Taking this moment to thank Howard Dean

Firespirit

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Tue Feb-19-08 04:43 PM
Original message

Taking this moment to thank Howard Dean

OK, I'm taking a timeout to look at where we are, and how we got here. Yes there is division, vitriol, threats, and flaming... but it's primary season, and a very exciting one at that. And in spite of all the venom between the factions, I think it's fair to say that we are in a good position. We have many to thank for this, but one idea has been the driving force. That would be Howard Dean's 50 state strategy.

Consider where we might be if we had continued our failed policy of the past.

Well, for starters, I don't think we would control the Senate. We would have run a voting machine company lobbyist (of all things) against George Allen, and the Macaca incident would not have occurred because there would be no youthful campaign worker tailing him at his speeches. There's a fair chance that we would not have properly contested Montana either. I know -- it's been a disappointment. However, the fact remains that we do control the committees, and this is not a trivial matter.

But more importantly, Dean's strategy of competing everywhere, in every race, and revitalizing state and local infrastructures, has made and will make a real difference to people if we can keep it up. We have more Democratic governors, which is by no means trivial. Look at Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour's praise of Bush and looting of the coast in the wake of Katrina, and contrast that with Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius's initiative to rebuild the tornado-ravaged town of Greensburg as an environmentally friendly community. And for a state government that we actually elected in 2006, look to Ohio. Instead of a corrupt election thief, we have a respectable man, and in the position formerly held by said election thief, we have a Secretary of State who has actually investigated 2004. State positions matter!

The strategy has made states competitive for us that otherwise would not have been. We threw out the corrupt election-thieving GOP machine in Ohio, making that state a good candidate for a switch, and we can now devote more time to actually getting out the vote there. We can look at states like Colorado, Nevada, and Virginia as being serious swing state opportunities.

Speaking of Virginia, if not for Dr. Dean's strategy, we might well be facing GOP presumptive nominee, Sen. George Allen, coming off a 60% win and untainted by revelations of racism. And as bad as McCain is, Allen would have been worse. By getting rid of the most racist and misogynist presidential wannabe before he could even launch a campaign, we've now effectively painted the GOP into a corner. Their candidate will not attack our nominee on the basis of race or sex, and will not condone it from others (I do believe that of McCain), so anyone on their side who tries it will be denied that air of legitimacy that they would otherwise have had if their own nominee said it -- and don't kid yourself that there wouldn't have been any media-designated legitimacy to it. The media will fabricate a "national debate" over any crap spewed by the Republicans, no matter how vile it may be. Remember swiftboating? Indeed McCain is the strongest candidate they could offer... but he is still a weak candidate because he sides with Bush on the issues that matter most to Americans, Iraq and the economy. People just don't know this yet; that is why he polls well. We have the opportunity to expose his "maverick" persona for the colossal lie it is.

The GOP shot itself in the foot in 2005 and 2006. But in spite of that, if we hadn't contested everywhere, and given voters a real alternative, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference. We'd be looking at a far more hostile Congress, and there would have been no Blue Wave of 2006 to create momentum for the party. If we hadn't contested everywhere in 2006, the scandals still would have happened, and right now being a Democrat would be seen as something vaguely pathetic, belonging to a party that couldn't defeat child molesters and indicted criminals. Instead, it is cool to be a Democrat again, and the massive turnout just confirms it.

We have Dean to thank for this.

THANK YOU DR. DEAN!

:patriot: :kick: