Why I now Support Dean

[BayCityProgressive]

I have not always been behind Dean and actually I am ideologically closer to Kucinich. The reason I am now supporting him is he seems to be the only one not afraid of the liberal label. He says "if healthcare, a balanced budget, and equal rights is liberal I am a liberal". I am sick of democrats running from the liberal label. I am also sick of the Democrats being reactionaries. that used to be the Republicans title as Democrats set the agenda for the better part of the century with republicans just trying to reform. Now it is the Republicans with all the big plans and the dems reacting. I see Dean as someone who can rebuild a liberal coalition. I am sick of every election dems saying "look how evil that republican is" when they are only marginally better. Voting for a democrat for this reason only lowers the bar for the next election and voters want candidates with a positive vision and plan. I see Dean as getting the party back on track.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[BayCityProgressive]

2. I cannot support a war supporter.

I would vote for John in the general but not the primary.

[HPLeft]

13. I guess that it would a waste of time...

...to point out that the vote in the Senate was to authorize the potential use of force, in order to strengthen Bush's hands in negotiations with the United Nations.

I guess it would be a waste of time to point out that Dean told Ron Brownstein of the LA Times, in January of 2003 (3 full months after that Iraq vote), that that "if Bush presents what he considered to be persuasive evidence that Iraq still had weapons of mass destruction, he would support military action, even without U.N. authorization."

But, facts don't seem to matter here. Dean's actual words don't seem to matter. Or that the Senate and House votes gave Bush the leverage to get weapons inspectors back into Iraq - which would be the only way that such "persuasive evidence" might be produced. The only thing that seems to matter is the perceptions of people who want to believe that they've found the last honest man - even if he is spinning faster than a top.

For instance, on Feb. 20, Dean told Salon.com that "if the U.N. in the end chooses not to enforce its own resolutions, then the U.S. should give Saddam 30 to 60 days to disarm, and if he doesn't, unilateral action is a regrettable, but unavoidable, choice."

Now, that position is actually much more pro-war that John Kerry's position that he would support a unilateral attack only if Hussein represented an imminent threat.

It doesn't seem to matter that Dean says one thing on the podium in front of his idealistic supporters and something completely different to various media outlets when he wants to be taken seriously.

I think The Who song, "Won't get fooled again" should be required listening for primary voters in 2004.

[Vikingking66]

3. well, he's got the record

But he runs from the label.
If he had voted against and vociferously spoke out against the war, he would have been the presumptive nominee by now. Instead, he voted for it then criticized it, then whacked others for not supporting it. Now he's mired in the middle.

[KaraokeKarlton]

10. I think Kerry is ashamed of his past liberal record

In fact, I believe the reason he's aligned himself with Bush so many times in the past few years is because he doesn't want anyone to think he's a liberal. He thinks it will help him win. He's a pretender in my opinion. Dean isn't really a liberal, but he doesn't run from the label and play into the Republican's attempts to demonize liberals like Kerry has.

[Kahuna]

4. "The only one saying....." Bleh....

That is the most fake statment made by any supporter. You cannot possibly know what the others have or haven't said at all times or what is in their hearts. YOu do yourself a disservice when you make statements proclaiming to know all and see all.

[Larkspur]

5. Welcome aboard the Dean Team

It took me 4 months after Al Gore bowed out to officially decide to sign-up with the Dean for America campaign. His opposition to the Iraq War, his March 2003 speech at the California state Dem convention plus his rebuttal to an op ed in Commondreams.org convinced me that Dean was the only Democratic who was listening to the Dem base, acknowledging the legitimacy of our anger at Bush and our spineless Dem leaders, and developing a plan to take our country back from the rightwing thugs. Denouncing publicly and aggressively the rightwing thugs was a breath of fresh air from all that nuance b.s. the pink tutu Dems were uttering.

Since then, I've gotten to understand the Dean Campaign better by participating in it and have been greatly impressed with its leadership style, a style I hope that they can duplicate after retaking the White House.

[BayCityProgressive]

6. oh really?

then send me all the links of the other candidates calling themselves liberals. Good luck.

[w4rma]

9. Was your reply meant for Kahuna in post #4, BayCityProgressive?

Dean calls himself a centrist. Big media often says he is a liberal.

[poskonig]

12. However, Dean never runs from the label.

So you're both right.

[jiacinto]

7. I like Dean

It's blatantly obvious that DK is out of the mainstream and simply too far to the left of the values of most Americans. I think Dean is as far to the left you can go without alienating the rest of the electorate. I support him because he is assertive and because he probably can unite both wings of the party.

[brainshrub]

8. Dean Good, Kucinich Good, Kerry Good

A stale cucumber good. A Bonabo ape Good.

Clark? The juries still out.

Leiberman? Nope...ain't gonna do it. No way, no how. If I want a Republican, I'll vote for Bush.

[michaud]

11. I LIKE DEAN

dean is the real conservative out of everyone running including bush

i like dean because he isnt afraid to take the hits and im quite sure he will dish it out ten fold.

go dean go

[CMT]

14. Great to have you

I agree Dean will get the party back on track.

[paulk]

15. Dean is not a liberal

Period. There are valid reasons to support him, however, that is not one of them.

[alexwcovington]

16. Come on man

You can be tight on money and still be a liberal. Poor people like me are every day :P

It's just a matter of spending the money in the right way.

[paulk]

17. Dean has denied being a liberal

That's not necessarily a bad thing... But he's not a liberal, and he shouldn't be referred to as one.

And if you've decided to support him because you believe he's a liberal, like the starter of this thread, then you need to find out more about his tenure as Governer of Vermont.

[Northwind]

18. I take it that you have absolutely no idea

What the word liberal means.

Let me refresh your memory:

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liberal

adj.
Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.

Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.

------------------------

How exactly does Dean not fit that?

I would bet large piles of money that Dean fits it it a hell of a lot better than you, not to mention about 90% of this people on this forum.

[paulk]

19. I take it you are so blinded by your devotion to Howard Dean

that you can ignore his own words?

Howard Dean HAS SAID he is not a liberal. He has made statements expressing great pride in pissing off "liberals" in Vermont. Maybe Howard Dean needs a dictionary.

As for your last sentance, personal attacks are against the rules of this forum, not to mention a weak debating technique. Besides, you've hurt my feelings. Not to get all weepy and liberal on you...