Who are the people here supporting for DNC chair?

[genius]

Only two of the candidates have gotten a lot of publicity. Since everyone here is probably a progresive, I like to know the take of the people here on the candidates. Do any of the candidates agree with Dennis on the issues?

[no name no slogan]

1. At the DNC listening forum in December, Dean was the favorite

see the front page at www.progressivecaucus.net for details from the forum. An informal straw poll at the end showed Dean as the clear favorite for those in attendence.

Me, I'm still undecided, but leaning Dean. He seems to have the will and ability to mobilize people, and values the grassroots over corporate interests. We'll see....

[genius]

2. Is anyone closer to Dennis's positions on the issues?

I have some real concerns about Dean's positions. As chair, he will have the most influence in determining what positions the party takes on NAFTA, the WTO, the death penalty,the environment, etc. Dean's really bad on these issues.

[no name no slogan]

8. I'm less concerned about ideology for party chair

The party chair doesn't really have much to do with the ideological path of the party. The job is mostly about organizing and running the party on a day-to-day basis, and building up the base in between elections. Basically the chair is a glorified administrator who is in charge of the "nuts and bolts" of the operation, as opposed to its vision or soul.

Dean has a couple things going for him this time around: he has the grassroots connections, and has shown that he can organize voters and get them to the polls, and also maintain an organization between elections. Although he's not the best of ideological grounds (at least for me), he does have the ability to connect with people-- and does not have much control over what the candidates' beliefs are as DNC chair.

[genius]

11. Actually, he determines the ideological path. He makes the appointments

If he agrees with or likes you, you're in. If he doesn't you're out. If he's for the death penalty, no one who opposes it will be appointed to relevant committee. If he thinks the Department of Peace is nonsense, then expect his appointees to make that official party policy.

[LWolf]

3. I'm not supporting anyone.

I don't lean toward any of them.

To be honest, I don't think any of them will move the party down the road I'd like to be on.

[genius]

18. Wellington Webb looks to the closest match to Kucinich in his views.

He's anti-war and a liberal environmentalist who believes the best way to fix the party is to listen to the activists and minorities. He was a popular mayor of Denver and dramatically increased Democratic registration in the state. He could really help if we want to win Colorado next time. He's also African-American (not from the white Wall Street club) and could make a more effective case to oppose the minorities that Bush is using to push through his right-wing agenda.

[LWolf]

31. He interests me.

What influence do I have on the party members from my state who will be voting for the DNC?

I ask this honestly, as I don't know much about party politics. I registered as a party member for the first time in my life to support DK in the primaries; I've never followed party politics before that.

I don't really even know how the process to choose a new chairman works.

I also ask this because my experience as a democrat in the primaries and general election underscored why I never joined a party in the first place; I haven't found a party that I felt valued my perspective. In the primaries I felt scorned by the mainstream democratic party. In the general election, I resented the demand that I drop what I believe in, shut up, and get on a bandwagon I thought was headed the wrong direction, or leave the party. I haven't changed my registration; but I'm moving this summer, and when I re-register, I don't know that it will be as a political party member.

[genius]

4. What if we find someone we like and encourage hiim/her to run?

Edwards wouldn't be bad. How about Greg Palast? Does David Swanson have enough clout to run? How about Bob Fertik, David Lytel, Michael Rectenwald or Lori Price?

[eridani]

5. Dean

Right now, I care less where he is on the center/left spectrum than where he is on the caving in/fighting back spectrum. And he takes the black box voting issue seriously.

[genius]

10. After the way Dean lied about and belittled Dennis, I wonder what

he will do to Kucinich supporters within the party. The chairman appoints people to committees and I have a feeling that, if Dean is chairman, the Kucinich people might as well forget about being appointed to anything. Kucinich didn't have much of a say in the platform. I doubt he'll have any under Dean.

[eridani]

12. Locally, lots of the Dean people are making nice to Kucitizens

I see many more interactions between PDA and DFA in the future. I live in WA, and YMMV of course.

[genius]

16. In California, the Dean people haven't yet picked up that apporach.

[goodhue]

14. PDA has been supporting Dean for chair

and locally lots of Dean supporters are involved in progressive caucuses.

