Dean's Challenge: Turn Enthusiasm into Votes

[Khephra]

Howard Dean was barely a minute into his remarks before about 70 voters in a hot and muggy backyard near here on Saturday when Kathy Cain, a professor of English, started yelling her approval.

"Yes, yes!" she cried when Dr. Dean, a former governor of Vermont, expressed dismay at the Democratic loss in the 2000 presidential race. When Dr. Dean declared, "Democrats are almost as angry at the Democratic Party as they are at the Republican Party," Mrs. Cain shouted in agreement again.

But as Dr. Dean headed for his van, Mrs. Cain said that as much as she admired Dr. Dean, she disliked President Bush even more. She said that she would like to vote for Dr. Dean, but that she would not if she concluded he was not her party's strongest challenger to Mr. Bush.

"He probably represents my political views more than any other candidate, but I'm still a little concerned about his electability," Mrs. Cain said. "My main concern is that we get Bush out of office."

more........................

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/07/politics/campaigns/07ELEC.html?ex=1058155200&en=b14e82f828e1a86a&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[Eloriel]

1. This is so annoying

Here are people who bought the damned Repug spin early on. I have NEVER seen any credible support offered here at DU or anywhere else for the "unelectable" charge. In fact, the truth is that the Repugs started early on him precisely BECAUSE they knew he was electable.

And yet -- people bought it, some of them anyway, and it's keeping them from wholehearted support. Very annoying.

Eloriel

[Athame]

2. I hear that more often about Kucinich

Though I am leaning strongly toward Dean at this point, a woman in a Peace activists group I attended yesterday was wearing a large Kucinich button (as many of the peace people are around here) and she said that people keep telling her, "He's unelectable." She said something I will remember, "He's not unelectable if Iwork to get him elected, and that's what I am doing! You want to join me?" It's the attitude that will work. I am not so naive as to think that Kucinich has a good chance by all previous conventional wisdom, but I do believe it is not only the Republicans who are fooled by their own publicity. The Democrats have bought into the line of shrub* being a "popular president"!

[LuminousX]

3. Hot Dog!

"He's not unelectable if I work to get him elected, and that's what I am doing! You want to join me?"

That is exactly the attitude we need!

[wtmusic]

4. I guess you're 'unelectable'

unless you've been in Washington for the last 40 years.

Does that really have to be disproven again?

[sangh0]

5. Why Dean is "unelectable"

I put the word in quotes because I don't think Dean is unelectable. I think he has a long hard road to travel, but I don't think he is unelectable.

Bascially, Dean doens't have the political "connections" that most any candidate needs to win a Presidential election. Many may not realize it, but though Clinton was unknown to most Americans when he first began to seek the Presidency, he was not unknown to the other politicians or the leaders of the various groups that support the Democratic Party. Clinton had connections to labor, civil rights groups, etc. Dean does not.

This doesn't mean that Dean can't win. However, it is one more hurdle for Dean, and it is a big one. Other candidates have chits with these organizations, groups, and politicians. Dean does not.