Blog comments about a Dean meeting with CA DFAers today.

[madfloridian]

I found this at the blog today...I am sure the person won't mind. These are comments from a meeting with Howard Dean this morning...maybe San Jose, not sure. I thought them very interesting.
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BLOG SNIP.."I got two main drifts...the DNC chair position and the election discrepancies and why we have not heard from him more about his position.

I'll start with the DNC position.

He said that he is serious about pursuing it but he is not officially in the race. He plans to talk to each DNC member and make a decision in two weeks. What he did say is that we should not flood Art Torres and others who we may think have any single power (cuz there is no single decision maker) with 70,000 emails.

He did state that if he was the DNC chair that he could not run for prez in 2008. He made that pretty clear. And he said that he would not run for prez if he didn't think he could win. He also said being president is not worth it if the "party isn't changed."

He said the DNC is not a group of reformers and that while his being chair may be deemed ideal, it will take a very long time to see the change we need if we ONLY rely on the DNC chair to influence those changes. He throws changing the Dem party back into OUR hands, by running for local office, etc.

He said that he would push the idea of grassroots to the max if he was to become the Chair, and try to persuade the party to realize that grassroots is the only way to make the changes we want to see.

Posted by Denise at November 30, 2004 03:25 PM

Howard also said that he totally supports the action the GAO is taking on the voting irregularities issue.

He said though it is hard to prove what really happened in Ohio and Florida, he does support a full recount WHERE it is possible. And if he becomes DNC chair he will focus much attention on this, otherwise all future elections are flawed and useless to our democracy.

Posted by Denise at November 30, 2004 03:36 PM

Howard said that we need to reinvigorate our state Dem parties. He said that there are only about 5 good ones (CA & TX were cited) but the rest are sorely underfinanced and he looks to the national party to start helping out at the state level. He said that CA & TX are tired of "being ATMs" and then are virtually ignored when it comes to having candidates actually campaigning there during elections.

Again, he strongly suggests that we become members and/or get elected to our local central committees and work from within to change what is not working. He could not stress the power of grassroots enough.

Posted by Denise at November 30, 2004 03:39 PM

Regarding the Dem party in general -

Howard said that it operates in a "culture of losing." The whole Republican lite thing. He said the DNC has to be strong enough to want to do something about it. He used the analogy of "just how long do you have to be in pain to do something about it?"

He said that the current DNC has a problem with timidity and said that Kerry did well, but he did not do enough to get our message across.

"We need clarity and conviction to win, and we have a long way to go"

Posted by Denise at November 30, 2004 03:50 PM" END SNIP

[madfloridian]

1. Dean says the Democratic Party operates in a "culture of losing."

That is my favorite comment from the bunch. Ah, yes, Howard, keep calling it like it is.

[janx]

2. That's the truth. Good Lord, I hope that changes.

[NoPasaran]

3. Speaking of the culture of losing

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=89151&mesg_id=89231&page=