Going in to red states to rebuild started small...Dean was in Idaho, Montana, and Utah in 2005....

[madfloridian]

not long after he was elected. Back then we oohed and aaahed at the crowds he was drawing. It was a small beginning that led to the monster crowd today in St. Louis for Obama. The process has been ongoing since 2005, step by step.

One of his stops was Boise, Idaho. I have text from the article but the link is long dead. Howard Dean was welcomed there and given good press by local media.

From the Idaho Statesman in July 2005:

"Howard Dean was deep inside enemy territory Friday, delivering an optimistic speech in Boise's Julia Davis Park outlining a new Democratic strategy to break the Republican grip on national politics.

"Often blasted by Republicans for being inflammatory, Dean was even-toned Friday, though he did take a few shots at the Iraq war and what he called Bush's unwillingness to listen to anyone who doesn't agree with him. "He's the president of 51 percent of the people," he said. "He doesn't want to be president of (the people) who didn't vote for him."

Dean received a rousing ovation after his speech, and many long-suffering Democrats in the crowd were upbeat about the future of the party."

Photos by Darin Oswald / The Idaho Statesman

There was a great write-up at MyDD about that time by of all people, Jerome Armstrong, former Deaniac now sidetracked by the primary.

Montana, Idaho, Utah...

There were 450 in Montana for Dean's visit in 2005. Small steps.

Dean's been in the Western states, and being well recieved.

..."We will promise you a balanced budget, and we will get government out of people's lives," Dean said.

"Republicans say that they are a party of small government, just small enough to fit inside Terri Schiavo's bedroom," Dean said. "Republicans say they're in favor of small government, but they don't mind telling women what they can or cannot do with their health care.

"Whatever happened to the rugged individualism in the Republican Party?" Dean asked. "It is very much alive and well in the Democratic Party."

Preaching the message of rugged individualism there.

Utah next.

In Utah, the 285-seat auditorium overflowed, filling two other rooms with more than 500 total:

Dean drew some of his biggest applause by defining the Democratic position on abortion.

"I'm tired of Republicans telling us we're pro-abortion. I served on the board of Planned Parenthood for five years. I don't know anybody who's pro-abortion," he said. "Most people in this country would like to see the abortion rate go down. That includes Democrats and Republicans. The difference between the parties is that we believe a woman makes that decision about her health care -- and they believe Tom Delay makes it."

Going to Utah and speaking about choice. Way to go.

He also campaigned there for his cousin, Peter Corroon, Salt Lake County mayor.


CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR AND COME JOIN THE PARTY!!!!
Join special guest
Governor Howard Dean
Founder and Honorary Chair of Democracy for America
For a Party Building Reception Benefiting the Utah Democratic Party

Monday, January 3, 2005
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
The Spotted Frog Bookstore
1635 West Redstone Center Drive*
Park City, Utah

And from the MyDD article, more about Idaho.

In Idaho, 500 in Boise's Julia Davis Park:
"We didn't quite win in Idaho the last time, but we're not quitting," he said. "People say, 'Why'd you come here? This is a Republican state,' but they're wrong.
"This is a libertarian area. We're going to win on a Western platform next time."

The MyDD post doesn't mention other states, but in 2006 Dean was going door to door in North Carolina.



I remember Dean was mocked for these visits. He was accused of hiring staffers to stand around picking their nose.

"Yes, he's in trouble, in that campaign managers, candidates, are really angry with him. He has raised $74 million and spent $64 million. He says it's a long-term strategy. But what he has spent it on, apparently, is just hiring a bunch of staff people to wander around Utah and Mississippi and pick their nose. That's not how you build a party. You win elections. That's how you build a party."
- Paul Begala on Howard Dean and the DNC's 50 State Strategy,
CNN - May 11 2006

The crowds have grown immensely now, almost unbelievably so. I don't think we should forget that someone made a decision to go to those red states and fight....to make the Republicans spend their money on safe seats.

Dean won't get much credit down the road as the DC insiders are standing in line to claim credit. So I just say thank you to him for taking the ridicule graciously and just keeping on.

[msongs]

1. Amen for the Doctor, Howard Dean. No Dean ->no Obama nt

[madfloridian]

4. It took working in all the states.

Not necessarily winning, but building the party infrastructure.

[ClarkUSA]

8. Obama does not owe his existence in politics to anyone. His success is his own.

However, his community organizing background saw the intrinsic value of Dean's 50 state strategy when few Democratic
poobahs did (see the Clintons and their minions).

One could say that without Obama, Dean's 50 state strategy would not have been seen as a success because only Obama,
out of all the presidential candidates, had the resources, will, and nationwide grassroots support to pull it off. Not to
mention that of all the presidential candidates, only Obama - with his Saul Alinsky training - understood what Dean
was trying to accomplish because he had lived it coming out of Columbia University.

[dansolo]

10. There is synergy - they fed off each other

I wouldn't diminish either one's contributions. The credit doesn't need to go to just one person. Obama's role has been extremely important, and he will have enormous coattails, but Dean's contribution will be in his rebuilding the party where we are being competitive in downticket races all over the country. As the 90's proved, we need more than just the White House to effectively govern, and a significant majority in Congress will prevent the Republican from obstructing real progress.

[blm]

16. The Dem nominee was expected to win after Nov2006 cycle. Dems were ABLE to get their votes counted

and dominate that cycle thanks to state party infrastructures being strengthened and rebuilt from their collapsed state left by McAuliffe and previous chairs of the DNC.

Obama has shown great savvy in expanding on these newly rebuilt infrastructures, but he'd be in a much weaker position today if Dean and all of US who supported the 50 state strategy did not wrest control from the Clinton wing of the party who oversaw the collapse in the first place.

[WeDidIt]

2. The Good Doctor Saw What Needed Doin'

and he just went out there and did it.

Thanks for 2006 and 2008, Governor Dean. You had the prescription for success.

[madfloridian]

3. And he just kept on in the face of Dem's anger with him.

:hi:

[madfloridian]

5. Kick for starting moving into those red states a little bit at a time...

even while being ridiculed. And for making the GOP use its money to defend their once safe areas.

:kick:

[tbyg52]

6. Kick for Dr. Dean!

:kick:

[Occam Bandage]

7. Dean knew what he was doing, and I think we're only seeing the beginning of the benefits here.

I don't see a reason to cede a single voter to the Republicans. "Red state" is only a temporary state of affairs. If we had kept the play-defense strategy of the DLCers, we'd have stayed in the same all-our-eggs-in-FL/OH/PA basket that kept Bush in for two terms.

[madfloridian]

13. Good statement: "red state is only a temporary state of affairs"

Well said.

[WatchWhatISay]

25. Good statement:: "we'd have stayed int the same all-our eggs in FL/OH/PA basket

that kept Bush in for two terms"

Again, well said.

[Mz Pip]

9. I remember Dean explaining

explaining the strategy quite well. He said that we had to ask people for their votes. We might not get them but we need to show that we care enough to ask.

This election has relied so much on personal contact. Obama's ground game is magnificent. Going door to door, engaging people in conversation, showing a knowledge of the issues that are important to them; all of this personalizes a campaign. That personal touch counts for a lot. People think, "Well, at least they were willing to talk to me. Maybe I can consider what they say."

[ooglymoogly]

11. I love your posts because they always have this good mans back. nt kr

[madfloridian]

20. Always.

He's been working hard for 4 years now without much attention. :hi:

[gemlake]

12. Another example of the Dean approach in MO:

Obama and Biden campaigning in southern Missouri. Democrats running for statewide office used to focus exclusively on the I-70 corridor--St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City. Obama has gone after the entire state. He held a townhall in Springfield in July. Biden was in Jefferson City (much more conservative than Columbia) and Springfield, among other Missouri towns, last week. Jill Biden will be going to several smaller Missouri towns this week. The popular candidate for Governor, Jay Nixon, shares the same philosophy, which may also help Obama.

[madfloridian]

14. It is amazing the reception Obama is getting there in MO

We may not win some of those areas, but we will have been able to say we made a difference. They knew Democrats had been there.

[progressoid]

15. Love kicking a Madfloridian post!

[madfloridian]

17. And....

I do love it when you kick a post I wrote. This thing disappeared overnight.

:hi:

[Cha]

18. Rec'd~ Dean has won the longevity

war..he was right..they were so very Wrong.

We knew he was right, too. dlcers wanted to protect their enclave but guess what?

[madfloridian]

19. yep.

[kaygore]

21. Thank you, Dr. Dean, and thank you, Madfloridian

[defendandprotect]

22. BLESS HOWARD DEAN . . . for his dedication to this nation . . .

and his dedication to trying to resurrect the Democratic Party which the DLC has taken down
with the able assistance of corporate power --

[madfloridian]

23. Agreed. He has lived on the road working for the goals he set.

:hi:

[droidamus2]

24. Both

I think Howard Dean gets all the credit for the 50 state strategy and Obama gets the credit for the tactics he has employed in implementing his part of it. The 50 state strategy always made sense on a number of levels. First, you at least have a presence in each state and can effect lower level races. Second, you may not change the minds of the die hard Republicans but you can expose their kids and independents to your message. Lastly, specifically during a Presidential election you open up the chance that you can make the other party expend money in places where they don't want to and that is where Obama comes in. Obama and his staff have skillfully built a grass roots organization by going after the young voters, the minority voters and new voters and getting them excited and active in each state. They have done an excellent job in using the internet and other resources to raise money in small amounts from many voters instead of just from the fatcats. They have done a good job of solidifying their base in the North East and West Coast which has allowed them to fight the Republicans on their 'own turf' in the South and in come cases like Michigan cede the rust belt to the Democrats.

Since Nixon the Republicans have used what is called the Southern Strategy which simply put is that if they could lock up the south including Texas and Florida and then pick off a few of the rust belt states with large numbers of electoral votes they could win. Obama is on the verge of cracking that strategy by possibly taking Florida, Virginia and North Carolina and who knows maybe a couple of more. This is big because if he can pull it off twice the Republicans are going to have to totally reanalyze (if Republicans are capable of real analysis) their whole strategy.

[WatchWhatISay]

28. Remember that even in '04 people here were saying that we neeed a candidate from the south

as our nominee. Would anyone then have believed that someone from a northern state of mixed race would be able to pull this off?

I also remember when Dean said he wouldn't run in '04, how disappointed I was. Until he later said that running for party chair was more important, because until our party was fixed (he must have meant instituting his 50 state strategy), that no Dem had much of a chance of winning the presidency. I knew he was right, and it helped me get over the fact that he wouldn't run again.

[BrklynLiberal]

26. I hope that one of the first things that Obama and the filibuster proof Congress does is issue some

sort of Thank You!! message to Howard Dean. It could not have been done as well with out the foundation that Dr. Dean laid for them.

[PVnRT]

27. Bush is an awful president, but Dean made the party smart enough to exploit it properly

I'm glad we're hearing about presidential campaigning in states like North Carolina, Indiana, and the like this year. Four years ago, that was unthinkable, and if the same insiders were in charge of the party now, would still be.

[WatchWhatISay]

29. Well, I think Dean was chairman 4 years ago

but hadn't had enough time to fully institute the strategy yet.

[madfloridian]

30. Became chair in Feb. 2005.

.