How would Dean appeal to Greens and Republicans?

[FuriousMNDem]

I've heard so much about how Howard Dean will appeal to Greens and Republicans in the general election.

It's important that our nominee do so, but how would Dean do it?

ON EDIT:

What would Dean do that Gore didn't

[terryg11]

1. stay fiscally conservative and leave the environment alone

there's no way to please both cores of the two groups mentionned but you can get some of the more moderate republicans if you pledge to be fiscally responsible (a la Clinton) and tone down the invasive/restrictive legislation (gun control comes to mind).

Greens may be a bit harder to please but as long as he focuses on fair trade and enfrcing environmental laws he should gain some favor

[AWD]

2. There are many ways

..and I'm sure that they'll be detailed by those who can supply previously stated links and facts.

But in a short post, I can give you these responses.....

Greens - anti-Iraq War, standing up and taking a strong opposition to Bush and not backing down
Repubs - balanced budgets, fiscal conservative

I'm sure there's more, but those are quick.

[Rose Siding]

3. Simply

Repubs (actual conservatives) see value in balanced budgets.

Greens respond to Dean being financed by small donors rather than relying exclusively on the aristocracy for financial backing and, pragmatically, to his opposition to the Iraq invasion.

[eileen from OH]

4. Can't say for the Greens, but as far as Republicans. . .

I'd hit on the fiscal responsibility issues. Hard. Hit him from the right. There are a lot of Repubs who are really, really pissed about the growth of government spending and that Bush, instead of curbing it, has been the most spending-est President we've ever had. Dean's record in VT as a hard-nosed fiscal conservative who believes in balanced budgets (and actually done 'em) could play very well with them. (Take a visit over to the freepers if you doubt me.)

Similarly, the dollar costs of Iraq helps in those arguments. Bush's Iraqi war poll numbers never dropped so low as when he mentioned an actual dollar figure (the ubiquitous 87 billion) for rebuilding. The longer we're there and the more it costs juxtaposed with the-people-we-are-spending-billions-on-trying-to-kill-us-daily will cause serious "Iraq Fatigue" among all but the blindest of Bushites.

eileen from OH

[CWebster]

5. He appealed to me

and I was a Green.

[KaraokeKarlton]

6. He already is appealing to both

Normally, I think he'd have a little tougher time with Greens than this time around. Greens can't afford not to support the Democrat this time. Bush has been the worst on the environment with all his screwed up policies. Greens will be voting against Bush, not for anyone in most cases. As for moderate Republicans...Dean's record of fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets when Vermont doesn't require a balanced budget combined with him neutralizing the gun argument cements him as the BEST candidate for Republicans who don't want to vote for Bush...and there are a lot of them. Dean also has a proven track record of getting a lot of Republican votes. He always got around 20% of that vote here in Vermont, and some years he got almost half the Republican vote.

[cryofan]

7. Well, since you asked.....

Dean ran a tightfisted ship when he was governor of Vermont. he made sure his millionaire buddies could spend their dough on big houses and new cars, instead of on university tuition and daycare and other social needs.

Dean expressed animosity towards the lefties and liberals in Vermont. Republicans also express that same animostity towards that same group. In fact, Dean should appeal more to a lot of Republicans than does Bush. Here are some disturbing (disturbing to liberals) excerpts from a footnoted article detailed Dean's conservative ways:


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Throughout the 1990s, Dean’s cuts in state aid to education ($6 million), retirement funds for teachers and state employees ($7 million), health care ($4 million), welfare programs earmarked for the aged, blind and disabled ($2 million), Medicaid benefits ($1.2 million) and more, amounted to roughly $30 million. Dean claimed that the cuts were necessary because the state had no money and was burdened by a $60 million deficit.9
....
Most of the Democrats in the legislature rebelled against Dean over the budget cuts, and he ended up depending on Republican votes to pass most of his proposals. At the time, a local Vermont newspaper wrote, "The biggest items on Dean’s agenda for next year are likely to provoke more opposition from the Democrats than the Republicans. Nevertheless, Dean said he feels no particular pressure to deliver the goods to his party or to promote the Democratic agenda."15

In the mid-1990s, Dean even aligned himself with the likes of Republican Newt Gingrich on his stance on cutting Medicare. He opined at the time, "The way to balance the budget is for Congress to cut Social Security, move the retirement age to 70, cut defense, Medicare and veterans pensions, while the states cut everything else."16
....
The Rutland Herald described how one protestor, Henrietta Jordan of the Vermont Center for Independent Living, "said it would be much fairer to raise taxes on people with expensive homes and cars, children in private school and a housekeeper at home than to cut programs that helped the 66,000 Vermonters living with disabilities."17 Dean responded callously, brushing off the pleas of Vermont’s most vulnerable by saying, "This seems like sort of the last gasp of the left here."18"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The rest of this article is here:
http://www.isreview.org/issues/32/dean.shtml

[Hoppin_Mad]

10. But Clark has the Repub vote in the bag

As he WAS one, until just a few days ( weeks ? months ? ) ago.

---

"And I'm very glad we've got the great team in office, men like Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice... people I know very well... our president George W. Bush. We need them there."

Wes Clark, May 11, 2001

[maddezmom]

8. kicking

:kick:

[Scott Lee]

9. Dean is the most successful Dem candidate to get crossover repubs

Because of his fiscal conservatism and the lack of whimpiness in his style. Core conservatives like that sort of thing, and it's also whats driving many of them away from BushCo.

In light of that, isn't it peculiar that so many of Dean's detractors would rather the Democrats LOSE all these potential votes than admit that Dean has a broader spectrum appeal trans-ideologies?

[UrbScotty]

12. How true, how true. (nt)

[AP]

11. In conversation: wealthy, NE attorney says,

"I will vote for any Democrat except Dean over Bush."

This is purely anectdotal. But I think many people will share this view.

[JNelson6563]

13. In my own experience

Greens that attend our meet-ups like that Dean stood up to the reich-wing when our Dems were busy posing for pics in the rose garden with the Simian and cowering under their desks hiding from Rove. I think they would be on board the Kucinich train if they thought he had a better chance but they know this country is too far right for Dennis.

The Republicans that have attended (and I might add joined the Dem Party, signed them up myself as Mem chair of my local board) like that Dean is fiscally conservative. They are alarmed at the growth of government and especially the deficits. They also see the economy ain't what the corporate media whores would have us believe.

Julie