Why I'm for Dean
"Dean is opening the possibility of transforming politics--shaking up the tired, timid old order, inviting plain-wrapper citizens back into an active role--and that's why so many people, myself included, are for him. "
- William Greider, author of "Who Will Tell the People" and other insightful books.

Why I'm for Dean by William Greider
The Nation magazine, November 26, 2003

First, the rivals saw him as a McGovernite lefty from the 1960s. When that didn't take, they decided to depict him as a right-wing clone of Newt Gingrich who wants to dismantle Medicare and Social Security. Finally, opponents sold political reporters on the story of Mr. Malaprop, an oddball from tiny, liberal Vermont so insensitive to the nuances of American politics his mouth will destroy him.

Howard Dean surged ahead through all this. The other candidates and witting collaborators in the press got him wrong every time. Howard Dean is an odd duck, certainly, in the milieu of the contemporary Democratic Party. He is, I surmise, a tough and savvy politician of the old school--a shrewd, intuitive pol who develops his own sense of where the people are and where events are likely to take public opinion, then has the guts to act on his perceptions. That approach--leading, it's called--seems dangerously unscientific in this era of high-quality polling and focus groups.... [Complete Article]

 

MikeHersh.com Articles on Howard Dean
Mike Hersh Endorses Howard Dean and other Dean articles at MikeHersh.com.

 

GOP Hopes "Attack Dog" Gephardt Can Stop Dean
"Dem Attack Dog Gephardt," Charles Mahaleris
Talon News, November 28, 2003 (key excerpts)

The Democrats seeking to replace President George W. Bush have responded in a number of ways to the unexpected popularity of insurgent Governor Howard Dean. Joe Lieberman has reinvented himself. John Kerry has gone through a string of campaign advisors. Richard Gephardt has emerged as the attack dog among all the candidates in this fight for his political life. [Gephardt] challenged Dean on a television commercial that candidate is running in Iowa calling it the first attack ad run by a Democrat in that state against another Democrat.

Dean's Campaign Manager Joe Trippi responded, "We recognize that Dick Gephardt is proud of his support for the Iraq war and his role in writing the resolution to authorize it. Howard Dean is proud to have opposed the war from the beginning. In our ad, we have not characterized or disparaged Congressman Gephardt's motives or intent in co-authoring the resolution and voting in favor of the war and the additional funding. We have simply stated the facts, plainly and without prejudice -- not to 'make an issue' -- but to educate Iowans on an important policy difference." Gephardt has also gone after other rivals for his party's nomination. [Complete Article]

 

HOWARD DEAN FOR PRESIDENT
Ted Rall Nov 23, 2003 - Key excerpts:

I don't regret voting for Ralph Nader in 2000. Given the information we had at the time.... Boy, was I wrong. To paraphrase National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, who could have imagined back then that a dozen maniacs would hijack our democracy, bankrupt the treasury and subvert our basic values?

I'm a charter member of the 2004 ABB (Anybody But Bush) society. Whether the nominee turns out to be a right-winger (Clark, Lieberman) or a colorless bore (Edwards, Kerry, Gephardt), I'll vote for him over Bush, in the same spirit with which the late Afghan warlord Ahmed Shah Massoud reportedly toasted a meeting of anti-Soviet factions during the '80s occupation: "First we kill the Russians. Then we kill each other." But I have a preferance:

Howard Dean has the best chance to beat Bush. Dean's got lots more going for him, not the least of which is running as an insurgent small-state governor disliked by his own party's top leaders (the ex-governor thing casts him as even more of an outsider). Polls show Dean leading his nearest rival, John Kerry, 33 percent to 19 percent in the crucial New Hampshire primary. Coming out early and hard against the war in Iraq wins him major props with the liberal base and makes him seem ahead-of-the-curve to everyone else.

Most importantly, he's his own man. "He doesn't really owe his current standing to any of them, not to labor, not to minority groups, not environmental organizations, so he'll have more leeway as a nominee to follow his own course," says Darrel West, a political science professor at Cornell. But the rubber would really tear up the road at the presidential debates, where Dean's dry, sardonic Long Island wit would devastate the hapless Bush--and charm television viewers.

His natural pugnacity could help Dems deal more aggressively than usual with the nasty attack ads they can expect in the campaign ahead. Frankly, the other Democratic contenders don't have what it takes to stand up to Karl Rove's brutal war machine. [Complete Article]

 

Zogby: Dr. Howard Dean expanded his lead

Dr. Howard Dean expanded his lead over the field of Democratic presidential hopefuls, moving away from a late September tie with retired General Wesley Clark. Dean now receives 15% from 558 likely Democratic primary voters nationwide, and Clark has slipped slightly to 10%.

Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt and Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman are tied for third at 9%, slight improvements over September polling. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry remains at 7%, followed by civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton (4%), and North Carolina Senator John Edwards (3%). Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich and former Illinois Senator Carol Mosley Braun are tied with 2% each. One in three (34%) Democratic primary voters remain undecided on a candidate, down slightly from September undecideds of 43%.

