Dean isn't the Problem (It's the Dems running for President) Vennochi...

[KoKo]

Dean isn't the problem

By Joan Vennochi, Globe Columnist | June 9, 2005

DEMOCRATS ARE running against Howard Dean instead of George W. Bush and the GOP -- or, better yet, running for principles that matter to the country.

-SNIP-

But Democrats never cared what McAuliffe said; all that mattered was the money he raised, compliments of his vaunted schmoozing skills. Now a few hot-shot donors are upset that Dean isn't stroking them as constantly as McAuliffe, and suddenly he's a failure. According to a recent report in ''The Hill," during the first three months of this year, the DNC raised $14.1 million, ahead of the pace McAuliffe set in 2001. Dean is focusing on fund-raising in small increments through the Internet, as he did during his 2004 presidential bid, which revolutionized presidential campaign fund-raising. That's the big picture Democrats should focus on. Broadening the donor base from the bottom up is good for the Democratic Party.

If Democrats want to get outraged, why not get outraged over daily efforts by the Republican National Committee to marginalize Democratic opposition? The RNC dubbed Democrats ''the Party of No." The RNC is constantly spewing out press releases accusing Democrats of ''hypocritical and obstructionist" comments and ''baseless attacks." When liberal Democrats stand up to conservatives in Congress, they are derided as ''the Michael Moore branch of the Democratic Party."

Yesterday the RNC put out a ''Democrat Leaders' Report Card" which gave the Democrats an ''F" in communication skills, civics, and unity and an ''A" in obstruction. It is hard to argue with the assessment, and that -- not Howard Dean -- is the Democrats' problem.

Congress is a place where voters expect partisanship to yield to compromise. And Congress is where the Democrats have failed to convey a sense of mission and purpose, probably because too many are running around the country running for president.

more of this great read at:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/06/09/dean_isnt_the_problem?mode=PF

[leQ]

1. page not found... i would really like to read that

on edit: it's opinion. not lbn.

in case anybody wants to read it tho

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/06/09/dean_isnt_the_problem/

[Cha]

2. This is Grrrrrrrrrrrrreat!

The link is "not found", though.

Here's a quote from another thread that I think you'll like..from Truthout.org..

" To paraphrase my good friend Titus: You whiny Democratic Leadership wussies - get down off the cross and use the wood to build a bridge to get over it! We love Howard Dean!"



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Cory is a Vietnam veteran. He received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with V device, 1969 - 1970.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/061005Y.shtml

[katinmn]

3. Why aren't we sending out streams of releases calling the

Republican Party "The Party of Lies?" It's true, from top to bottom.

Reid already called Bush a liar. What's to lose?


Good article. Thanks.

[KoKo]

4. Here's link....sorry...fixed it in original post...but here it is updated.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/06/09/dean_isnt_the_problem?mode=PF

[acmavm]

5. Someone here suggested that we sign the petition to our congress

persons telling them we support Howard Dean. Well, I did.

Dear <My Name>,

This email message is sent to you from PetitionOnline.com to confirm your signature as "<My Name>" on the online petition:

"Howard Dean Speaks For Me"

hosted on the web by our free online petition service, at:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Dean/

Your signature on the petition is already complete, and there is no need
to reply to this message.

Your signature number for this petition is ****.
**********************************************************************
You should do it to maybe. Let them know who we support and who just may be looking for another job in a little over a year.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cha]

8. No Rights!

No Retirement! No Insurance! No More Anything!

[Cha]

7. I had forgotten this bit of info..

"During the 2004 presidential campaign, Dean's predecessor, Terry McAuliffe, was famous for personal attacks against President Bush. He described Bush as being AWOL, or absent without leave, during his stint in the National Guard and declared that ''George Bush continually lies."

This woman has got it.."If Democrats in Congress did their job, Dean would be the chorus. Now he's the whole act. Dean's fellow Democrats would rather boo him than themselves."

It's only obvious ..course, there's the usual chorus who pile on Dean whenever they sniff blood or NOT.

[KoKo]

9. McAuliff got little attention for his comments but Dean is the THREAT...so

he gets EVERYONE after him: DLC Dems and REPUGS scared to death that the "K-Street Crowd" will get cut out of '06 and '08 Elections.

That's what I think anyway..for what it's worth. :shrug:

[Cha]

12. It's shaping up that way to me, too.

As usual Dean has to fight on all flanks.

[patricia92243]

10. ''F" in communication skills, civics, and unity - for one the Republicans

have hit the nail on the head.

