Why triple-talented Dean spells trouble for Republicans

[ProudToBeLiberal]

Monday, February 21, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 a.m.

Why triple-talented Dean spells trouble for Republicans

By Reed Davis

Special to The Times

Guest columnist
NOW that Howard Dean has ascended to the chairmanship of the Democrat National Committee, Republicans are high-fiving one another with such mad glee that you'd think Democrats had just nominated Dennis Kucinich to run in 2008. The GOP needs to sit back down, recork the champagne and get back to work. Whether they know it or not, Republicans need to understand that Dean spells trouble for the Republican Party. Big trouble.

Republicans may think that the nomination of Dean is hysterically funny — a scream, in fact, as George Will recently put it — but they are deluding themselves if they think Dean is nothing more than a wild-eyed ideologue with a temper and a cult following.

Dean brings three talents to the chairmanship that can potentially sink not just a GOP presidential candidate in 2008 but the Republican-controlled House and maybe even the Senate well before then.

First, he's a fund-raiser par excellence. Lest we Republicans forget, not only did Howard Dean set records for fund raising, he set them in one of the most imaginative, difficult and unorthodox ways imaginable — namely, through the Internet. And remember, he set those records not by initially tapping the big-money crowd but by combing through the grass roots for nickels and dimes.

more at...http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002185662_reed21.html

[cascadiance]

1. And this article from someone who just ran as a Republican...

My guess is that the real insiders, not the right wing bloggers and other right wing sycophants are doing exactly what this article says they should do. Quake in their boots! They're trying to avoid giving any credit to Dean's nomination as much as possible, but they *know* he's going to kick their ass soon if they're not careful or even if they're careful!

[FreedomAngel82]

11. I think they

should enjoy laughing now. Dean will surprise people I think. He's already doing a good start. I can't wait to see what happens in 2006.

[mandyky]

13. Due to Dean Dozen Richard Morrison

Bugs DeLay had to actually work and **gasp** SPEND MONEY to defend his seat. Maybe Morrison will run again!!! LOL

[madfloridian]

17. I still get email updates from Morrison.

I doubt he is going away.

[mandyky]

22. Good to know!

Who are we running against Hastert? I heard rumors, but no name...

[Goldeneye]

2. Dang. I want them to keep ignoring Dean.

Let them think he's another pathetic liberal joke. We need the head start.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. Knowing how they have

"big heads" they probably will ignore him and then they'll be surprised and wonder what got them with him. They think they're full of power and unstobble. I think Dean could be our hope and hope so.

[s1rkull]

16. Most will dismiss him

But this could actually work against us just as easily as it could for us. The mainstream media sets the topic of the national conversation as well as the tone of conversation. Howard Dean didn't get the nod in the primaries because the media didn't WANT him to get the nod, plain and simple. Unfortunately the vast majority of the people believe whatever is said and written by the MSM, so no matter how effective Dean is or how the Republicans view him is largely inconsequential. The media is largely responsible for who succeeds and fails, and they clearly endorse politicians who are looking out for the "big guy". In my opinion nothing short of an information revolution will change that.

[JNelson6563]

21. It's different this time

I think the r&f Dems have learned something and are no longer so willing to do as the MSM tells them they should.

Julie

[Glenda]

3. Howard Dean is the one person who consistently gives us hope n/t

[peacetalksforall]

4. It is up to us to not let them to continue attacking the man instead of

the issues. Write, call in, specify the person who does it and if someone has the time and the stomach to listen to and watch MSM, start keeping a record of the personal attacks from the Krauthammers and all the rest of them. They will not give up on his character.

They assassinated the characters of the Clintons, Gores, and Kerry's.

It is up to us to make sure we acquaint all our friends and family about their stealth politics of destruction. They specify way too much time doing this under the guise of news.

They must be exposed and criticized because those rare appearances by reppresentatives on the left do not concentrate on character - these representatives address issues. There is no balance. We can expose the character of Bush and Cheney on these forums, but these forums are not the MSM we are addressing. These forums are not giant corporations who are stealing this country blind. None of these forums outsource or hide their $$$ in little banks on little islands in the South Pacific, Caribbean, or the Indian Ocean.

Please, if someone has the time - please record the instances. The data can be compiled and thrown back at them.

It is time to end their character assassinations starting with Dean!