I think things have been patched up between Dean and Dennis since at least late last July in Boston. Dennis appeared at a DFA forum and Dean appeared at the PDA kickoff convention.



http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/news/dean_DNC.php

Progressive Democrats of America grew from a desire to focus energy on pressuring the Democratic Party to adopt and advance a more explicitly progressive agenda. We have already seen a great deal of movement at the grassroots level, and believe a shift at the national level is possible. A variety of events are necessary to create this shift, including the election of a progressive DNC Chair, voting progressives into local office in large numbers, and working strategically toward the election of a progressive President in 2008. The latter two goals can be obtained by citizen activism, hard work and a fair citizen vote. The first objective can only be achieved if our Democratic Chair Committee members break free from the "politics as usual" method they have been employing. Instead, they must make a decision based on what is best for our party, best for our country, and true to American ideals.

In the last four years, the leadership of our party has left a long trail of election failures, primarily because they have abandoned the principles and traditional values of our party and ignored the needs of the grassroots. Progressives want leaders who are willing to admit errors, learn from them, and make changes in strategy and message as signs of their commitment to responsibility. Progressives want party leaders and candidates who act with the best interests of every voter in mind. For these reasons, PDA believes that a principled, passionate, pragmatic, socially progressive, and fiscally conservative leader, such as Howard Dean, must be chosen as the next DNC Chair. Such a leader is vital if our party is to head in a new direction. Such a candidate will create an environment where Democrats can both win national elections and regain the respect of their base. PDA supports the progressive grassroots choice and promotion of Howard Dean for DNC chair. PDA will work diligently to amplify this promotion and is committed to supporting Howard Dean directly if he chooses to seek this position. PDA is proud to be a part of this effort and will continue to support progressive candidates for positions at all levels across this great nation. PDA challenges you and the Democratic Chair Committee members to do the same.

[genius]

15. A lot of it's members are not though. And the Dean people are trying

to exclude Kucinich people from committees. I've never been much of a follower so I need to know which candidate has the most liberal positions.

[eridani]

17. Sorry to hear that

In the Seattle area, relations are a lot friendlier. I think that locally what will happen between PDA and DFA is the classic YMMV situation.

[elshiva]

6. Dean

My beliefs are closer to Kucinich's, but still I believe Dean is best for our party, even if he is a "conservative."
I wish Kucinich had a chance for DNC chair, but he doesn't, which a shame. So it's Dean

[eridani]

7. Besides which, Kucinich already has a job n/t

[mdmc]

9. I am

who better?

[mdmc]

27. Dean!

[goodhue]

13. Dean

[Padme Amidala]

19. Dean and Kucinich are polar opposites.Is the idea to keep Dean out of 08?

Dean opposes universal health care. Dean puts industry before the environment-always. Dean supports NAFTA. Dean is pro death penalty and, according to his own words (June, 2003, "Meet the Press), he became pro death penalty because he wanted to kill an innocent man.

The Dean supporters are trying to kick the Kucinich supporters off committee, at all levels, so that the next platform will not included anything Kucinich supports.

So why would Kucinich supporters support Dean over someone like Wellington Webb, who agrees with Dennis on everything?

I think the trick is to keep Dean from running for President in 2008. I also think this will backfire. Dean will do everything possible to get Kucinich from getting the nomination since he opposes virtually everything for which Dennis stands. It's a stupid plan that will cost Dennis the 2008 nomination and which will move the party to the right, where Dean wants it.

[eridani]

20. I think it's important to have a grassroots 'strong party' strategy

Dean has always said "You have the power," which is advocating for strong party vx cautious party strategy. I actually think that more people will trend toward the Kucinich direction with time, because Kucinich is the one who gives us a list of actual reasons that we would want to have the power in the first place. We have the content, the policies people want.

Locally, many Dean supporters have been very cooperative with Kucitizens. Of course, YMMV. If they're being assholes where you live, you have to go up against them.

[genius]

21. One of the best grass roots organizers is Wellington Webb.

The nice part is that he is a progressive, not a conservative like Dean.

[eridani]

22. Is he running for DNC chair?

Website, references?

[genius]

24. He's one of the five. They don't have websites.

Only the DNC members get to vote so it doesn't look like they are doing a lot of campaigning.

