally..I'm glad he's on our side. MKJ

[saltpoint]

13. Hi, BleedingHeartPatriot. I spend a lot of time in the --

-- "I wish Kerry-Edwards had beat Bush-Cheney" camp, but I was kind of pleased with the menu the Democrats put before primary voters.

If you held a pistol to my head I would confess to believing that Diebold and Dick Cheney and Karl Rove stole the election outright. Not voter fraud but felony election fraud, and I lay the blame at the feet of those three people & whoever did their bidding in a handful of states.

It's not hard to imagine the day when we will see a Howard Dean presidency. Although he says he will not seek the nomination in 08 if he became Chair, history often has other plans. Snelling keeled over dead when Dean was still a practicing physician, so one day he was jamming tongue depressors down people's mouths and the next he was being sworn in as the Governor of Vermont.

Dean. Kerry. Edwards. Clark. Kucinich. Braun. --etc. All these folks look AWFULLY presidential next to the subliterate puke who's in there now.

[Cha]

18. "Life is what happens when

we're busy making other plans". :7

Dean does have a way of being all over the map and moving on a dime.

And he's working diligently to bring people together ALL OVER the USA to vote Democratic in 2006. And most of us are supporting his efforts.



http://www.democrats.org

[saltpoint]

21. Yes. I love feeling good about rallying behind the party's Chair.

Also, zidzi, love your 50-state strategy image/logo in your post field.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

19. Al Franken on Real Time "They won dirty"

When I'm confronted by the "get over it, bush won", that's my response.

And, not suprisingly, I have yet to have any gwb supporter argue differently.

The Ohio mess is a dirty, little secret in the back of many minds.

Dean is inspirational. He speaks plainly and, I believe, from the heart. He's balancing his own anger at the current administration with the demands of being a politician.

What I really like about him...he has integrity. I really like it when he speaks his mind in his characteristic blunt style and gets the MSM's panties in a twist. (not to mention the repubs).

He's great at it, and getting better all the time.

MKJ

[Cha]

20. I like that..

"They won dirty"!

Short, succinct, and Nailed!

[saltpoint]

22. You bet. If I were Ken Mehlman, I would be heading for the hills of --

-- Carolina where Eric Rudolf was hiding out, because otherwise he's going to have to face Howard Dean for the forseeable future on Meet the Press.

And have his fanny kicked, too, by a progressive conservative vegetarian rabble-rousing socialist doctor honest regressive liberal hellhound of a great guy.

[geckosfeet]

27. Lately he has been a junk yard dog snarling at the repubs. But

I like that. Don't worry about what they say, just get some spine and tell it like it is. Let the candidates tap dance.

[aquart]

9. A label is stupid.

Only a pigeon-sized mind tries to pigeon-hole everything.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

10. LOL, aquart, "only pigeon sized minds try to pigeon hole everything"

Now that's a description of every repub simpleton I've every dealt with if I ever heard one. MKJ

:rofl:

[killbotfactory]

11. honest

and an honest man is a dangerous thing to washington politicians

[Stinky The Clown]

14. My label for Howard Dean: Howard Dean

He's been one hell of a boost for the Dems.

The right person at the right time.

He eludes common labels, and I like that. He's a complex man, and I like that. He speaks his mind, and I like that. He pisses off the right and then stands there and says, 'yeah, I said that', and I like that.

'Howard Dean'

I like that.

[Eloriel]

28. Yes, complex, but simple too

He has some very simple attributes: forthright, straightforward, commonsenseical, practical, pragmatic, a thinker/doer.

A commonsense visionary. An incredible leader who led his followers into becoming leaders themselves. A man so powerful he sought to give power away, and commented that, "Zen-like" that gave him even more.

[Cha]

15. "I don't care what you label me as long as you call me president."

~Howard Dean :P

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/howard_dean.html

[GreenArrow]

23. a moderate Corporatist

just for starters.

[bitchkitty]

24. Chairman of the DNC n/t

[Eloriel]

25. I think he's a completely new breed

I've watched him carefully for a couple of years now, and he defies labels, IMO.

