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Hello Folks,
A friend wrote to me. She asked me why I had come out in support for Howard Dean for President. She has been considering her options and is not quite in anyone’s camp yet. Since she knew I only decided recently to support Dean, she wanted to know what “tipped it” for me.
This is what I told her:
The real thing I disliked about Dean in the beginning was that he wasn't Gore. I am still angry about 2000; it was a defining moment for me. After years of abuse, being labeled as un-American and immoral because I was a "liberal", to have such a perversion of our electoral system happen (and to watch the party stand by and let it happen and then blame Gore and say he shouldn't run again...to hear certain key figures in the party say it in public) was more than I could tolerate. For me nothing was going to ever heal that except that Al Gore, who I have admired since the late 80s, would be President.
I thought I could write Dean off. I saw him as a centrist (he is, kind of...more on that later) an unknown from a small state who wanted to be President. A particular supporter of his campaign showed up on the message boards at DU.com and annoyed the hell out of me. She talked about Dean in every discussion no matter what the subject we were discussing. I was determined not to jump on that band wagon. Then others, people who I liked and respected, came out for him and I wondered what they were thinking. They seemed to be supporting him because he was a "fighter". I thought they were looking for a big brother bully to beat up the mean republicans. I didn't want that. I wanted to beat up the republicans myself. I was angry and mean enough to do it and I was turned off by what I perceived were a lot of other people sitting bitching on message boards and looking for someone to fight for them.
As time went on I kept hoping some candidate would say or do something to spark my interest. (I didn’t to watch the debates, so how was I going to hear them?) I figured if no one did, I would go to the voting booth and vote for whomever was the nominee in November. I would basically just sit out the campaign. I was so depressed about the whole deal. After working to get Rendell elected, I couldn't believe I was going to just go along and not be involved. Finally Wesley Clark said something that appealed to me. I don't even remember what it was, but I thought "well at least he will be inoculated against the idea that bush is this great military leader. Maybe he can catch some swing voters with his image".
Then Al Gore endorsed Dean. I thought, "You have got to be kidding me. You want me to support People Powered Howard??? You know Al; maybe this is where we part ways. Maybe you really did always have lousy judgment. Maybe 2000 really was your fault... People Powered Howard, who do they think they are fooling with this slogan? Sorry Al, but Clark seems to be a liberal with the momentum and the image to beat bush".
Then I realized Clark was indeed image and not much substance. I wondered who was behind him. I wondered if he was a candidate looking for a party. I decided that was a chance I was not willing to take. He might be everything he says, but I have no way to judge and I am not comfortable with that.
So, loving Al Gore the way I do, and knowing my assessment of him and the 2000 election was not wrong; I went to Dean's web site. I read the articles and the blog. I started to realize that centrist (kind of) as he was, Dean was also a populist. This is a big deal for me. I admire populists. I don't know anyone who fits the category of liberal or conservative perfectly. Look at Kucinich, he votes against abortion rights all his life, changes that stance and then votes for the flag burning amendment and some bill which allows for trying children as adults? (Why Dennis?) I decided that I could live with supporting a Liberal/Centrist Populist and indeed be very happy about it.
I saw that when Dean says "look this legislation is not perfect, let's get this passed, we will fix it later", he means it and he fixes it later. My impression is that people may get mad at him and they may disagree with him but they trust that he means what he says. He is a social liberal and that is a good thing. He does have a good deal of support from the GLBT community because of the Civil Union legislation he passed. I believe Brian_Expat when he talks about his experience in VT during that whole period. I do not believe Dean was forced to sign the civil union legislation. I think he honestly re-evaluated his thinking and evolved as a human. This is what we expect from each other as human beings and yet we attack it in politicians.
I read this quote by Bill Clinton ....."I'd also like to say that whatever it is that Howard Dean knows -- or whatever it is that he eats for breakfast every morning -- if I could give it to every other Democratic office holder and would-be office holder, we would immediately become the majority in the Congress and we would have about 35 governors.
I have to tell you, I think a big part of it is just producing for people, actually doing what you say you're going to do at election time."-- Bill Clinton, 12 November 1997
Here is the big thing: When you sign up to work for Dean’s campaign, you immediately have something to do. You have an endless possibility of ways to get involved. You don't have to wait months for a campaign office to open. You don’t have to then try to get someone to give you phone calls to make or envelopes to stuff. You don't have to wait for a call from some 25 year old, with a brand new degree in Political Science, to ask you to show up as background for the next photo-op. When someone on The Forum asks you what you think, they give a damn what you say.
