Dean: Democrats must paint Bush as radical

[onehandle]

Feb. 27, 2004  |  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Howard Dean, who failed to win a single Democratic primary contest before exiting the presidential race, says the only way his party can defeat President Bush is to stand strong for its principles and paint the Republican as a radical ideologue.

The former Vermont governor said the Democratic Party should "not paper over its differences with the most radical administration in our lifetime," according to remarks prepared for delivery Thursday to supporters in New Haven, Conn.

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/02/27/dean/index.html

[slinkerwink]

1. Dean's right as usual....

[tom_paine]

42. Yep. He sure is.

I was always a Clark supporter, but Dean was always my #2 choice...a close #2 who I would have happily worked for & donated after the nomination.

Dean "challenged the Matrix" which looks more and more Soviet every day. So did Clark.

Unfortunately, it is entirely clear that Clark was "taken out" with a well-timed strike. Admittedly, he gave them a reason with that mildly weird scream, but as I always say about the Busheviks, to think that he could have done something to stop it by not screaming is ludicruous.

They would have found something else to play so repeatedly I did think I was in the Soviet Union for awhile and Howard Dean was Leon Trotsky.

Kerry worries me for any number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that he is rapidly reverting to the old form of not standing up for himself aggressively and waffling.

If Dean were in Kerry's place and asked why he voted for the Iraq War Resolution, he would have likely said something like this,

"Well, yes Tim, I did vote for it. Of course, that was because I assumed that the intelligence I was being shown was accurate. Had I know it was a tissue of lies I would have voted differently."

(I also believe Clark would have responded similarly)

But Kerry is reverting now that Dean and Clark are gone and I worry. I also worry about how hard Kerry will fight once he gets it to rid the nation of it's Totalitarian Sub-Unit. These Bushevik Monsters, who owe their allegience not to America, but to their Imperial Masters, must be uprooted.

For that, we also need Moderate and non-Imperial True Republicans to step up and take back their Party. But we also need a Democratic President to understand the magnitude of the problem.

And I don't think Kerry does. Dean is right on the money, but will Kerry do what is necessary and go on the offensive as Dean and Clark would have?

So far, the answer seems to be the bad one.

[Merlin]

2. I don't like this headline. Bush IS a radical. Dems must point that out.

This sounds like we have to work at portraying him as such.

[aquart]

17. It makes it sound like we're lying.

I saved the article to my propaganda file. I know deliberate distortion when I see it.

[ixion]

37. exactly what I was thinking

no painting necessary. The kettle is already black, as it were.

[Just Me]

43. Agreed. Truth is that whole neocon CIA/oil/armament cabal is radical!

And, they are feakin' crazies, too!!!!

[John_H]

3. Dean is 100 % exactly right on the money.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[slinkerwink]

5. Dean is not endorsing Kerry---he will wait until the nominee is chosen

[Trajan]

6. Dean would be telling the truth ...

He IS extreme, and so are Delay and the rest of his bunch of fascist friends in the GOP ....

It is their goal to destroy the New Deal, Great Society government ... They are doing it by strangling its funding, and stuffing the money into their supporters pockets ...

They are extreme like no other: hammer'm ...

[buckeye1]

7. Dean needs to shut up.

No one wants advice from a loser.

[nini]

10. So, are you saying he is not right?

?

[buckeye1]

18. He lost!

Pissed away $40 million. Suckered so many fools. That is a fraud. What an asshole.

[slinkerwink]

21. lol.....this is also another repetition of your posts from GD2004

not very original again.....

[nini]

39. Answer my question.... is he wrong?

.

[Kagemusha]

11. I presume that's why his 'no victory' thing was in the first sentence

Because everyone likes a winner and we all hate losers, right?

Great statement about America, that.

No wonder we get stuck with presidents like Bush. No one except the president is given the right to attack the president on any issue because he's the only real winner of the winner take all system. Everyone else, in the entire country, is a loser, or, at least, a non-winner. So everything they say is disregarded as irrelevant, since they either aren't elected, or are, but have no real power.

Actually, thank you for your response. Your one-liner's taught me a few new things about life.

[legin]

14. I was looking at that first sentence too

a little gratuitous to put it mildly.

[maggrwaggr]

13. I'm glad we have these aleret buttons

Hopefully your hate-spewing won't last very long here.

Why do you hate Dean? He's trying to help.

Unless you're a republican, it doesn't make any sense

[slinkerwink]

15. lol----that's the same post you post on every Dean thread nowadays

not very original, eh?

[aquart]

19. Winners and losers is a Republican standard.

Democrats are a bit more inclusive, I hope.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

27. The only loser here is you. Sorry to see that some Dems (?) are thuggish.

Dean actually kicked the Democratic Party in the pants and gave a backbone to the Party. We all owe him a debt of gratitude, not derision because he dares to make sound suggestions.