He's progressive. No one NOT a progressive could have implemented the "Success by Six" program in Vermont which has resulted in reducing child abuse by 43% and child sexual abuse by 72%. That's PROGRESSIVE, folks.

He also put aside quite a bit of Vermont acreage which will never be developed. Once upon a time that was conservative ("conservation") but it's PROGRESSIVE now.

He's in favor of IRV -- Instant Run-off Voting. That's PROGRESSIVE.

He's in favor of sane fiscal policy and balanced budgets. Lotta people here think that's either centrist or conservative. I consider it merely exquisite stewardship of the public monies and trust, which tracks perfectly with the kind of integrity and character I see in him.

But beyond all that, he is one who takes a perspective slightly above a yes/no, either/or polarization to find a synergistic place where common ground can be found which also dissolves or at least minimizes other differences between people. You see it in his reframing of issues (e.g., "Let the states decide what additional gun laws, if any, they need"), I see it in the vision he had for America as a Presidential candidate (and no doubt still has, it's just not his place to pursue at the moment). His June 23, 2003 Announcement Speech was one of my favorites of his because it articulated what I considered an absolutely breathtaking vision which I believe would have drawn in people of good will from ANY place on the political spectrum.

June 23, 2003 speech: Governor Howard Dean Announces His Candidacy for President, Burlington, Vermont, June 23, 2003
http://www.crocuta.net/Dean/Transcript_of_Deans_Candidacy_Announcement_June23_2003.htm

And most of all, what Dean wanted and WOULD have done everything in his power to effect, was to return power to the people. When you've got that, just about everything else falls into place. I always felt that this superceded absolutely any and every other possible agenda item anyone on the left could come up with. I never understood why Kucinich supporters, for example, didn't see how important, how utterly key to THEIR progressive wishlist Dean's core driving principle was. :shrug:

Edited: in short, Dean IS a paradigm shift.

[janx]

26. Bravo, Eloriel--The Restoration Speech!

I remember watching it with friends in Boulder at a local watering hole. It was breathtaking and still is.

Dean is a paradigm shift, I'm now convinced, because he saw the shift in American politics before many others did, and he realized that shifting conservative sands meant a shift for the country, not just Republicans.

[fujiyama]

29. What is Dean?

He's the chairman of the DNC, and so far I really don't see any problems with the way he's doin his job.

Labels are irrelevant, though if you ask me he's a liberal centrist, or simply left of center. That's where most Dem policies lie anyways.

[bklyncowgirl]

30. Unique

Conservative: On economic issues--particularly government spending(in the old fasioned fiscally responsible way)

Moderate: On most issues. Tries to seek balance between economic imperatives and social justice and environment. Adopts and encourages others to adopt more conciliatory language on hot button social issues without ceding on actual policy. Unlike alot of moderates, however, onece he makes a decision, he is willing to take a stand in the face of furious opposition--i.e. the gay civil unions issue in Vermont.

Progressive: Particularly on health care and early childhood education but it's a practical progressivism--wants value on the dollar and real results for the taxpayers.

Bombthrower: Willing to launch verbal grenades at the enemy and usually hits his mark--although what he's saying may sound crazy at the time e.g. saying that the capture of Saddam Hussein did not make America safer or calling the administration on the carpet for raising the terror alert right after the Democratic convention. Gets heated discussion going on all sides often including his own.

I like the guy. I think there's method in his madness. I like the fact that he came away from a primary where he certainly felt that many of the party leaders conspired against him, and instead of sulking, went to work to build support for the man who beat him. I like the fact that he was able to, in a very competent way, engineer his election as DNC chair right in the faces of those same party leaders who opposed his candidacy for President. I like the fact that even though he comes from a privileged background, that he walked away from a cushy job Wall Street to study medicine and that he and his family apparently live a modest middle class lifestyle and that his wife has her own professional life and interests.

I don't know whether he will or even should become President of the United States, but he's just what the Democrats need right now.