Howard Dean: 'You have the power to take our country back'

[T_i_B]

From a speech by Dean given in Burlington, Vermont, after officially dropping out of the presidential race.

http://argument.independent.co.uk/podium/story.jsp?story=492830

Today my candidacy may come to an end - but our campaign for change is not over.

Over the last year, you have reached out to neighbors, friends, family and colleagues - building the greatest grassroots campaign presidential politics has ever seen. I will never forget the work and the heart that you put into our campaign.

In the coming weeks, we will be launching a new initiative to continue the campaign you helped begin. Please continue to visit www.deanforamerica.com for updates and news as our initiative develops. There is much work to be done, and today is not an end - it is just the beginning.

This Party and this country needs change. I want you to think about how far we have come. The truth is: change is tough. There is enormous institutional pressure in our country against change. There is enormous institutional pressure in Washington against change, in the Democratic Party against change. Yet, you have already started to change the Party and together we have transformed this race. Along the way, we've engaged hundreds of thousands of new Americans in the political process, as witnessed by this year's record participation in the primaries and caucuses.

[roguevalley]

1. I hope he keeps going. This party owes getting off its knees to this man.

[xxqqqzme]

2. U got that right!

Dean breathed life N2 the party. Drs. know about helping the sick & injured!!

[Sly Kal]

3. Sadly

With Dean out, expect the party bosses to run right back to the center. Nothing much will change. Bush will be elected for the first time. The republicans will gain even more seats in the Senate and congress. That is my prediction.
We probably need another 2 or 3 big loses before the party wakes up for real. Kerry and Edwards stole the words and the slogans but they only faked the conviction to change.

[mdmc]

4. Kerry instead of Gore

Same middle - different face. I think Kerry is a tad more to the left, but you would never know that once the party get through with him.

[DebJ]

7. Gore would never say "sure we'll drill all over the ANWR" just to get

votes. Gore sticks by his positions.

[CWebster]

5. This says it all:

"There is enormous institutional pressure in our country against change. There is enormous institutional pressure in Washington against change, in the Democratic Party against change."

[T_i_B]

6. I think this actually says it better

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1151133,00.html

...the Democratic party leadership, which always wanted to get rid of the awkward Vermont doctor but somehow bottle the political energy he had unleashed.

Call me what you will, but it is kinda amusing to see some of the people who have been slagging Dean off like there is no tomorrow all of a sudden trying to be nice about Dean and his supporters when they have been slandering them for months now they need their support.