Dean and the Voice of Vermont (WP OpEd) - a must read!!

By David Moats
Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Page A23

RUTLAND, Vt. -- Vermonters are shaking their heads in astonishment at the surge of their former governor to the front rank of Democratic presidential contenders. Even those who think of Howard Dean as a skilled and intelligent leader are unaccustomed to the thought that a politician from Vermont might take center stage in the national arena.

After all, the story of the past 40 years has been about the rise of the Sun Belt and the political power of Texas, California and Florida. From the point of view of New England, the shift of power toward the South that began with the rise of Barry Goldwater has seemed like an unstoppable tide.

Yet Dean's candidacy raises two questions: Why should New England, or Vermont, be seen as more marginal or idiosyncratic than, say, Arkansas? And if someone is to challenge the present Republican marriage of religious fundamentalism and rapacious capitalism, from where should we expect that challenge to come?

snip

It should come as no surprise that the most insistent voice in opposition to that vision should come from a New Englander with family ties to Wall Street. Howard Dean has labored in politics to make government work; bringing health care coverage to Vermont children has been one of his signal accomplishments. In signing Vermont's civil union law, he honored the wall between church and state. At the same time, he has always been aware of the need to keep Wall Street happy by making sure government's fiscal house is in order.

more at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21851-2003Oct13.html

Thanks for posting.

that giant picture...what a turn off.

"I never had sex with George Bush, but he's a likeable guy..."

When asked who would be our next president, Kerry said "That guy over there," pointing toward Howard Dean.

Laughing like crazy at your great captions.

Kinda threw me for a loop. I think I see on a coin or a mountainside before I see him at 1600! sorry.

What was the original post on the thread about????

"Even though No Child Left Behind is a stupid law, I PROMISE to fund it!"

Make no mistake about it...my vote for war was a vote for peace!

and watch me talk out of my ass.

(Caption)

"Howard Dean's candidacy is about many things -- Iraq, health care, gay rights and Dean's unique brand of blunt discourse. But even if there are those who write him off as a New Englander, the strong presence of New England in the Democratic field is a reminder that opposition to the style of politics practiced by President Bush has deep historical and cultural roots."

I love it that Dean is a from a New England State and I'm a western person...born and raised in Colorado!

I take issue with the Rockefeller Republican part I so agree with the description of the South.

Rockefeller Republicans are a cross between a liberal Republican and a centrist Democrat anyhow. Socially liberal and fiscally conservative. Dean doesn't fit perfectly into any label, that's for certain. He's very unique, and he just does what he honestly believes is the right thing to do. Even if you don't always agree with him on what that is, you just can't argue with someone who operates that way. This is why he appeals to so many people who have never bothered with politics before. People sense what is so special about him and it makes a normally boring subject interesting.

people think they're well off by giving them, for instance, civil unions, while keeping them in their place economically. A very Republican way to govern.

More equality in the economic sphere is needed. With that, many social inequalities could correct themselves.

how can anyone deny the truth of:

"More equality in the economic sphere is needed. With that, many social inequalities could correct themselves."

It reminds me of that old 'joke':
'The poor and the rich are both free. The rich are free to spare change and sleep under bridges, just like the poor.'

Dean's "fiscal conservatism" is balancing the budget, paying your bills, not passing debt on to the next generation, saving by not running things by having to pay interest on things. If Dean believed in "keeping people in their place economically" he wouldn't have led the way in welfare reform in the way he did. What Dean did enabled ME to get off welfare for good and have a much, much better life. The "Rockefeller Republicans" were pretty much driven from the Republican Party ages ago and the bulk of them became Democrats.

Du Vermont jusqu'a la Louisianne, retrouvont nos cousins lointains,
je me souviens bien, cher Ophelia.

Le soleil revient.

This one is a keeper, that's for sure!