If this anti-Dean stuff continues, I can guarantee you and others here that either Nader or no one will be getting the ex-Dean voters. So, if you want Kerry (who's old DLC establishment) to receive my vote, then how 'bout showing some respect to Dean and not trash-talking him.

Democratic Party = Big Tent Party. Remember???

JB

[Lars39]

29. I have stayed out of the candidate wars, but I'll say this:

Why in the hell should he slink back into a cave just because he withdrew as a candidate? I don't know who the hell you support, but as an observer of the candidate flame wars, I'm gd sick of the immaturity and bloodlust and backstabbing I've witnessed. The future of the fricken world is at stake and people whine about somebody participating to make a difference? Aim the invective at the POS and his coherts sitting in the WH !!!!

[bushwakker]

44. Wrong

Dean needs to keep fighting.

[Dedalus]

8. Attack by Association

Right. As much as it makes no sense to us, ad hominem attacks against Bush aren't going to win it for us automatically; we need to increase the level of (completely true) association between Bush and religious or otherwise far-right wack-jobs among the general population. The people who still like Bush like him not so much because they agree with far-right lunacy, but because they are ignorant of that lunacy and simply buy the crap about Bush being a "nice, regular guy." The best strategy is an all-out assault on the Right: constantly depict Bush as inseparable from Jerry Falwell, et al. Sure, this won't bother wack-jobs, but they can't win it on their own--they depend on the "uninformed center," which is where most people are, and those people actually are put off by the far right, they just don't pay enough attention to see Bush as part of it.

[chocolateeater]

38. Welcome to DU, Dedalus.

It is a good line of attack not only against Bush, but it also undercuts Nader's argument that there is no difference between The Democrats and Bush.

[Sinistrous]

9. Absolutely correct.

The rhythm of the Democratic message has to be: bush screwed up in *this* policy or program and it hurt you *this* way and the Democratic program or policy will be *this*, which will benefit your *this* way.

Certainly, the bush cabal has given us a wealth of issues with which to hammer them into the ground. Playing nicey-nice is a recipe for disaster.

However, I am concerned with Salon's insertion of the parenthetical "who failed to win a single Democratic primary contest before exiting the presidential race". Are they trying to marginalize anything that Gov. Dean says?

[w4rma]

33. Associated Press article, not Salon. (n/t)

[madfloridian]

12. Bush is more radical than we ever thought.

Dean is right on this issue.

[aquart]

16. I am so pissed off at that headline and opening paragraph. "PAINT"?!

What a completely derogatory and false description. How about "expose"? "Reveal"? Even "brand" is more truthful.

Paint covers up. Paint makes a different reality. Paint implies false.

[legin]

20. The slight problem is

I quite like the word 'radical'. For me it is a positive word, but then I probably couldn't be regarded as representative of the u.s. voting public.

There are other words, I'm sure, that mean the same sort of thing but which don't leave a positive taste in the mouth.

[legin]

23. And possibly

in the world that we are in now, 'the war on terrorism' etc, the word 'radical' might pick up some more positive qualities.

[Rich Hunt]

24. good point

What he should say is that Bush is an -extremist-.

Although, maybe 'radical' is appropriate, in that it means 'getting to the roots'. Bushco are naked imperialists with no apologies, so perhaps that is 'radical'.

[legin]

25. Unless, of course,

that they getting the public used to 'radical' before they move on to 'extremist' which would be cool.

[salin]

26. Reactionary

a scholarly man in the eighties refered to extreme on the left as radical, and extreme on the right as reactionary.

[legin]

28. Mmmmmm...

that adds an extra shade of meaning.

The problem with the word 'exstremist' is that it is probably not going to stick, all bush* has to do is turn up on TV and do his simple Texas home-boy act, which he is quite adept at, and it will drop away.

You got to use bush*'s percieved TV personna as a starting point for the words you try to attach to him.

[salin]

32. Am on a deadline (and have to get back to it...) but...

while I wasn't giving deep thought before (just added in - a term had heard bandied about toward the reagan era cabinet members - who were quite extreme at the time (but look almost moderate compared to these guys). But your point is well worth pondering.

Have often found there are ways to convey the essence of points in ways that gets folks who are rallied by the rhetoric - to step back... think... and then... *gasp* reconsider.

1988 campaign - talking with some reagan loving blue collar workers in redstate Indiana. The flag amendment came up... lots of support (using the one-line, one-dimensional points of the day). Instead of launching into first amendment rights (which is VERY legitimate)... took a very different tack: with disgust in my voice...

"You know what REALLY makes me mad... (pause for effect)... here you have an issue - that really isn't an issue... how many flags are burned and what do people do when it happens... generally folks shun the action, are turned off and the burner has accomplished nothing but self-alienation... so there isn't really an issue ther... BUT these guys in congress want to use HUGE amounts of tax payer dollars (do you know how much time in congress will get spent on this - then in each state - how much money will we spend in salaries on this issue)... on a superficial issue that makes them look like they are doing something... while we have REAL issues... these guys wave the flag - pretend they are doing something important... and ignore that we have a growing homeless problem... that we treat our vets like crap (and some are in that homeless population...)... *continued on with a few other issues*"

Suddenly... nods, agreement, comments like "I hadn't thought of it that way..." and so on. I just egged on the outrage at politicians (lots of folks relate) pretending to do something important - on an issue that really wont change much of anything - wasting our money - and ignoring the real issues we send them to congress to deal with.

