Dean supporters - What do you want to see Howard Dean do

[mandyky]

from here on out?

Do we want him to tone down?
Do we want him to give voice to things?
How much tweaking do we want him to do?

Will we continue to support Dean with time and money if he starts to slip? Because if we don't, I think the pink tutu crowd will slip back into compliance with shrub.

[demnan]

1. First, I want him to get some rest

I think he is over-tired and it shows.

Second, I want him to speak to the issues because that is what he does best.

Health care, unnecessary war, the deficit, homeland security, etc.

People will either go for his message or not, but the message has always been his strong point. His intelligence and straightforwardness are his best strengths and he should play to them. He shouldn't listen overly much to his handlers tell him to talk about religion, etc., etc. "Let Dean be Dean".

[nradisic]

2. I want Howard Dean to continue being himself

Howard Dean represents exactly how I feel. Pissed-off and angry. I agree with him 100% on the issues. If Kerry and Edwards are starting to look good to you, its because they are finally talking about the same issues that Dean brought to the forefront. Now they are jumping on the bandwagon. Gephart killed his own campaign with the attacks on Dean, and damaged Dean's campaign in Iowa. NH is another story, and so is the fact that DEan is the one with the most money and the most support in all 50 states. The rest of the pack, (except maybe for Wes Clark) must raise millions of dollars in the next few weeks in order to compete with Dean in all 50 states. I find it unlikely. And if Dean does not get the nomination, where are Kerry, Edwards or Clark going to come up with the cash to compete with W?

Dean is still by far the best choice for me. He was in November 2002, when I started supporting him and still is today. I happen to like him, just because he's straigh-forward, honest and shoots from the hip. Our country needs an honest American, with the right kind of vision for ALL Americans. Howard Dean is it, no matter how negatively the media chooses to portray him.

Howard Dean 2004

[Lefta Dissenter]

3. He probably wished that Judy would have stayed a few more hours

to give him a hug.

Not a Dean supporter, but an honest question - I was working all day yesterday, so the only news I really heard during the day was hourly news blips. Then SOTU and some response. Not counting the discussion of Dean's speech from the previous night, was there any coverage of Dean, or did he take the day off? I was surprised that I didn't see any response from him after the SOTU, but he might have been on every network that I wasn't watching, for all I know.

I didn't know if he's doing events in NH and not getting coverage, or if he's sitting with his feet up for a minute or two to catch his breath.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

4. I'd like to see him go all the way

and call Bush a criminal. Call the war illegal, remind the U.S. that we went there to find WMD and found Vietnam instead. Take some pages out of Kucinich's book. Do what Kerry can't, harp on the war HARD, seeing as how Kerry voted for it.

On edit: I think Dean's in a good position here, he has the focus away from him. He can move a little freer now.

[cthrumatrix]

5. he has experience with issues that count: health care and education

and balancing budgets to get our economy going.

Educate the voters on his experience. These are critical issues. Look at the medicare reform effort and now soc sec....he has the ability to create change

[ozymandius]

6. Act "presidential".

It is okay to be angry. Anger is a wonderful tool (evidence: this website). My Irish blood feels that this anger should be focused on the edge of a dagger. In other words, it is time for Dean's protest message to move toward a more administrative one.

Above all, do not go negative on other Democratic candidates.

EDIT: Dean and the other Democratic challengers obviously agree on some key issues - otherwise why would they be running for POTUS? Dean, and every other candidate, need to solidify their opposition. Name key issues where they stand solidly opposed to Bush and keep hammering the message. There is a treasure trove of material here.

[markus]

7. Discipline for the ground troops

Below is from the latest Boston Globe story:

"We turned out Edwards and Kerry votes," Maslin told reporters early yesterday. "Sometimes in politics, you turn out votes for other campaigns."

When I stop by the office, the volunteers are encouraging uncommitted potential votesr to turn out. Wrong, wrong, wrong. They didn't think my suggestion that this was the wrong approach was right. Folks, I've been doing this in one form or another for 20 years, and you don't give directions to other people's voters to the polls.

[cthrumatrix]

8. Dean supporters -- the Dr. "has delivered" in healthcare and education

nobody else has this record...

[farmbo]

9. Provide the press with tapes of Bush and other politicos raving...

For purposes of comparison to Monday night's rally.

Then ask if they want to report about the issues in this campaign.

[NoPasaran]

10. Stay on message, Howard

I think the strength of our campaign is not our stands on individual but the message that America needs to change and the Democratic Party is the best vehicle for effecting that change. But that only works if we change the Democratic Party and we are doing that. I'm not sure which blog I read this on but someone was writing about how if nothing else Doctor Dean was giving the party a spine transplant.

I am continuing to contribute to Dean. We must continue our campaign. I still think Dean will be the nominee and by this time next year be kiving in the White House. But even if we do not succeed in winning the nomination we must go to the convention with as many delegates as we can and an intact organization so we will be heard and respected.

[liberalmuse]

11. I want him to continue as he has been.

Truman and LBJ had tempers. Being 'angry' is not 'unpresidential', and right now, we need anger, not complacency. The shrub has a bad temper, but he's a two-faced sob who has the media's help in hiding his childish tantrums, and besides, he has been able to channel his anger by killing people. I mean, shit, 151 or so people extinguished in Texas alone? And that's before Iraq. There's something pathological about that.

I think Dean is doing fine, however, the press is going to be merciless on any Dem frontrunner and easy on shrub. He just needs to keep his chin up and not let the bastards get him down.

[cthrumatrix]

12. make it an issues campaign....let the voters decide

[mandyky]

13. kick

for the night shift

[Nazgul35]

14. Let Dean be Dean...

sorry Westwing!

I'm tired of having a pretend Democratic President!!!!