Dean- ..we will wrap that around their necks and beat the hell out of them in 2012

[playstation]

In 2012, could Dean beat Obama?

President Barack Obama sounded humble, almost meek, Wednesday at his news conference. “No one party will be able to dictate where we go from here,” he said. “We must find common ground.”

Howard Dean took a somewhat different tone on the phone with me the same day. “If Republicans think we’re going to slow the growth of Medicare and Medicaid and give tax cuts to those making a million dollars a year, we will wrap that around their necks and beat the hell out of them in 2012.”


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44667.html

Dean or Feingold?

[KingOfLostSouls]

1. goddamn I love howard dean

been a deaniac since I first heard of him running for president.


dear god we need him back.

[Dinger]

31. I Love Him More, Back Off!

Just kidding. I was anti-Dean, but have been reformed!:patriot:

[Lost4words]

2. we should have had him in 2004 when we really needed a Dr.

I am so sick of milquetoast dems

[YOY]

4. We can thank our current press secretary for that political hitjob.

Things that make you go "hmmm..."

[ProSense]

3. Politico: In 2012, could Dean beat Obama?

More drivel.

Could Dean really beat Obama? Probably not. But incumbent presidents forced to fend off real primary challenges get beaten up and weakened. (Jimmy Carter, who had to battle Ted Kennedy in 1980, then lost to Ronald Reagan.)

And Dean has no reason to like the Obama White House. He was denied a Cabinet position he felt he deserved. Republicans got seats in the Obama Cabinet, but the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee did not.

When I spoke to Dean Wednesday morning, he said he had foreseen the loss of the House but had kept his mouth shut because he “didn’t want to make headlines.” But the loss of the House is, he said, “to some extent a referendum on Obama.”

Would Dean challenge Obama in 2012? “Nobody is going to beat him (for the nomination) in 2012,” Dean said. “All that would do is weaken the president.”

There's barely a full quote in the whole article. Dean did not keep his mouth shut. In fact, he was very vocal and optimistic.

October 4: Howard Dean predicts Democrat victory

October 17: Howard Dean Peers Into The Enthusiasm Gap

October 27: What we have left to do

[JNelson6563]

16. Dean is a team player

Not nearly the self-serving opportunist some here wish he was.

He wouldn't challenge Obama nor do anything else to weaken the Dems.

Julie

[liberalmuse]

5. He may be President yet.

Love it!

[Mass]

6. Can we get him back as DNC chairman.

Obama had no choice than to ask for common ground. He has to govern.

But the Democratic party has to fight back and for that, we need somebody who knows how to build. There needs to be an infrastructure on the ground.

[ProSense]

8. Did Dean want to stay in the DNC?

Losses this year were inevitable. After 2006, why would he have wanted this election cycle as part of his record?

Dean was a great DNC chair, but that record would have been tarnished this year. The blue dogs, most of them rode into office during Dean's tenure, were bound to lose.

People are already predicting massive losses in 2012. The pessimism is thick.

[Mass]

10. This was rethorical. I dont think he wants it, but we need somebody like him.

We were going to lose seats. We did not need to lose THAT MANY. We need somebody who can inspire people, and Kaine is not that.

As for 2012, anybody who wants to predict an election 2 years in advance is a fool. In 2008, everybody was predicting Dems would win 2010 and the GOP was finished. Who knows what will happen? Will the GOP be torn apart by the Tea Party intransigence? If people feel the GOP does nothing, they will move in the opposite direction, and it is up to us to make sure people see this if it happens. But predicting the next election is always a fool's errand.

[Donnachaidh]

22. Obama kicked him to the curb

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17254.html

The conspicuous absence of Howard Dean from Thursday’s press conference announcing Tim Kaine’s appointment as Democratic National Committee chairman was no accident, according to Dean loyalists.

Rather, they say, it was a reflection of the lack of respect accorded to the outgoing party chairman by the Obama team.

Despite leading the party in consecutive triumphant election cycles — as well as through off-year races such as when Kaine was elected Virginia governor in 2005 — Dean has become all but invisible since Election Day, passed over for the Cabinet position he coveted and apparently not in line for another administration post.


Quit trying to spin this. Dean wasn't even asked to stay on.

[ProSense]

27. "Quit trying to spin this. Dean wasn't even asked to stay on." Always

playing the victim.

<...>

In Governor Tim Kaine, President Obama has picked the right man to build on our accomplishments.

When I was working with Tim's campaign for governor in 2005, I knew then he would become one of our Party's great leaders. Under his leadership, Virginia was named the best managed state in America. I know he will bring that same leadership to the DNC.

Governor Kaine understands the importance of reaching out to everyone and standing up for our values. He knows that the strength of our party comes from the bottom up and will continue the grassroots approach that has made our party so successful.

Tim is the right choice to lead the Democratic National Committee into this new era of American politics and to support President Obama's agenda.

I have always believed that our values are core American values. We value work over wealth, tax policies that invest in the middle class, fiscal discipline, and equality and justice for all. Those are core American values. What we have lacked is a full time, professional party to help communicate those values and organize around them and a leader to inspire people to the cause. In President Obama, that is exactly what we have.

I am humbled by what we have accomplished here over the last four years. Today, we have a great president and vice president and a Party that is stronger than ever. And we did it by empowering people to take ownership over their democracy. Together, we moved our country forward.

link

You may also want to watch this: Howard Dean predicts Democrat victory

[Donnachaidh]

29. still does NOT change the FACT that it was Obama that kicked him to the curb

Dean is a gentleman, always. Obama could learn a LOT from this man.