[goodhue]

23. As Denver mayor, Webb was criticized for cronyism & as unduly pro-business

See, e.g., this DU discussion . . .
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=142x3083

I have nothing against the guy, but don't see him as much of a change agent. Here are a couple Webb bio's from DNC (he is currently a DNC vice chair) . . .

http://www.dems2004.org/site/pp.asp?c=luI2LaPYG&b=107417

Wellington E. Webb

Wellington E. Webb, the first African American mayor of Denver, was born in 1941 in Chicago. The Webb family relocated to the Northeast section of Denver, where the imposing six-foot, five-inch youth became active in sports. Mr. Webb was an all-conference basketball player at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado. He obtained his B.A. in sociology from Colorado State College at Greeley in 1964, and his M.A. in sociology from the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley in 1971.

After being turned down twice for teaching positions in the Denver public schools, Mr. Webb went to City Hall upon the advice of his politically active grandmother, Helen M. Gamble, where he was offered a job. In 1972, he was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives, representing his hometown in northeast Denver. In 1977, he was selected by President Jimmy Carter to serve as regional director of the U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare. In 1981, he was appointed as executive director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies by the Colorado Governor. Webb was elected Denver city auditor in 1987, where his track record paved the way for his successful and historic mayoral bid in 1991.

In his three terms as mayor of Denver, Webb has focused on four major areas: parks and open space, public safety, economic development and children. Accomplishments during his administration include a record 40 percent decrease in crime since 1991 as unemployment dipped below 2 percent. Webb's development projects include the new Denver International Airport, a new sports stadium, expansion of the Denver Art Museum and a new African American Research Library.

Webb is president of the Democratic Mayors and the past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National Conference of Black Mayors. He lectures frequently on civic issues and was a guest lecturer at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Webb collaborates closely with his wife, former Colorado State Representative Wilma J. Webb.


http://www.democrats.org/about/bios/webb.html

WELLINGTON WEBB
DNC VICE CHAIR
Wellington Webb's distinguished public service career began in 1972 when he was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives. In 1977, he was selected by President Jimmy Carter to serve as Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare. In 1981, Colorado Governor Richard Lamm appointed him as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. In 1987, he was elected as the Denver City Auditor. He was elected Mayor of Denver in 1991, and reelected in 1995 and 1999.

Under his leadership, the City and County of Denver capitalized on the nation's strong economy to become a model American city. During his tenure, more than $7 billion in infrastructure projects were built. The city's population increased by 19 percent and the bond rating for general Obligation Bonds went from A to AA+ and airport bonds from BBB to A. Denver is the only city to be cited for five years running as One of the Top American Cities in Fortune Magazine's annual "Best Cities" survey. Denver has also received the following distinctions during Mayor Webb's term: One of the Top Three Cities for Sound Fiscal Management by City and State Magazine; One of the Top American Cities by Money Magazine; and Top City for Entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur Magazine. Wellington Webb has created more park space than any other Denver mayor and downtown Denver has been recreated as a thriving residential community. Crime has been reduced by 40 percent since 1991. Webb brokered an agreement for the redevelopment of the former Stapleton Airport -- the largest infill project in America and most recently reached an agreement that will preserve Denver's ownership of its historic Winter Park Ski Resort while more than $100 million in private investment will go into its redevelopment. The City and County of Denver's hospital, Denver General, had a cash deficit of $39 million when he entered office. Under Webb's leadership, the City created the Denver Health Medical Authority in 1997, eliminated the deficit, showed a cash balance of $40 million, and issued $142 million in investment grade revenue bonds for new clinics, a new addition to the hospital, property purchases, and other physical plant improvements.

While Webb was Mayor, he opened and facilitated 80 percent of the construction of the world's most technologically advanced airport, Denver International Airport, opened one and built two sports arenas: Coors Field, the Pepsi Center and Mile High Stadium. He negotiated two new airline routes to serve Denver International, including British Airways and Lufthansa German Airlines. He also opened foreign trade offices for the City in London, England, and in Shanghai, China, and led a U.S. Conference of Mayors trade mission to Africa. Mayor Webb negotiated the deal to develop the Pepsi Center in the Platte Valley while assuring that the Colorado Avalanche hockey team, the Denver Nuggets basketball team and the Denver Broncos football team would remain in Denver for at least 25 years. In 1993, Mayor Webb hosted nearly 200,000 people from around the world to celebrate World Youth Day with Pope John Paul II. In 1997, he welcomed President Clinton and eight world leaders at the Denver Summit of the Eight, the annual global economic summit.

