Matt Bai interviews Howard Dean June 2006 Sunday with the New York Times

[madfloridian]

Run time: 05:40 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rb9gUC1Sbg   Posted on YouTube: June 06, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: June 08, 2007 By DU Member: madfloridian Views on DU: 2290

 
The audio of the entire long interview was up for a while at the NYT. I transcribed bits and pieces of it.

"Bai says this unique politician admits he sometimes says things he should not say. Transformational figure in Democratic politics.A rare bridge between the last era of Democratic politics and the next.

Bai: He is notoriously frugal...some would say cheap. (audience laughs)

This is a guy who searches for his own flights on line because he wants to save the Committee money. He is a chocoholic. He is a junky for sugar. (laughter again as people know that and worry about it)

Bai says he has confided that he has told his kids they can do anything they want in life as long as it is not journalism. (much laughter.)

Bai asked why he decided to seek the leadership of the party. Dean says he did not get his first choice (joke), a 3rd party would just not work, would be too bloody and divisive. He decided the best way to serve his country was to try to reinvigorate the Democratic Party.

Dean says he wants to put in a real long term business plan for success, win the 2006 elections so at least we can stop the hemorrhaging that is going on in the country and build a base from there.

He then says that if we succeed, which he has every intention of doing is that it is harder to change an institution which is in power than one which is out of power. But he doesn't think the American people can afford to have a weak Democratic party anymore.

The fear is they would say ok now we are back in power, things are ok. His 2nd greatest fear after not winning is that if we do we fail to get health care, we fail to raise the minimum wage, fail to start to balance the budget...

He says the Demcratic party has essentially been "non-functional as party" for about 30 years. The last race that was actually won by the "party" was in 1968.

The functions of the party have been taken over by the campaigns. (he is right about that totally.) He says he thinks Kerry's GOTV effort was terrific, but that was "John Kerry's GOTV effort" and the DNC played a secondary role.

There's not a scientific body in the government that's not complete demoralized. They put people in charge of the CDC because they're right to life. Well, I think you're supposed to know something about public health if you go to the CDC.

The FDA, they can't keep a commissioner, why? Because the WH tells them what drugs to approve. They don't care what the facts are. They didn't care what the facts are when they went into Iraq.

The thing about the Democrats is that we intellectually curious, we interested in new ideas. The Democrats are the true liberals, not in the bad sense the Republicans have made it out to be, but in the good sense, the English sense of broad-minded. Now having said that we need some new ideas. (laughter)

[On the Road]

1. That is So Refreshing

and he's able to speak insightfully and without rancor about what must have been the very painful period of losing his commanding lead in the polls. Whenever I hear Dean speak, I fall in love with him again. Would that he had not taken that oath.

[madfloridian]

7. He speaks so casually about that time.

You are right, he seems never to have any anger or bitterness or rancor.

Can you say SAKAL? Wouldn't that be nice?

[DFW]

2. He's not putting on an act there, either

I know Howard, and that's exactly how he is, even one-on-one
at the dinner table. Straightforward, unpretentious, and giving
you what he really thinks without a moment's hesitation as to
how it will play on CNN.

[madfloridian]

3. When he said it's harder to change a party that is in power..

than one which is not in power..he was right. Some days I think it is back to the same old same old...but now the only ones we hear from are 08 candidates who of course must use cautious words or end up as Dean did.

Oh, well. :shrug:

[DFW]

4. One thing he is definitely enjoying

....is his non-candidacy, and the accompanying lack of a need
to watch every word he says. He does have to watch his step about
seeming to favor one nominee or another, but he is free to speak
his mind on anything else. As you saw in the video, he does.

[madfloridian]

5. Some more transcribed notes.

"Dean says if you want a real Democratic party that's going to be a national party, you have to be in all 50 states. This idea that you can run a presidential campaign in 20 states, and hope that the math will work out so you can win 19 of them and win by 3 electoral votes...it is nonsense.

Dean further says: "And to my friends in Washington, and they are my friends, and we do work together" he says that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result. "Enough".

Dean: All politicians are "risk aversive" and "rapid adaptors". That means when someone new comes in they usually try what the winner did, but that means if the winner is the opposite party they begin to look like the opposite party.

He says the Republicans were Democratic Lite for 30 years and they never won. He mentions Gingrich, says he does not agree with what he believes. However he says Gingrich was transformational because he was not afraid to take risks."