When I talk about this campaign having enthusiasm and energy like you have never seen before, I mean it. You see? I don't have to wait for or expect someone to beat up the mean republicans for me. I can put as much effort and energy as I can muster into fighting the Right-wing all by myself. It is up to me.
This Dean campaign is not “politics as usual”. It takes a certain type of person, with a certain type of courageous "all or nothing" attitude to stand up and say what is unpopular before anyone else says it. I am not talking about the way Lieberman says what is unpopular with democrats, to get swing votes, and figures we will have to vote for him anyway. I mean the kind of unpopular that is not about what is "right" or "left", but instead is about what is true.
I am not worried about "gaffes". If everyone was waiting to pick apart every word I spoke the way they do Dean/Gore/Clinton/Others I would have to go around with my mouth taped because I couldn't be elected to dog catcher. This game of “Gotcha” that some candidates are playing is ugly. Yes Dean "attacked" at the beginning during the debates. I didn't like it and I let him know. I doubt he ever saw my e-mail but I wrote. But when I think back there was nothing as personal and vindictive or destructive as what is being thrown at him now.
The thing is that he was right in what he said. We were waiting for a democrat to stand up and say “the Emperor has no clothes”. Gore said it, but he wouldn't run. Dean said it and he will run the kind of campaign Gore would have liked to run ("the people, not the powerful"), the kind Gore ran towards the end of his election. That campaign made Al Gore the winner, but we all know what happened in the long run. Dean’s campaign is the kind of campaign Gore would have run this time if he had not been (I am convinced) publicly and privately told he would not get any support from the party.
I too see a divide in the party, a struggle between the new democrats or DLC and the old time liberal wing. I see Dean bridging that gap. He may be a liberal/centrist but he is no “go along to along to get along” DLC stooge.
The recent attacks on him are mean and personal and WRONG. Where are the other candidates going with their rhetoric? It's “outrageous” that Dean says there was no middle class tax cut because we have lost more than we gained? It's “outrageous” that he is making a judge look at his office records and decide through the legal system what should be considered personal and private? It's “outrageous” that he said the courts should decide on the guilt or innocence of Osama Bin Laden? It seems to take very little to outrage some of these guys. The fake outrage, from other candidate’s supporters, on DemocratiUnderground.com has been ridiculous and it reflects the fake outrage of the candidates they are supporting. Their tactics have been, to me, reminiscent of the right wing.
I always wondered what my somewhat high IQ was for. It certainly didn't make me a good student. I have always struggled with higher math and science. I can't spell to save my life and I do not memorize names and dates without a massive effort. I am certainly no writer. For all the vocal talent I have and the ability to reach an audience, I am not a good musician. Any music theory I ever learned left my head within weeks of learning it.
But I am great at directing, teaching, performing and charming people (at the very rare times I feel like it). Animals and children love me even when I ignore them. I am all intuition and sensory perception. It's not what I would have chosen, but it's me. I guess this is the purpose for my intelligence, to know what to do with the knowledge or feelings I intuit. For instance: these characteristics makes me a good actor, director and teacher. I know what the actor, student and audience needs, I get sudden flashes of insight which tell me how to help them get where they need to go. It comes naturally.
That same intuition tells me that Howard Dean will be the next President of the United States (with help from us). My intuition tells me he is running the kind of campaign which is exactly right for the place we are at now. It is exactly right at this time in history. Yes, it really is "People Powered" hokey as that sounded to me at first. I perceive (as well as see evidence) that Howard Dean is growing as a human being and leader to fill a void in leadership that needs to be filled. I believe that the times do often make the man or woman.
His imperfections/faults are less than the sum of his attributes. I do not think that any of the other candidates has the particular set of skills or strengths needed to both win the office and to be President. Several of them have proven they do not have the guts or judgment to do the right thing when it really matters.
I could be wrong, but I have to go with my strength, my intuition and my sense. They have served me well more often than not.
Ches
To those of you who have bothered to read all of this, thank you.
Bash away! :7
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