Mayor Webb has received numerous awards including: The Americans for the Arts 2001 Government Leadership in the Arts; The National Wildlife Federation's 1999 Achievement Award; and The National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Outstanding Achievement in Public Policy" Award. In 1999, Mayor Webb was named Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Chevalier of the Legion of Honor) by the country of France and in June 2003, he received the U.S. Conference of Mayors highest honor, the "Distinguished Public Service" Award.

Wellington Webb established a consulting business, Webb Group International LLC, in Denver, October 2003 that specializes in working with cities to build and finance hotel and convention centers, the management of convention centers or other public facilities, downtown economic projects, Affirmative Action Ordinance for construction and professional service contracts, which has been reviewed and accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court and representing businesses and cities with economic opportunities in Asia and Africa.

Currently, Webb Group International is working with the City of Macon, Georgia in financing and building a 250 to 300 room convention center hotel. Webb is also working with Forest City Enterprises of Cleveland, Ohio on a nine thousand acre mixed use development in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Webb was awarded a BA in Sociology form the Colorado State College, and an MA in Sociology from the University of Northern Colorado. He also holds honorary doctorates from the University of Colorado and Metropolitan State College. Mayor Webb was a recent guest lecturer at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a visiting fellow at their Institute of Politics. He has served as President of the United States Conference of Mayors, the National Conference of Democratic Mayors and the National Conference of Black Mayors.

Wellington Webb and his wife Wilma J. Webb, a former six-term Colorado State Representative and former United States Secretary of Labor's Representative, have four grown children and live in Denver.

[genius]

25. Your title better describes Dean who backed big business over environment

I'm glad Webb is an environmentalist. I don't know if we could recover from a Dean environmental policy.

[eridani]

26. Dean won't be setting environmental policy as DNC chair

He will be helping grassroots organizers and candidates get their acts together.

[genius]

29. Dean will directly determine DNC policy on the environment..

Dean will also get the DNC to back NAFTA, the WTO and the Death Penalty. He's the least progressive of the candidates. It's sad that we look only at one issue and are willing to sacrifice all other progressive issues for someone with a big mouth.

[genius]

28. The accusation is untrue. However, he stood up to Ashcroft & Heston

He has more courage than almost any in the Democratic Party except Dean. He is a strong envirnmentalist and was encouraged to run by Reverend Jesse He is anti-war and the strongest civil rights advocate among the candidates. He's very close to Dennis in what he stands for.

[genius]

30. Curious. Why back someone who's pro death penalty, pro-NAFTA and pro-WTO?

The main reason I and a great many others backed Dennis was because agreed with him on the issues. It's scary to see some of his supporters getting in line behind the death penalty, the WTO, NAFTA and guns, all of which have gotten a heads up from DEan. With Dean in charge, there will be no environmentalist leading the charge to save the environment. I worry about all the kids who will be hurt. I've spoken to a number of children lately and they don't want someone with Dean's history of putting corporations before the environment.

Someone here posted that the reason the Kucincih supporters are backing Dean is to keep Dean from running against Dennis for President in 2008. The trouble is that with Dean and Bush gutting the environment, there may be no planet left in 2008.

[goodhue]

32. Dean as reformer

A reason I support Dean is that he is aggresively promoting substantial reform of the way the party leadership does business on a national level. His election as DNC chair will signal that the national leadership will no longer blindly support apologists who mimic republican platitudes.

I am well aware that Dean is less than ideal on some issues such as guns, trade, environment. I did not support him as a presidential candidate. At this moment in time, however, he is the best change agent I see in the DNC chair field, and a powerful one at that. It looks now like K Street will be unable to stop his election as DNC chair, although they will surely try desperately to do so.

The DNC candidates were in New York this past weekend . . .

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2005/01/30/a_stop_dean_effort_arises_at_dnc_forum/

Dean, for his part, stepped to the podium in a hotel ballroom in New York and told a crowd of several hundred people that the Democratic Party "cannot be Republican-Lite if you want to win elections." It was a revisit of a phrase from his presidential campaign, and the audience broke into cheers.

