FLYING HIGH (Sleepless Summer Tour) | The Stranger (Seattle)

FLYING HIGH
by Sandeep Kaushik

Howard Dean has gone from nobody to the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Now he's a political rock star, and he just went on a coast-to-coast tour to prove it. The Stranger tagged along for the ride.

In downtown Seattle, 8,000 screaming, hooting, Bush-hating liberals gather on a Sunday afternoon to cheer on the man they hope will save America from George W. Bush. If it is not obvious before the "People-Powered Howard Sleepless Summer Tour"--10 cities in under four days--arrives in the Emerald City, there is no doubt by the end of the evening: Former Vermont governor Howard Dean will once and for all prove that Seattle is an impregnable Dean bastion.

The crowd at Westlake Center overflows across Pine Street and spills out onto the streets around the park as people wait for the arrival of the compact bull terrier of a man who has won their allegiance by expressing their fears about the direction of the country. Everywhere you look you see nothing but Seattleites waving blue "Dean for America" signs.

The candidate is late arriving from a fundraiser at a nearby hotel, and the crowd is restless. People begin chanting for Dean, at times drowning out the introductory speakers. The minutes pass, and the crowd's impatience mushrooms. It feels as if there might be a riot if Dean fails to appear.

More at the Stranger

"Dean derisively refers to President Bush as the "tough fella defending America" who cut veterans' health care and service members' pay, who skimps on homeland security, and who stands idly by as North Korea moves toward stockpiling nuclear arms. "The president is all hat and no cattle when it comes to defense," he asserts, and the cutting aggression in his voice--not to mention his metaphorical jab at the rancher-in-chief--lets the crowd know who the real tough guy will be in a match-up between George and Howard."

I've really liked Sandeep Kaushik's articles over the last few months. Here's some more:

http://www.thestranger.com/2003-07-17/city4.html
http://www.thestranger.com/2003-07-03/city3.html
http://www.thestranger.com/2003-06-26/city5.html (warning Dwight Peltz looks insane in the accompanying picture)

Cheers! :toast:

"Seeing all those people out there ," Dean said. "The enormity of it all really struck me. For the first time I realized what it really means to be President of the United States--seeing all those people out there, counting on you."

I wonder what it is W sees? Something tells me I wouldn't want to know.

people are who count on him.

for the laugh.