Candidate	Nov 3-5	Sept 22-24	July 16-17	Mar 5-7
Dean	15	12	12	4
Clark	10	12	--	--
Gephardt	9	6	12	11
Lieberman	9	7	12	18
Kerry	7	7	9	9
Sharpton	4	4	4	4
Edwards	3	2	4	4
Kucinich	2	1	1	1
Mosley Braun	2	4	1	1
Someone Else	6	3	--	--
NotSure	34	43	39	37

[Complete Article]

 

Bush Attacks, You Respond
Dean for America Home Friday, November 21, 2003 (excerpts)

Campaign Manager Joe Trippi sent the following email to more than 503,000 online supporters of Howard Dean today. This weekend, the Republican National Committee is launching its first television ads for George W. Bush. The ads show the fear-mongering that George Bush and Karl Rove are going to use, with their $200 million in special interest money, to try to distort what we are fighting for in this election.

There is only one way to stop them -- and that is by standing up and telling the truth about what this president has done to our country. To do that, we've put up the bat on our website. Our goal is to raise $360,000 by Tuesday at midnight -- $5,000 for every hour they are going to lie to the American people with their ad. We need to show that we're not going to allow the administration to wage an air war on the American people. Contribute!

 

Desperate Foes Attack Dean
Kerry goes on attack in Iowa fracas
ANALYSIS By Tom Curry, MSNBC Nov. 24, 2003

Dean is the front-runner in money, momentum and most polls, so it was natural that he became the target for most of his rivals' criticism. "I most certainly appreciate all this attention I'm getting," he cracked at one point.

The debate's high point came when Kerry no fewer than six times pressed Dean to answer the question of whether as president he would seek to reduce the rate of growth of Medicare. Dean [said], "What I intend to do in Medicare is to increase reimbursements for states like Iowa and Vermont...." [But] Kerry refused to let go, saying, "You still haven't answered the question."

When one reporter asked Dean again whether he'd reduce Medicare's growth rate, Dean replied, "I said Medicare was off the table, cuts in Medicare are off the table." How about the rate of growth? the reporter persisted. "Cuts in Medicare are off the table," Dean repeated. [Complete Article]

---

Dean's rivals and willfully dense anti-Dean media types pretend this is not a clear and honest answer to the Medicare question. Voters understand exactly what Dean means by "Cuts in Medicare are off the table," just as we know what Dean meant despite media and rivals' carping in the Confederate flag flap. - MH

 

Howard Dean the name most commonly volunteered"
CBS News | November 14, 2003 (excerpts)

THE DEMOCRATS

There is still no clear national frontrunner among the Democratic candidates. Among registered voters who say they will vote in a Democratic primary or caucus, Howard Dean and Richard Gephardt receive the most support, with 14% and 12% respectively. Joe Lieberman and Wesley Clark are tied for second place, closely followed by John Kerry.

Among voters of all political persuasions, Howard Dean is the name most commonly volunteered, followed by John Kerry, Wesley Clark and Richard Gephardt. Among Democratic primary voters, Howard Dean is also number one, followed by John Kerry and Wesley Clark, who are tied for second place. [Complete Article]

 

Good News For Dean On Birthday
CBS News Reporter Eric Salzman, Iowa, Nov. 17, 2003 (excerpts)

One Dean aide who attended the [Jefferson-Jackson dinner] event with the governor in 2002, said that last year they had a presence of fewer than five people. Oh, what a difference a year can make! This year, Dean rolled up heavy to the event with more than 40 busses of supporters in tow. His entrance to the hall was a wild scene that seemed to fit the kind of week Dean had.

Late last week, Dean announced he would opt out of federal matching funds, making him the first Democratic presidential candidate ever to do so. On Wednesday, he received the backing of two of the most politically active and racially diverse unions in the country, the SEIU and AFSCME. AFSCME President Gerald McEntee is widely regarded as being a factor in helping Bill Clinton secure the Democratic nomination in 1992. "This man from Vermont has the best chance to beat Bush," McEntee said.

After the dual endorsement, many members of the press began treating the primary as a done deal, claiming Dean was all but unstoppable. So the candidate took pains to play down his frontrunner status. "I never expected to be in this position when I started the campaign," Dean told reporters Saturday morning while sitting in the living room of an Iowa supporter. He pointed out that despite the various polls and fund-raising results that seem to be in his favor, so far, not a single vote has been cast. [Complete Article]

 

NM Gov. Richardson compliments Dean
By Eric Salzman CBS News | Howard Dean's New Mexico Love-In
November 23, 2003 (excerpts)

"Gov. Dean has an impressive array of endorsements from New Mexico from Hispanic and Native American leaders, Richardson said. "Literally, my organization's endorsed him."

His organization?

When Richardson's office was pressed for an explanation on just what the governor meant by his "organization," the response was simply "his coalition of supporters." Richardson's choice of words, however, seemed intentional.

New Mexico is one of the seven key primary states on what has turned into a mini-Super Tuesday on February 3. The other states selecting their nominee that day are South Carolina, Missouri, Delaware, Oklahoma, Arizona and North Dakota. Because of New Mexico's high minority population, it is viewed as particularly important, as is South Carolina because of it's "first in the South" status.

Although both Dean and Richardson insisted that their joint appearance did not constitute an endorsement, love was in the air. Richardson, while claiming the event was merely to "welcome" Dean, stated, "I can categorically say in New Mexico, he has the strongest organization." [Complete Article]