[genius]

33. Are his reforms support for the death penalty and military spending?

Dean supported increased military spending more than any of the other nine presidential candidates and his position on the death penalty was the most extreme. When he's finished with his reforms, will the Democratic Party help open the doors to the death houses to more Americans? Will kids lose more money to military spending? I backed Dennis, in part, because of Dennis's opposition to the death penalty and because Dennis wanted to decrease military spending. With Dean, I don't see enough of a difference from the Bush approach. Though I did like what Dean said about opposing Condi in that debate.

[goodhue]

34. Dean's Plan for the DNC

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/features/2005/01/18/deans_plan_for_the_dnc.php

Dean's Plan for the DNC


Show up! Never concede a single state, county, district or even a single voter to the Republicans. We must be active and compete in all 50 states and work with the state parties to build a truly national party.


Recruit, train, and encourage candidates to run for office at every level -- building tomorrow's farm team from the ground up. This was the founding principle behind Democracy for America.


Actively grow local Democratic committees in local communities. Local neighborhood advocates are our best spokespeople -- helping them reach out in their own communities will better articulate our message and enable the grassroots to support state and local candidates.


Better integrate national and state party operations. Specifically, that means: providing the state party the means to pay for its executive director in every state; building and sharing lists between the national and state parties; and creating an ongoing active presence -- a permanent campaign in every state that does not have to be recreated for only four months every four years.


Develop and articulate core Democratic principles that we all can agree on, that will let people know what our party stands for. We will not win elections or build a lasting majority solely by changing our rhetoric, nor will we win by adopting the other side's positions. We must say what we mean -- and mean real change when we say it.


Make Democrats the party of reform -- reforming America's financial situation, reforming our electoral process, reforming health care, reforming education and putting morality back in our foreign policy.


Utilize cutting edge Internet technology, not only to fundraise, but also as an effective organizing tool to recruit more supporters, communicate with them, and empower them to lead in their local communities.


Strengthen the party institutions and leadership institutes so that they rival the Republican machine that currently exists. These institutions must work together in a coordinated way to recruit new talent, develop leaders, articulate our values and elect Democrats at every level.

[eridani]

35. His reforms are to strengthen the grassroots

I, personally, have every confidence that the grassroots are with us on the issues.

[Padme Amidala]

36. By selling them out. I don't like the death penalty or military spending.

[eridani]

37. "You Have the Power" = blank slate

I have every confidence that it is the lefty progressives who will be filling the slate in with actual policies.

[genius]

39. Where I live, the Kucinich people call the Deanies, the Dean Mafia

They are like hitmen, trying every dirty trick to exclude liberals from party politics. They will break rules and do whatever it takes to prevent liberal issues from going very far.

[goodhue]

40. Sorry to here that.

Here in MN, many Dean folks have come on board as part of the Minnesota Progressive Caucus, which was a direct outgrowth of Minnesota for Kucinich. Many MN Kucitizens gained state party positions last spring, and are now members of state and local unit central committees. The Dean folks have no interest or ability to exclude; they largely see the new progressives as a useful breath of fresh air. On Saturday, at a DFL state central committe meeting, the Progressive Caucus was approved as an official club of the state DFL party. This would not have been possible with the cooperation and good will between supporters of Kucinich, Dean and other presidential candidates.

[genius]

38. Today I met with people who have left the party.They consider Dean pro-war

Don't have any illusions about getting any Green members back from having Dean as chairman. The people who have left the party are the educated ones who know Dean is very conservative. So with liberals vacating the party, we are likely to be left with a very conservative party, which will probably follow Dean's conservative positions, including support for NAFTA, the WTO, the Death Penalty, guns, etc. Those who have left the party know about the other war resolution, the ones Dean backed. So make no mistake, you aren't going to bring liberals back with a Dean chairmanship. The Greens and liberals consider it a step to the right. The Greens I used to run into at peace rallies always said they would not vote for Dean if he got the nomination. These same people did vote for Kerry. So even then, they knew about who, besides Dennis, was liberal and who was conservative.

It may be good that Dean won't challenge Dennis in 08. But it will be harder to find liberals remaining to back a progressive in 08.

