Dean Called Rahm's 'Contempt' For Base 'Devastating And Incredibly Demoralizing'

[yurbud]

On Monday, Vice President Joseph Biden told a crowd of Democratic voters in New Hampshire that the "base constituency" had to "stop whining and get out there and look at the alternatives." The point, he argued, is that the legislative accomplishments of this administration were more motivational than a cause for discontent. On Tuesday, the president echoed the point in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, in which he was quoting as saying it was "inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election."

"People need to shake off this lethargy," he said. "People need to buck up,"

This week, Ari Berman of the Nation released his book "Herding Donkeys" that documents the growth of the modern Democratic Party from the nadir of the 2004 election through the triumph of 2008. The majority of the book looks at the efforts by former DNC Chairman Howard Dean to build a national network that could immunize the party from becoming either marginalized or regionalized. But the epilogue charts out how the style of Obama's governance drained the type of voter enthusiasm that, Dean acknowledges, was critical in those efforts.

"The White House began to believe that they could mobilize their supporters without hearing what their supporters really wanted in terms of specific change," Dean is quoted as saying. "The principal problem with OFA is the same one the president's having. You can't dictate to your base what's going to happen. It's got to be a two-way deal, and it hasn't been."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/28/dean-called-rahms-contemp_1_n_741942.html

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. I can't wait for Emmanuel to come down to Chicago with his fake ass Joe Pesci schtick. We have

real gangsters down here.

[Blue Owl]

4. "...What, am I some kinda clown?"

"Do I abuse -- er, AMUSE you?"

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. "Oh, oh, Anthony. He's a big boy, he knows what he said. What did ya say? Funny how?"

[ProSense]

2. Hmmm?

"Dean did not immediately return a request for comment about the most recent round of Obama-Biden statements."

Yeah, let's pull out old statement by Dean to give the impression that he disagrees with the President.

Howard Dean said recently that health care was real reform. Want to pull out his old statements about the bill?

[yurbud]

8. the observation is still valid

[ProSense]

14. Here's a point Dean expressed

last week.

Why? I doubt he approves of voter apathy.

[DevonRex]

12. You mean Dean has actually refused to comment on Biden's remarks, yet this OP implies otherwise?

Why am I not surprised?

[Tarheel_Dem]

33. The o.p. tried to pull a fast one. I mean, is this shit not transparent as hell?

We know what's being done here at DU, and I don't understand why it's allowed to continue. And the o.p. talks about "demoralizing"? How's that for irony?

[young but wise]

3. Gosh, why is it so BIG?

:spray: :rofl:

[vaberella]

5. Why are we even talking about this?! Rahm leaves this week. He's not worth our time.

We have more important things to focus on.

[DevonRex]

13. Plus, it's an old quote. nt

[yurbud]

28. Obama & Biden used the same stupid talking point this week.

[vaberella]

29. On this I agree with Rahm.

Dems aren't motivated. This isn't just a talking point. It's a fact. We have Feingold ready to lose a seat he shouldn't be losing. We have Dems on here and other places promoting Crist as the Dem candidate when our Dem candidate Meek was left floundering and not even viable. We have Palladino in New York actually getting a voice and having a rather high support group in the face of his racism. If that's not telling you that Dems are holding back or as some on this site would do..."punishing the Dem party" I don't know what will. People need to get motivated and wake up because we're losing good people. You run ahead on your anger and indignation---I'm seeing the reality of it in polls and even on posts on DU. So they have a point. I don't know if people are more upset because it's Rahm or because it's the truth.

Edited to add the title properly.

[impik]

6. The letters are too small for me. I can't read them

Enjoy Republican congress.

[Uzybone]

7. Pathetic...why the full court press for apathy?

this used to be a site that wanted progress...now the loudest mouths are all pushing this whiny self indulgent don't vote shit.

WTF?

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DevonRex]

11. That's what DU does. Cheer apathy and voting for a third party. nt

[yurbud]

15. who said don't vote? Though that is the net effect of all the ''stop whining'' shit

Insulting people is not the way to win them over.

[Uzybone]

16. Democrats have to win you over vs Republicans?

or are you considering voting 3rd party?

[yurbud]

17. is that the only level of participation you want in our democracy?

Multiple choice then shut up?

[Uzybone]

18. there are 3 choices in November

I'd sure like more...I'd love to see the Democratic party split up into a liberal party and a moderate party and both those parties form a government with conservatives as a small minority. But in the real world you have three choices, Democratic, GOP or wasted vote.

[RaleighNCDUer]

25. Prove to me that a progressive vote is NOT a wasted vote.

And don't start with that mandated insurance scheme as being representative of progressivism.

[Dawgs]

22. Uh, they were talking to the people that would consider not voting; not anyone else.

If you're voting for the Democrats next month then he wasn't talking to you.

[Perky]

19. Discount: Rahm and Howard have never played well together,

[yurbud]

26. Do you really think it's about personalities not strategy and underlying loyalties?

[Phx_Dem]

20. It's not the base Rahm has a problem with, it's the whiners.

Big difference.

[bornskeptic]

32. Dean didn't say ""the base." The poster made that up.

"I'm not looking to pick another fight with Rahm Emanuel, but the contempt with which he held the progressive wing of the party was devastating and incredibly demoralizing," Dean said.
The OP misquoted, and then strategically left out the actual comment.

[wisteria]

21. I really don't care what Dean has to say any longer.

His comments always seem to go against the Obama administration, get his base of supporters angry at the administration, and they benefit himself. He doesn't seem much like a Democrat any longer.

[Radical Activist]

23. Your use of an oversized font is what convinced me.

:eyes:

[AtomicKitten]

34. Me too. I'm a sucker for large font. nt

[CakeGrrl]

24. Sorry, not a good enough excuse to sit on one's ass and cry.

Sounds like Rahm has one foot out the door anyway, so what else is your point here?

[yurbud]

27. if his strategery leaves with him and he isn't replaced by more of the same, that's great news.

[krawhitham]

30. Dean is just pissed Rahm got the job he wanted

[JVS]

31. Why would Dean want to be part of the Obama administration?

[jefferson_dem]

35. Why would some in this thread want to be part of a "Democratic" online community?

All they do is stir up divisive bullshit.

[Greyhound]

36. K&R.

[marlakay]

37. the day they lost him the party went downhill

i hope rahm goes quick, the sooner the better.

[whathehell]

38. Yup...and btw, one can vote and STILL voice disagreement. Tough shit if they don't like it.

[harun]

41. Dean gets it, one of the few.

[glitch]

39. Dean can sure yank their chain can't he? Of course, that must make him a "whiner"

I guess "hater" no longer carries any weight.

I thought we were going to have adult dialogue when we got rid of Bush.

[BeyondGeography]

40. The Dean of Deflation...Like we really need this

Save it for later and shaddup for six more weeks, Howard. You can do it.