My big fat mea culpa (Dean article at Salon)

My big fat mea culpa

I haven't decided to vote for Howard Dean, but after 10 days watching his campaign, I promise never to say he's unelectable again.

Aug. 11, 2003 - It was just before 7 last Wednesday night, right after Arnold Schwarzenegger transformed the California recall election from a fiasco into a certified freak show (OK, Gary Coleman and Larry Flynt helped). I needed a drink, as well as a reason not to give up on democracy. Luckily I was in the right place to get both: one of nearly 500 local "Meetups" held nationwide for supporters of presidential candidate Howard Dean.

snip...

I've leaned towards Kerry because I think his war record protects him from the GOP smear that Democrats are weak on defense (though it sure didn't help veteran Max Cleland keep his Senate seat in Georgia last year). And if things settle down in Iraq, Dean's strident opposition to the way Bush handled the buildup to war and its aftermath may well marginalize him. But one thing I know for sure: With Bush's approval rating at its lowest level ever -- down 20 points from just after the first phase of the Iraq war -- it strikes me as crazier than ever that some Democrats are trying to do Karl Rove's work for him, and dismiss the Dean surge as the angry squawking of the party's loud but tiny throwback base.

Not surprisingly, Donna Brazile agrees. "I think Dean has to move beyond his base, attract institutional players, work the mainstream. But his campaign is telling us that the left is going to have a seat at the table again. That's the message to the DLC: Get used to it. Stop saying liberals are no longer good enough for the Democratic Party. Somebody needs to knock 'em a new asshole."

snip...

Still, Dean's summer surge could mean nothing come January. The biggest question about him is whether the darling of San Francisco and the frontrunner in Iowa and New Hampshire will have any appeal in the South. It's hard to imagine that a Northeastern antiwar candidate who's best known for signing a gay civil unions bill will play well in that crucial region. But two months ago, it was hard to imagine Dean moving into the lead in the early primary states or taking the Time and Newsweek covers by storm. We still don't know if he's George McGovern or Jimmy Carter, but he's earned serious political attention and respect. Finally, he's got mine.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/08/11/dean/index3.html

Perhaps Dean's position on Gun controll will gain support in the south? Or a Southern belle of a running mate hmmmm...???

M.L. would be a great southern belle pick. Although that southern beau B.G. (or R.G. if you're more formal) is very tempting.

The media really seem to like him. This article pointed-out his weaknesses and then, for each one, promptly dismissed them. Very nice.

I used to think the same thing until I actually talked to some Tennessee Deaners. They believe he's going to strike a chord among Southerners with his plain talk and straightforward demeanor. He could attract the Southern Perot supporters. Also, Dean has a good story building about jobs in the South, along the lines of, "Are you better off now, etc." And he just hired a major player who has a strong background with the NAACP and other black organizing activities. (Can't remember her name at the moment.) He's a little light in Southern credentials right now, but the signs indicate he's preparing.

And a good VP pick can only help. Even if we win only one or two states in the South, we'd be in really good shape. That'd be indicative of success across the country.

I think the article points out once again that the message isn't as important as the way it's delivered. Dean's ability to speak with clarity makes his moderate politics sound tough. I think this is the best thing Dean has going for himself, and why it's critical that he not get caught in any many more hedge fests as he did on the gay marriage question from Larry King.

Here's another good (and key) passage from the Salon piece for people who don't get to reade the whole thing:

"I'm not writing to endorse Howard Dean. I'm not declaring him the future of the Democratic Party. I still like John Kerry, too. Honest. In fact, I've adopted what I'm calling the Donna Brazile stance. When I phoned the veteran liberal activist and 2000 Gore campaign manager to talk about Dean, she just raved about him. I pushed her: "Wow, Donna, you sound like you love the guy -- are you sure you're not backing him? Are you going to work for him?" I even asked if she wanted to talk off the record.
She stopped me cold. "You called me to talk about Howard Dean. If you'd called to talk about Joe Lieberman, I'd have raved about him, too. I'm finding something to love about all these candidates. One of them is going to defeat George Bush."
So that's how I feel, too, I think. I can support anyone who gets the nomination (which means I don't have to square Al Sharpton's new charisma and common sense with his race-baiting history, or ask myself if I could live with Dennis Kucinich's self-righteous lefty screeching for four years, because they're not going to be nominated)."