[goodhue]

41. The scene is very different in MN

Many of us who previously left the party, took in earnest Dennis' message that we commit ourselves to work within the democratic party, whatever its faults. We achieved enough success via cracking 15% in primary, that we now have members on the state central committee, platform commission, constitution commission, etc. We are not going anywhere. One of the key MN4DK organizers was hired by the Kerry campaign last fall as progressive outreach director. Nader got 1% in MN in 2004, vs. 5% in 2000. Given that Kerry beat Bush by 3% here in MN, the progressives are the key and many in the state party are begining to understand that. Between supporters of Kucinich and Dean, we have a substantial portion if not outright majority of state central committee. We will affect the election of the new DFL chair and officers this spring. We continue to actively promote the Department of Peace and are making considerable headway in this regard, with three of four of our democratic congressmembers having signed on; this simply would not be possible if we were outside the party. Party folks can no longer so readily dismiss the peace voice.

The Dean DNC chairmanship is not so much about the policy issues (which are no doubt very important), but about consistently providing resources to the state parties in all 50 states so that the grassroots can be strengthened. In many states, there simply is not a state democratic party between national election cycles; just an answering machine--that is shameful. As the grassroots are strengenthened the party will neccessarily move towards the left.

A model is what the moral majority/christian coalition did to the republicans in the 1970s. But in order to take over the ship, you have to get on board.

It's not about bringing folks back per se, but rather about strengthening the grassroots. Many of us are back and our position is only growing stronger. Dean as chair helps our strength.

[goodhue]

42. LETTER TO PROGRESSIVES WHO ARE STILL DEMOCRATS

(Still thinking about your post, I recalled this letter from last December, posted to a Kucinich list serve. I think it gives a flavor of where some of the MN peace acitivists are at with reagrd to Dean. It is written by a Minneapolis peace activist who was a national delegate for Dennis, and who has been very critical of the national party and convention. However, he supports Dean for chair . . .)


LETTER TO PROGRESSIVES WHO ARE STILL DEMOCRATS

Since the elections, I have been thinking of Kerry’s loss (or weak win, depending on your view of Ohio). I have come to the conclusion that he lost for four related reasons.

First, running as a warrior provided little contrast with Bush. It was often hard to distinguish between Kerry’s “hunt them down and kill them” and Bush’s “bring them on.” Seeing little difference on the question of war, many people chose the incumbent.

Second, Kerry’s 2004 positions on the war provided a harsh contrast with his positions on Vietnam. There was such a dissonance, in fact, that it opened him to the charge of “flop-flopper.”

Third, Kerry’s decision to repudiate his 1971 persona and positions came across as opportunistic and merely tactical. The earlier positions seemed to carry clear moral origins, even to many who might disagree. In repudiation of those positions, Kerry ceded the “moral values” title to the homophobes and pro-lifers, leaving for himself the label of amoral politician.

Fourth, Kerry’s conduct of the campaign itself was top-down and hierarchical, frequently causing friction with the grass-roots culture of his many supporters. Organizationally, it was yet another contrast between Kerry and his base.

If you agree with any or most of the above, you might also agree with me on the direction for success. It would involve running a presidential candidate who was firm in the progressive values of the party, who was sincere and consistent in his support of those values, who could articulate those values as values per se, and who ran the campaign in a style similar to others who believed in a democratic or grass-roots model rather than a corporate one.

The big question for me is whether the national party leadership will actually allow such a candidate to surface. Will they learn from the huge failure of this last election or will they continue the same misguided tactics that have us all battling with despair? Will the party, in fact, return to its progressive values and alliances, or will it continue to pander to the fearful and reactive right?

February is the crossroads, the time for the party to pick a chair and signal what sort of party it hopes to be. In my opinion, choosing Howard Dean would be a signal that the party wishes to return to its winning roots. Choosing anyone else will be a signal that the party wishes to continue its movement right and, in my opinion, it will mean that no Democrats will be winning presidential elections for the next thirty years or so.

To those progressives out there who are still Democrats, I have two suggestions:

First, do every single thing you can to persuade members of the Democratic National Committee to vote for Dean. Hold big meetings, like we have here in Minnesota. Write letters. Talk to them individually, if you know them. The future of the party depends on their decision in February.

