The real Howard Dean

[T_i_B]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1121018,00.html

I write this as a Vermonter who has known Dean personally (as an acquaintance) for many years. Several of my friends worked with him closely when he was governor, as members of his staff or advisers. Only a few weeks ago I had dinner with him and he brought up the McGovern comparison himself, drawing a chuckle from everywhere in the room. Dean is, let me tell you, no George McGovern. He is actually the furthest thing from a typical north-eastern liberal that can be imagined.

Dean is, I think, a pragmatist without an obvious ideological bent. Trained as a physician, he studies a given situation, assesses the facts, and makes a diagnosis. As governor, he was remarkably decisive, even combative, willing to make cuts in healthcare and education to balance the budget. On the other hand, he strongly backed the idea of universal healthcare, and made sure that medical assistance for Vermont's children under the age of 18 was guaranteed - a real achievement. Famously, he supported the idea of civil unions for gay couples in Vermont, although he did so rather quietly, signing the act presented to him by the legislature behind closed doors. In a sense, this pragmatic governor simply went along with the majority opinion in Vermont, where a substantial gay population exists.

It is worth recalling that Dean was elected governor of Vermont five times in a row - a tribute to his appeal in this largely rural state. Indeed, there are many more cows than people in Vermont, which has a population of just over half a million people. Pick-up trucks are the vehicle of choice around here, and deer hunting is immensely popular. Dean is popular with the hunters. Indeed, the National Rifle Association has bestowed upon him its highest rating. Every citizen, in Dean's view, has the right (if not the duty) to blow the back end off a buck or doe. Few liberal politicians in the US, I should note, have ever received such positive attention from the National Rifle Association.

It was, of course, Dean's unambiguous stand against the Iraq war that lifted him into the status of front-runner in the Democratic primaries. He has been able to focus the anger of his party faithful, who have found Bush's "preemptive" war intolerable. Yet it would be a grave mistake to think of Dean as a left-leaning pacifist of some kind. If anything, he is a warrior by nature. He says he would have invaded Afghanistan and attacked al-Qaida without getting waylaid by war in Iraq. As president, he would probably work closely with the UN, as he understands that this is the best way to cultivate American allies in Europe and elsewhere.

[slinkerwink]

1. I always knew that Howard wasn't the left-wing liberal his opponents

and critics painted him out to be.

[SahaleArm]

3. You're voting for him to be a DLC centrist? n/t

[slinkerwink]

4. with all the letters and the DLC leadership attacking Dean....

I'd say he doesn't belong with the DLC anymore but he's still a centrist.

[SahaleArm]

6. Assuming the DLC is a platform - Is Dean running on it or away from it?

[T_i_B]

10. Pardon me for asking...

...but do all centrists have to be DLC?

:kick:

[blm]

17. Dean did that by labeling REAL liberals like Kerry "Bushlite"

His own deceptions will be his undoing.

Dean is to the right of Lieberman on many key Democratic issues.
He'll have done more damage to the left by pulling so many more to his centrist views. He has more apologists for his corporate friendly, civil liberty deficient centrism than I have ever seen within the left wing community.

Sad and shameful.

[killbotfactory]

2. Wow...

An old friend of mine was Dean's lawyer and close personal adviser throughout his time as governor. We were having lunch shortly after Dean announced that he was running for president, and I asked him what he thought. "Howard will win," he said. "He is smarter than everybody else, he works harder than everybody else, and he's luckier than everybody else."

He called it.

[DemBones DemBones]

20. Do you really think that

Dean is the ONLY one about whom such things can be said? If someone runs for the presidency, chances are he or she is smarter than everybody else, has worked harder than everybody else, and is luckier than everybody else.

Entering a presidential race is like going to college -- and finding out that half the people you meet were valedictorians of their class, too.

[DemBones DemBones]

21. Do you reall think that

Dean is the ONLY one about whom such things can be said? If someone runs for the presidency, chances are he or she is smarter than everybody else, has worked harder than everybody else, and is luckier than everybody else.

Entering a presidential race is like going to college -- and finding out that half the people you meet were valedictorians of their class, too.

[GreenArrow]

22. well, I agree with part of that

He is luckier. Luckier than anyone but Bush.

[imax2268]

5. You know...

with all the negative ads and press about Dean, little sound bites the media loves to play over and over and over again...don't you just love how it has not hurt his numbers...this is exciting people...Dean is going to beat the odds...

[Melodybe]

7. I think so too, picking someone to beat * was my first priority

when I decided on a candidate. However, I honestly believe that Edwards, Clark, Kerry, or Gephart could beat *.

[RogueTrooper]

8. Excellent article TIB

are you ever planning to come to one of our meetups?

[T_i_B]

9. I have 2 excuses

1) I can't decide betwen Clark & Dean, they both look great, plus I was originally for Bob Graham.

2) It's a bit of a job to get to a 1900 hrs meetup in London on a weeknight from Maldon.

That said, I do appreciate the invite. :-)

[RogueTrooper]

15. Aye,

Can't argue with that ;)

11. speaking before he thinks...

"He often speaks before he thinks. But the good news is that, given a few moments, he can think."

Precisely!... Can the same be said for George Bush?

[loyalsister]

12. more on that

I had a discussion from Claudian Fagen incoming president of "Physicians for Universal Health Care." She said that she knows him well and has had several conversations with him on health care. She favors a single payer plan, however she does trust Dean on health care issues.

[Born_a_Democrat]

13. Wow...I didn't know this about Dean...I like him already

[tedoll78]

14. One thing that I love about Dr Dean..

is that before the war broke-out, he was saying the exact same things that Al Gore was saying. And I absolutely have a special spot in my heart for Al Gore, so when Gore did announce the endorsement, I could've been knocked-over with a feather!

Another thing I like is that he isn't always on the party line. I know.. to many that's the talk of a heretic, but I'm more than willing to compromise on the gun issue to be more competative in the midwest. I really do think the race will be decided there, no matter whom we nominate.

And guns aren't the only issue he can move right with. Economic issues, business issues.. hell, the Democrats are attacking him so much from the left that he can use that to point-out centrist credentials during the general election!

The final thing I'll mention - he might actually have a shot at bringing new groups of non-voters into the process. He talks all the time about giving the 50% of Americans who don't vote a reason to vote, and if he can mobilize a mere 5% more across the country while having the full suppport of our base, our chances of winning the general election skyrocket.

[stickdog]

16. Note that we have to look to the British press for a real take on Dean.

US corporate media blows.

[joefree1]

18. I hear you

US media blows chunks. Thank the Gods Gore invented the internet.

[T_i_B]

25. UK Guardian has been blowing Dean's horn

over the past few days.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1120733,00.html

[KaraokeKarlton]

19. That's a good, accurate article on my old Gov.

And he is smarter, works harder and is luckier than the rest. He doesn't fail at anything. I don't think Bush stands a snowball's chance in hell against Howard Dean, and neither does anyone who is really familiar with him.

[bearfartinthewoods]

23. if you know him, please tell him to roll down th sleeves

he looks silly in a room full of people in sweaters and sweat shirts.

and even sillier in his suit coat with no cuffs.

this comes from someone who hasn't worn a suit in 40 years but can still recognize silly when he sees it.

[stickdog]

24. kick (nt)