On the Road With Howard Dean

[UnapologeticLiberal]

Sam Hemingway, a writer for the Burlington Free Press, wrote an article about what it was like traveling with the Grassroots Express last week. I thought some of you might be interested, so here is the link:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/bfpnews/news/1000h.htm

[Cha]

1. I love that "Grassroot Express"!

It's gotta be! Steamrollin' into your town! We've got to gather Steam to roll over the bush cabal!

[Gloria]

2. The grass is growing out of the plane seats LOL cool AND helps

clean the crummy air on the plane.

Dean's reception reminds me of when I saw Al Gore here just before the 2002 elections....like a rock star. Since Gore has dropped out, Dean has inherited the enthusiasm of the hungry (politically). Can't help but think that Gore would have generated a similiar level of enthusiasm, considiering the "revenge" factor. It sure was there in 2002 here in NM.

The press on the plane seemed very happy. He said something "scared the hell out of me."--very natural. Remember how Bush "charmed" the press, which worked against Gore? Looks like Dean is doing OK on that score....so far.

Hemingway was just on the replay....said Dean never spoke this way when he was Gov. Always prepared texts, not off the cuff...he was sort of amazed.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

5. I don't think Gore could have generated that kind of enthusiasm

One major reason why the 2000 election was close enough to rig was that Gore DIDN'T generate a lot of enthusiasm among the base. I remember people saying that they really did not find either Bush or Gore appealing and that they felt like they were voting for the lesser of two evils when they were voting for Gore. I have seen Gore speak in person and he is more charismatic than on TV. But even though I think he was robbed in 2000 and a part of me said he deserved another chance, I am glad he is not running again, because I think we need someone new, someone who can inspire a lot of people and bring new voters into the system and have a base that is excited to vote for him and will give their heart and soul to the campaign. Many have said that the Republicans came out on top in 2000 and 2002 simply because they wanted it more, and their supporters were more passionate and dedicated, and I think that there is a lot of truth to that. So in 2004, we need someone who will get us fired up the way Bush has fired up his base, and I think Dean is the candidate most likely to do that. His ability to get crowds fired up and appeal to people who have never been interested in politics is a big part of the reason I decided to support him over Kerry, even though position-wise they are pretty similar and I agree more with Kerry on the death penalty and a few other issues. But from what i understand, Kerry's campaign is much more top-down and traditional, and when we have odds like this to overcome, we need some untraditional and new ways to reach people, and I really like the grassroots nature of Dean's campaign that gives a lot of influence to ordinary people and gives them a sense of empowerment.

[Larkspur]

7. If the Gore we saw in 2002 was campaigning today, he most likely would

have generated enthusiasm. A lot of progressives who didn't like Gore in 2000, were inspired by Gore's August 4, 2002 New York Times Op Ed Broken Promises and Political Deception, and of course, his much anticipated September 23, 2002 speech on Iraq and the War on Terrorism was greeted wildly by many anti-war progressives and moderates hungry for a statesman's approach on the subject. Gore was very passionate in that speech.

There was one point in the 2000 campaign where Gore said to his advisors that he wanted to get in touch with the average citizen more than he was. What Dean is doing today, is what Gore wanted to do in 2000, but his advisors scuttle a lot of that until the end when the election was very close. I think Dean learned from what Gore did right and wrong in the 2000 election as well as from his political models, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

[virtualobserver]

8. I think you are right.....

Gore listened to Mr. Shrum, who is currently being paid to give bad advice to Kerry.

[pansypoo53219]

3. never park the green bus.

i LOVE it.

[Abe Linkman]

4. That's fine, but don't expect much change from the status quo. See this.

http://www.counterpunch.org/jacobs08292003.html

[Evanstondem]

6. Dean's Views

Are these supposed to be reasons NOT to support Dean? This link seems to contain some insults wrapped around a bunch of views that I agree with.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

12. Indeed

written by one person who has "never voted for a presidential candidate", a Green, and someone who thinks Dean is "a privileged, arrogant, middle of the road republican." 'Nuff said. Move along.

[Nazgul35]

9. Did you all see Dean treat...

the flight attendent? She had swollen ancles that were really bad and he was giving he a free examination....than told the media to leave so he could give her a consultation...

little things like this matter, he also doesn't walk off with someone's sharpie...he's always remembering to give it back....doesn't remind me of someone who is trying to rip the people off...

This is not the only reason I support Dean but these are little things that come through...

[virtualobserver]

10. it was interesting seeing him relate to her as a doctor......

actually caring for her.

I liked it.

Dean will have so much more credibility on Health Care issues.

[Rose Siding]

11. The little things

It's amazing what kind of things especially touch each person or confirm a decision to support a candidate.

I read a post on another board. Someone had gone to one of the Dean rallies- interested but unconvinced. The Gov asked some of the people in front to lower the signs so those in the back could see. The poster said that he didn't think Bush would ever think of such a thing, called it an example of character and it firmed up his decision about Dean.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

13. I loved it

from the Cspan show yesterday on the Sleepless Summer Tour when that young-ish guy was interviewed, and said he was volunteering for Dean because many months ago at a small rally, Dean singled him out as the youngest person there. Dean approached him after his speech and asked him what someone his age was doing at a political rally so early in the season. He was so moved that Dean noticed that it was an abberation for a twenty-something to be involved, that he had begun volunteering. It is the little things that matter!

[He loved Big Brother]

15. So early in the season...

"Dean approached him after his speech and asked him what someone his age was doing at a political rally so early in the season."

This is the beauty of the internet, plain and simple. We're so apathetic now that it *is* almost an abberation for young people to be interested at all, let alone over a year before the election. I am 24, and I've read stats that show the percentage of young voters in the 50s and 60s compared to now is ghastly. Too much exposure to nothing but TV news, which I'm sure a lot of them truly believe is the equivilent of reading the newspaper. But if you watch any cable news channel long enough, you get the same stories looped, because they will report on very little of what is happening in the first place. After one filters out the celebrity junk and the commercial airtime, add in the fact that they loop the same stories over and over, one afternoon of cable news brings you about a booger's worth of real news. Meanwhile on the internet, you have a vast wealth of news sources from around the world being updated constantly, everything moves so much faster than cable news. So much is covered on the internet that I want to know about, it's hard not to get sucked in for a few hours when I sit down to check my email.

Still, there aren't nearly enough of the youth vote interested. Hopefully that changes a little over the next year. Though it is early in the campaign, I have been itching to get this show on the road since day one of the Bush misadministration.

[Egnever]

14. its these little stories

Time after time that come through and reafirm my belief that this is the guy for me!