Second, I believe that each state should consider what we can do if they pick another corporate hack. If that happens, I think that progressives will drift out of the party rather quickly, whether to the Greens or to inactivity. Perhaps, we should consider providing them a place to go. I have been wondering, for example, what it would be like should the D.F.L. (the Minnesota Democratic Party) break with the national party altogether and realign with a different national party, or form a coalition with other breakaway state Democratic parties.

We certainly should be patient at least until February. And we can always hope. We may even pray. We might, however, consider the future just a bit and prepare to be proactive.

These are my thoughts and my suggestions. I welcome your responses, your suggestions, and your information about the mechanics of a new beginning.

Peace, Charles, Minneapolis, December 28, 2004

[Rhiannon12866]

43. I've always thought that Dean was against the war

I often heard it said that Dean was the "only" candidate who opposed the war, which always annoyed me, since Dennis was so often overlooked. I have heard Dean speaking out against the war, but this was an easier position for him to take, since he didn't have to back up his beliefs with a vote, as Dennis did.:-(

On some news show, last night, I heard Dean described as a "radical!" If that's what they think of Dean, what must they think of Dennis?!:shrug:

It's Tim Roemer who spoke about taking the party back to "the center," not Dean. And he dropped out on Monday, which I saw as a good thing.:shrug:

[goodhue]

44. Why Dean is Good for Progressive Grassroot Democrats

http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/news/why_dean_good.php

Why Dean is Good for Progressive Grassroot Democrats

by Steve Cobble, PDA Advisor

An effort that began in the dark hours after Kerry’s "loss" last November will end Saturday in victory as Howard Dean is elected the Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Despite intense opposition from the business, conservative, and Beltway elements of the Democratic Party, Deaniacs, Kucitizens, reformers from DFA, PDA, and the netroots community, (and some DNC members), united to push Dr. Dean ahead of his six opponents, one by one, until only the good Governor was left standing. In no small measure this victory is the result of PDA’s initiative and support of the Dean candidacy, along with the support and initiative of others in the grassroots progressive community. At times it looks like a movement.

So this Saturday let us take this moment to savor our victory, to toast Howard Dean, to toast the energy, persistence, and vision of grassroots Democrats, and to toast the remarkable lift-off of PDA.

Only six months ago, in Roxbury, MA, PDA brought Howard Dean, Dennis Kucinich, John Conyers, Barbara Lee, and Reverend Jesse Jackson together, along with one thousand progressive grassroots activists, to promise to keep the grassroots energy from the Progressive Democrat primary campaigns alive.

Only three months ago PDA jumped headlong into the Ohio election results fight, simultaneously with entering the Dean for DNC fight. One path led Barbara Boxer and a core group of House members led by John Conyers and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones to stand fearlessly against voter suppression of African Americans. The other path led to a new DNC Chair, a man who believes in small donors and volunteer energy, who comes from outside the Beltway, who opposed the war in Iraq, and who stands up for principles when challenged.

And on the weekend after the inauguration, PDA fought back with a Progressive Summit conference attended by 500 snow-braving activists.

PDA is now deep in the fight to expose the Bush Administration’s propaganda about Social Security, so we can protect the most successful anti-poverty program ever established.

We’re taking on the $80B war and occupation appropriation, refusing to be spun out of our conviction that an aggressive war initiated on patent falsehood is just plain wrong.

We’re continuing the voting rights fight from Ohio, joining with John Conyers and Stephanie Tubbs-Jones in the comprehensive voter protection bill that has been introduced into Congress.

And we’re working with Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr., who brilliantly keynoted the PDA Conference in Washington 2 weeks ago, in his push for a Constitutional Amendment for the right to vote.

Most importantly, PDA has organized dozens of state caucuses and congressional district chapters from coast to coast and is holding our first regional caucus in Arizona this weekend.

PDA is on the move. We’re proud of all we’ve accomplished and there is much much more to do. We’ve got a full agenda, and we’re not going to let up. But for a few moments on Saturday, we’re going to take a small break, make a toast to the new possibilities for a reformed DNC, and savor a victory. Chairman Dean will need all of our help; and we’ll be there, both to prod him and to back him. On Saturday, we’ll just smile and say, "Way to go, Mr. Chairman!"