[hollowdweller]

44. When I read that article when it came out I knew Obama was headed for trouble..

Dean is really popular. I think he's pretty close to being the single person most responsible for giving the democrats hope after Kerry's totally lame run.

He knew how to hilight the differences in democrats and the GOP in an understandable way.

I know Obama tapped Rahm and I guess he has issues with Dean but seriously giving Dean the cold shoulder after the huge dem win was such bad politics on so many levels to me it showed me something about Obama as a person that I didn't like. Made me think about him different.

I mean all politicians are "users" to a degree but it made me feel like Obama had a sense of entitlement to the office and no respect for the people who put him there.

I mean to offer a republican a place in your admin but not Dean? How wrong is that??

Anyway when I saw the whole thing with Dean, and then Obama sort of copyings Deans DFA but then basically ignoring those people after the election sort of cried out "user".

Politics is all about attacking and ruining your enemies and rewarding your friends. At the point of reading that article I knew Obama was doing the opposite. The attacks on the left that followed only further showed me I was right.

[denimgirly]

7. Obama: "Ssshhush Dean..or it's back in the box...repubs will get angry if u reveal such things."

The great Howard Dean.

[fadedrose]

9. The Reps never defeated Howard Dean...

The DLC in Iowa, at the debates, and Hillary Clinton helped, all picked on Dean - he lost the the primary he was polled to win....

It looked programmed - all but the lady candidate whose name I could never think of - aimed their arrows at Dean. I was so mad...

[scheming daemons]

11. Howard Dean will unequivocally support Obama in '12

bank on it.

[SKKY]

12. Here's how we win in 2012 and beyond...

...do what ever Howard Dean says.

[Dinger]

32. +1

[Demoiselle]

13. I love Howard Dean, I love the "wraparound" quote. But

there seems to be a lot of drivel in this article. Is Simon actually comparing Howard Dean to Harold Stassen and Lyndon Larouche?
Good grief.

[ellenfl]

14. how about dean AND feingold? eom

[glitch]

28. I'd stump for that :) nt

[truebrit71]

36. Don't tease...

:-D

[bigwillq]

15. Great quote.

:thumbsup:

[Fresh_Start]

18. 2012 Dem Ad

Montage of numerous member of the current GOP who says reduce or eliminate social security and medicare.
Contrast with them saying cut taxes for the wealthy.
Personalize for each state showing one of their GOP asses saying the same thing.

[WI_DEM]

17. Neither Dean nor Feingold will challenge President Obama

Stop these pipe dreams.

[Dinger]

33. You Hope (nt)

[gkhouston]

38. Dean has already said that he isn't running in 2012. n/t

[stevenleser]

40. If you really are hoping for a progressive primary challenge, shouldnt it come from someone who can

win his state at least? I mean, I think anyone who advocates for primarying Obama is full of crap anyway, but cant you be full of crap with a miniscule amount of sense?

[hollowdweller]

45. All I want is for Obama to listen to Dean

I know Obama was a community organizer but he seemingly has lost the ability to know what is going on with the people and how to speak to them. I admire his self confidence but he's coming off as superior and people don't like that.

[kjackson227]

19. I like Dean, A LOT, but would Independents vote for him is the question.

[Fire1]

46. I like him too but would not vote for him. n/t

[democrank]

20. Too bad the Obama administration ignores Howard Dean.

They could certainly learn a lot from him, like how to be empathetic toward the needs of regular people and how to stand up for your principles.....with courage.

[bigdarryl]

21. the idiots in the Administration FEAR Dean would challenge Obama

for the nomination.Well my take on that is if they stopped throwing progressives under the bus and calling them names like (the professional left) they wouldn't have to worry about a challenge to Obama but they seem to think throwing progressives under the bus is going to get them brownie points.This is why a lot of democrats didn't vote in this midterm.They are CLUELESS in that White House

[ProSense]

23. Does this make sense? n/t

[PVnRT]

24. Neither

I can't support a primary challenge to a sitting Democratic president, regardless if I'm disappointed in their performance or not. I much prefer Dean and Feingold working to build the party and fighting for a progressive agenda behind the scenes, and I hope both find a position they can run for in 2012.

[JohnnyBoots]

25. Dean/Feingold 2012....wow. A guy can dream, can't he?

[Autumn]

26. Now that man knows how to play the game

Kaine and Obama could learn a lot from him.

[mainer]

30. Dean 2016

Maybe with Kirsten Gillenbrandt.

[gkhouston]

34. If Obama can bring himself to "compromise" with Republicans, he should be able

to work with Dean. With Rahm gone, surely this should be possible, considering what's at stake.

[AspenRose]

35. *sigh*

:loveya:

[elleng]

37. B.S. that he 'sounded humble, almost meek.'

I would REALLY HOPE that DUers would have WATCHED the news conference, and SEEN the 'true facts,' and eschewed msm's spin on Potus tone.

Dean is correct, and Potus can't take such a 'tone,' as he has primary responsibility for governing, so he MUST appear to be willing to 'play.'

Got it???

[mzmolly]

39. Obama will not likely have a challenger from within the party.

I'd love to see Dean as DNC chair again, though.

[and-justice-for-all]

41. That is killer!! love it!! nt

[socialshockwave]

42. This man seems like

he would make a better President then the one you Americans have now.

he doesn't' seem willing to back down like Obama.

[ProSense]

43. Dean Camp Sees Mischief Behind Rumors That He'll Primary Obama

Dean Camp Sees Mischief Behind Rumors That He'll Primary Obama

[besdayz]

47. miss that guy

we need his fire........and aggression.