Dean: "I will support the nominee of our party"

[WilliamPitt]

He denounced any effort to support a third party non-Democrat. He made it as clear as glass.

WWHD?

What Will Howard Do?

Howard will support the nominee.

Period.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Right, Will. And I'll follow him there.

Now the only issue is, who will be the nominee?

I'm putting my money, but not my heart, on Kerry.

[Khephra]

2. And he's going to help take back Congress

by keeping the organization going.

:-)

(People were also talking about him as either head of the DNC or a talk show host earlier, both of which would be really interesting.)

[Lisa0825]

I hope he'll focus some of that energy on ousting Tom Delay.

I'm determined to do my part to do that, but it's going to take a lot of work and money, and Morrison could use a lot more of both!

3. excellent and not a surprise

period.
Exactly as you say.

[wyldwolf]

4. One possible option for Dean...

Find a state where his support is the strongest - run for the senate seat.

Imagine if his supporters could unleash their machine on a state level.

[JCMach1]

5. Reagan didn't give up in 1976 (yuck)

And look what happened 4 years later...

Dean will be back!

[BL_Zebub]

7. A very likely scenario

Assuming there's anything left to run for after 4 more years of Bush Jr and PNAC :evilfrown:

[xultar]

6. I love and respect Dean much more for backing the nominee! That is classy

I will admit that Clark pissed me off for backing Kerry. I think he did it cuz people are pushing him for a VeeP slot.

I don't think he should be VeeP. SOS or SOD but not VeeP.

Thanks Howard Dean for being a stand-up kinda guy!

[mdmc]

8. Gore / Dean 2012

God Bless You, Howard Dean!

[Raven]

9. That was a very good (and smart) thing for him to do.

The survival of this country is certainly more important than any individual's political future. Dean, like DK, will keep the movement going and that will most definately be bad for Bush.

[LuminousX]

10. And only Dean detractors assumed otherwise

But he does not speak for all his supporters. As he said before, his supporters may not be transferable. It wasn't a threat, it was a statement of fact that he was being supported by a wide variety of people who were coming to his campaign for a variety of reasons and may not feel comfortable supporting the eventual nominee. That's life.

This, however is Democratic Undergroud, so if some Dean supporters are choosing to depart the Democratic party at this time, good luck, but here is not the place to organize your efforts.

[The Magistrate]

11. Congratulations To Gov. Dean!

He has done the right thing.

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. I really like Dean

as an EX-candidate. He showed real class in his speech, although I'm kinda peeved that they cut him short on every channel.

[Blue_Roses]

13. My respect

for Dean just increased 10 fold!

Very sad, but I know he will continue to do great things with our party.

[flpoljunkie]

14. A classy exit from the race from Dr. Dean.

Clear as a bell.

Ralph Nader, are you listening?

[NicoleM]

15. He's said it a hundred times.

I don't know why anybody would be surprised by this.

[demnan]

17. I don't either

Dean always said he'd support the nominee, whoever that is.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

29. Agreed but I think he was saying this to his supporters more than to

the general population. He had made a few comments in the past that he didn't know how much his support in the primaries was transferrable. I think he was making less of a statement today than a request.

[unfrigginreal]

16. So? He has said this all along

Is this like a major revelation to you? Many Dean supporters wouldn't support third party efforts either, I include myself there, but I probably won't vote this year if Kerry is the nominee.

[DinahMoeHum]

18. He's encouraging his troops to work more locally. . .

and to take back the Democratic party from the bottom up.
District by district.

Thanx, Doc !!

:kick:

[onehandle]

19. Of course he will. Good Democrats stick together. nt

[Fleshdancer]

20. He has said this for a looooong time

this shouldn't be a suprise for anyone. Dean is a Democrat, plain and simple.

[Anwen]

21. That's what he's been saying all along.

I don't understand the all the confusion regarding that on this message board.

[arcos]

22. Yes he will, he ALWAYS said that...

even though several DUers, you included, had doubts about it.

[wryter2000]

23. Of course, he will

Anyone who said different has some kind of agenda.

[in_cog_ni_to]

24. But, in the meantime......

will he endorse Edwards? THAT is the question.

[Voltaire99]

25. He shouldn't endorse anyone

Dean vowed that his reform candidacy was about clearing out the cockroaches, did he not?

That was admirable. More admirable now would be withholding his endorsement and working to reform this broken, compromised party, fresh off three years of supporting the Bush agenda. Dean could lead that renaissance.

But it's hardly useful to reach out, energize and then, at the last, spring a fresh new load of the stinking status quo upon supporters who correctly see the need for change. That way lies disillusionment and a sour lesson for the young voter.

I hope Dean does the courageous - and not the obedient - thing.

"Period."

[Butterflies]

26. Good. That's sensible.

I hope his supporters are still listening to him.

[GreenPartyVoter]

27. Will Dean run for the senate?

[GumboYaYa]

28. Ahem, some of us knew this a long, long time ago, despite

all the protestations to the contrary.

[LynneSin]

30. I've the biggest Dean supporter and I'll support him in this too

ABB all the way baby, ABB

[Loki]

31. Thank you Dr. Dean

for waking up the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.