While this place can be pretty conservative - there is a deep down moderate sensibility to most hoosiers (and I would guess elsewhere)... finding that point to connect can open all sorts of conversations.

With bush - if that right connect is hit - it should be so easy - I mean on most measures he and his team are SO off-the-scale not in terms of what they "say" (can sugar coat anything) but their actual policies.

You give me something to think about as I find the next brief period of procrastination... starting with bush's perceived tv persona... and working it from there... this is worth pondering ... *I am going to curse you at eleven pm when I am still working... b/c I spent a little too much time procrastinating thinking about this next angle '-) *

[legin]

48. Other reservations I have with 'radical'

It tends to be associated with people with high intelligence with loads of political savvy. Thomas Paine (?) I believe was a radical.

Also it is a political word, bush* and co tend to use human words that people can relate to easily, e.g. angry, bitter, waffler. So perhaps reckless instead of radical.

(had to take a time out myself too salin :-) )

[moondust]

35. I like "wacko".

And I think it fits.

[Just Me]

47. How's about a reckless imperialist who supports corporate dictatorship.

Moreover, the man has surrounded himself with ruthless, predatory barons who have proven to be skilled generators of pure fabrication in complete defiance of a society built upon democracy.

Good Lord, I could go on and on,...

Free Our Beloved Country
Destroy Military/Corporate Tyranny!!!
Fight Passionately for Democracy!!!

[alarcojon]

22. No Sh*t, Sherlock

Dean is absolutely right. Bush IS a radical.

[zara]

30. That's why I'll vote for Dean...

in the California Primary this coming Tuesday. I don't have strong preferences between the frontrunners K & E. But I do like the Dr., and want K & E to know that Dean supporters are still out here, and are still a bloc to be reckoned with.

[Festivito]

31. Rush to war, rush against gay marriage, he's a knee-jerk.

We need a thinking president that can think out a war before he strikes, wait for the inspections before he stops them, studies terrorist reports before quickly going on vacation, and remembers there will be a rebuilding before he destroys.

[sangh0]

34. Well, you can't argue with failure

It didn't work for Dean, so I guess it will work great for Kerry

[tinnypriv]

45. You mean Kerry *isn't* going to steal a Dean policy and slogan?

Color me surprised.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

36. Who needs to paint?

He's an anti-choice, anti-environment, global terrorist and a bigot to boot.

Isn't that radical enough?

[bobthedrummer]

40. 2 of the 4 Democrats in the Presidential candidate campaign

have called George W. Bush a LIAR! {Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich}

The simple truth IMO.

We need more of that, truth.

ABB.

[sangh0]

41. Make that 3 out of four

Dem Hopefuls Slam Bush After Tenet Comments
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,110602,00.html

"Today, we found out that George Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld (search), and the rest of the administration weren't passing on sound facts on Iraq to the American people," Kerry said in a statement. "They were playing politics with our national security."

Kerry has joined other Democratic critics in demanding an independent commission to investigate why some intelligence about Iraqi weapons development turned out to be wrong. But he expressed skepticism that a commission comprised of officials appointed by Bush would be impartial.

"We need to restore America's credibility around the world and the trust of the American people in their government at home," Kerry said. "That's not going to happen with a sham commission hand-picked by George Bush to look into how these faulty facts on Iraq made it to the American people."

AND WHAT DEAN HAD TO SAY

"Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (search) also criticized Bush and took a swipe at members of Congress who voted for the congressional resolution authorizing the war.

"Only our representatives in Congress had the power to stop this radical administration from its single-minded insistence on going to war," Dean said in a statement without naming Democratic rivals Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who voted for the resolution. "Instead, they gave the president a blank check."

Dean said Tenet's statement is proof that the march to war was based on "errors of political judgment and leadership" and renewed his call for a bipartisan commission to investigate the entire process that led to war. "

So while Kerry said that "Bush* misled", Dean called them "errors" by Tenet and then attacked the Democrats

That's how Dean plans on building the party; By attacking Democrats

[Gabysan]

46. Dean Deserves Our Support

I said this in another thread and I will say it again.


I was a Dean supporter 6 months ago, and I'm a Dean support today. The only way to get the Democratic party moving in the right direction is to continue to support Dean. Anything else is a sacrifice of principals. If Kerry wants our support, let him show he wants it, and let him show he is willing to earn it. Teresa Kerry was talking about the negative effects of WalMart on America which I agree with. At the same time she is talking about WalMart her trust owns over 1 million dollars in WalMart stock. I want a Democrat that cares about the American people. Not one that just says they do.