[libodem]

6. What a commanding speaker

he is wonderful to listen to. I was sad when the discussion ended. I wanted more. How powerful would he be as Al Gores, Vice President, even though he is fully Presidential. Or, he could be Al's KKKarl Rove. Wouldn't the freepers find croneyism and politics in that one. But it's okay for them. Man, i would love the see the Democrats back in the White House. And the continued, Oversight and investigation of the Money changing and Big Deals with these Hugh Corporations. This has been Fascisms shining hour. Satan, himself couldn't bring more misery to the common people. We can't let them dismantle our government and continue to build private Armies, and Security Firms, at their disposal. Then there are the new Installations for housing large numbers of people in kennel like conditions. If this country turns on its protesters, revolutionaries, and dissidents, and designs a New Jew, to witchhunt, like the Nazis did did with the Jews. You KNOW, scapegoat them as a Race and Culture, to put behind barbed wire. We are going to have some trouble in the borders. What are those big prisons Halliburton's building in Texas. An Illegal Alien Station. I did not like that crazy mixed up Immigration Bill, Did that thing pass? what was with the 5,000 dollar, fine on these folks. And besides, don't people know that the Mexican Nationals and the South American, Migrant Laborers, might NOT want to live here? they work 6-9 months and then go back home with some money. Plus, They are always sending money home, so their families can live. They don't always come with with whole family. And that is sad. Because these are loving family people. Why are so worked up into this hysteria over Family Values. Again the harsh Republicans want to take the bread out of the little children's mouths. How big of them. NOT, funny the small increase in corn meal to make tortillas, can almost break a family, and cause them not to have enough to eat. I hope to hell that all this ethanol coming from corn dose not cause starvation in Mexico, Middle and South America. And man are they ever closing in on the Rain Forests, down there. They are up in the Tropical Wilderness, whacking it down , killing the tribes and animals. Now they are going after the Large Primates. We are desecrating the Planet.

[madfloridian]

8. More from the interview...

Hopefully not repeating anything.

Matt Bai says there is a movement afoot in the party to enforce some ideological discipline. He says the centerpiece of that movement which involves mostly netroots (I think he said also a lot of donors)...the centerpiece is in CT where Senator Lieberman is under a tremendous amount of pressure and fire. Bai says he started to say from "the left", but he realizes it is not totally correct.

Dean interrupts to say if he can do anything he wants to get the press to stop using right, center, and left. (laughter)

Bai asks if he thinks its a good idea to have activists on the left like has been done by conservative...holding candidates to strong litmus tests and going after them when they don't meet that ideological..(trailed off)

Dean responds that first off...we do not get involved at primaries at the DNC in anyway. He mentions that some candidates were pushed out of races because the DSCC and DCCC wanted others in there...he said the DNC does not do that. Says they don't do that on principle. They want more people involved in politics and the voters should decide.

Dean says there should be no perception of someone pulling strings behind the scenes. He says his job is to get Democrats elected. He makes it clear the DNC doesn't endorse incumbents in races either.

He says if someone is upset with the Democratic party, they should get involved and change things, start a reform movement. He says those movements work. He does not critize the movement against Lieberman, says grassroots should have the full ability to express themselves EVEN if it makes some people uncomfortable. He said being comfortable is not a good way to win.

The most moving thing he said was that he'd like to make the Demcratic Party part of the solution again. That since Bush had gone into Iraq the world considered us a problem. He wants to take the party into the 21st century ideologically as a progressive vanguard that is moving us back into the customary moral leadership role.


(I have been trying to find the audio online again. I have it in my playlist still, but I can't figure a way to share it without giving up privacy. I would think the NYT would still have it somewhere, but I have searched and searched on the NYT Select and can't find it. It is almost 50 minutes long.)

[demoleft]

9. I like Dean...

...and, imagine, I had just read Lieberman's statements on Iran before turning to:
"The thing about the Democrats is that we intellectually curious, we interested in new ideas. The Democrats are the true liberals, not in the bad sense the Republicans have made it out to be, but in the good sense, the English sense of broad-minded. Now having said that we need some new ideas. (laughter)"

It's like hearing people talk from two different planets...

I like Dean.

[madfloridian]

10. You are right. They are from two different planets.

Lieberman is a snide and repugnant little man who lost as a Democrat in his own state...and he had to make his own little party of one to run with Republican support and Independent support.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

11. Dean Sold Out

Like many people, I was so excited when he first ran for President. It's funny to hear him state the 'last race that was actually won by the "party" was in 1968' given the fact that he has completely bought into the whole DLC centrist strategy of Clinton and others.

There was a time when Dean spoke for the Democratic wing of the Democratic party.

[madfloridian]

12. He is doing what he must do.

Yes, he does still do his best to speak for the wing of the party that wants change.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

13. Nonsense

......by his own admission, he is pandering to the center more than ever.

[madfloridian]

14. Whatever you say.

.