[tmorelli415]

11. i don't understand why they are so fearful of dean?

I was not a deaniac in 2004, but thought he and his campaign were absolutely a force that energized people and made a huge difference. i've come to have a deeper respect for dean as i watch him go through the tribulations of chairman, but again i see him bringing so much enthusiasm to the party and i agree with his priorities for changing the party apparatus, fund raising, and injecting some controversey into the debate (dems are seen as too wishy washy which comes across as shifty to undecideds).

i don't agree with all that he says, and i'm still nto willing to call myself a deaniac, but i think he's doing a great job and keeping us relevant. he has made some bad word selection here and there and it has got him in trouble, and I think he needs to improve in his savvy with the press and their tricks (maybe needs some better advisors to handle that), but he's learning and he's at least got an opinion.

i don't understand why they fear him so much? can anyone explain why internal party leads are so up in arms about him? i don't think they understand that he has such strong loyalty (not me per se although i am loyal to dem leads, but his 'deaniacs' are part of the package and they are so important to the party right now - the party's soul in some ways). why take a chance of pissing them off and losing them? they are attracting more people to the party with their loyalty and grassroots effort (we need a grassroots structure badly). it is in my opinion a chance for the party to actually become the 'party of the working stiff' and the 'party of the people' - i'm not sure if i understand or even agree that dems 'act like republican lite' so that's not what im arguing here - just that there is a real movement in the party now for the first time in at least 40 years and it owes its unity to some of what dean is doing and what his deniacs do.

that doesn't mean the clark folks and the kucinich folks, and the kerry folks, and edwards folks aren't just as important, but i think it is fair to give dean some credit for keeping the party together and invigorating the base in an off year after a pres loss.

can anyone explain what the big problem is? why are so many people in the parrty pissed at each other? i don't get it.

[KoKo]

13. To me...it seems it's the "K-Street Lobbyist Money" and that Dean can

raise his own money from "WE, THE PEOPLE" over the Internet seems to freak them out.

He's seen as a maverick because he can raise so much money from little contrbutions whereas the "PARTY" has grown reliant on having Biden and some other BIG NAME Dems show up and schmooze and handshake and the Big Dem Donars Cough up the Big $$$$$$$$$$$'s.

From my reading it seems the Big Guy's are not being "schmoozed" enough for '06 Midterms...and they are pissed.

Meanwhile Dean has given us here in NC enough to hire a "clerical worker" instead of all volunteers, and get us some money to pay for flyers and software that we guys were donating because our Dem Party wrote NC off (even with Edwards as VP!) and we had such antiquated voting records and databases and an old computer with only volunteer help, that his contribution to us of about $45,000 will be a HUGE HELP.

DNC didn't give us shit for years....

That's why some don't like him. They are happy with the Dem Party as it is...and not WHAT IT COULD BE with just some money and effort on the GRASS ROOTS? :shrug:

[Cha]

14. I think we're all important..I just

wish the Dems would work together instead of splitting ranks. This is bigger than them..it's the very life of our Country, we're fighting for.

[Tom Rinaldo]

15. Hopefully the fear isn't as widespread as the media makes it seem

They thrive on controversy afterall. Some will feel threatened by Dean because they devoted their careers to solidifying their personal influence through establishing strong "inside the beltway" connections. Dean on the other hand has a professed goal of empowering the State and Local levels of the Democratic Party, which for 99.5% of the country exists "outside the beltway". But I want to be careful about assuming that most Democratic leaders are out to get Dean. I presume some are, because power struggles are the norm. Maybe more than usual because of the specific threat some may see in Dean. But people are innocent until proved guilty. I still have hopes that many if not most of the Democratic Party leadership will come around to supporting Dean fully if they don't already do so. I am watching though.

[tmorelli415]

16. i thought the party was supposed to do what *we* say it should do

no reason why we can't have funding from both the grassroots and some traditional beltway loyal friends. is this struggle over setting the policy agenda - as in big $ gets to set the agenda? that's not cool.

i thought it was us peons who got to set policy - not the other way around. why aren't they asking *us* what we think of the things dean or XYZ says about ABC123? oops.. just answered my own question: if they keep getting most of the cash from the grassroots peons they will have to let us peons run our own party. is that it? they don't want the party run by us trailer trash?

i feel like a rebel now. i don't readily admit such possibilites. is it true or can i just pretend that our leaders are all wonderful fulks agfain?