Also, someone please resurrect the story of the scream - it was said that the microphones of the audience can be cut off when broadcasting and that is what happened - I read that his 'scream' was in direct proportion to the audience. We should know for sure. Was anyone there? We have to stop them on this scream crap.

Don't let the 'gore' Dean.

[lojasmo]

5. The "scream" was unhearable in person. EOM

[Dr Fate]

14. The Scream is GOOD. He is a PARTISAN Cheerleader, not a candidate!!!

He is a rally-master now- they are SUPPOSED to scream and be enthusiastic- he's an openly-partisan cheer-leader & FUNDRAISER!!!

The GOP/media does not get it- the scream is either GOOD or at least means absolutely nothing.

[Voltaire]

6. I was there

And did not hear or remember the scream the next day. And I was only 6 feet away from him when it happened.

[XemaSab]

7. I was there

and the audience was making so much noise you couldn't hear "the scream" at all. 2000 screaming deanies make a lot of noise. There are links online.

Here's one...scroll down to the second set of links...

http://www.valuejudgment.org/archives/000441.html

[peacetalksforall]

8. So what can be done about MSM who used technology for

political and character assassination.

Fiddle with the sound lines and make a big deal out of it forever.

We must keep telling people that it was technology. It probably wasn't even planned, but after it happened they committed the equivalent of a lie and a theft.

[car54whereareyou]

18. Howard's revenge

Perhaps his only chance to take on the msm is as head of the DNC. I hope he takes them on, someone has to have the balls to do it. He needs to speak up about Gannongate, for one thing.

[NYCGirl]

19. Actually, part of his job is to work with the media, not take them on.

He has to work hard to get out the message, and without the media, there's no chance of that.

And Gannongate is not something he should be concerning himself with now. His job's to get the party back on its feet.

[peacetalksforall]

24. I think we should take care of the MSM character assassination of

Howard Dean by not letting them get away with it - everytime someone reads something broadcast it to the others so that some letter writing and call ins can be educated.

I agree, let us pursue the Gannon thing. Let him address the issues that relate to saving the country. When the Gannon thing goes to the next phase of revelations, it may take care of itself (but we whould not let it die). Then, plus now, we need to spend more time on the save the cuontry issues.

[NYCGirl]

25. Read this post from MadFlor and see how Dean is brilliantly dealing

with what's said about him. Just the right words!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1615664

[car54whereareyou]

27. Kissing the media's ass is as thankless a job as there is

and would be of little or no practical value for our party or our country. The only effective approach in the real world of msm is the promise of more money and power. Cynic that I am, I believe our only hope is to expose the pervasive corruption in the msm. Howard can do that better than anyone.

[FreedomAngel82]

15. What a great video

I enjoyed the video. Goosebumps. Another thing about Dean is he knows how to rally up people and get them excited. :) I think that's one reason he's going to be a successful DNC chairman. And I agree about what he said about the media. It is dangerous and we're seeing that today.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

9. kick nt

[mandyky]

10. As a Deaniac - my favorite part

<snip>

Well, maybe so, but that's not the secret to Dean's charisma or his recent DNC election. Dean's appeal doesn't lie primarily in the fact that he's a great speaker (although he is) but in the fact that he's a great listener.

Grass-roots activists in both parties have been so starved for attention and support during the past 20 years that they will flock to the first person who promises to listen and do what he can to support them.

And that, more than anything else, was the message that Dean took to the party faithful in his campaign for the party chairmanship: He's there for them, not for the insiders, not for the professionals, and certainly not for the consultants. Dean will be there for the hardworking activists who make up the rank and file.

Contrast this to the state of the Republican base right now. No less a figure than Rush Limbaugh is warning the president that he faces a mutiny if he and the Republican Congress don't control spending and protect the borders, the two top concerns of the GOP rank and file.

In fact, if Republican leadership fails here, the GOP will have bigger problems than Howard Dean.

Now more than ever, the Republican Party needs to toss its heavy-handed, top-down management style overboard and rejuvenate its grass-roots parties. Howard Dean already has.

</snip>

I remember thinking during Clinton re-election 1996 and Gore 2000 why the heck these people could not use the WWW to better advatage than they did. In 1996, I'd been online for 2 years, and as much as Clinton and Gore both talked about the "Information Super Highway" they did nothing to utilize it.

Dean and Kucinich were the first in ages to use the grassroots activism to their advantage.

[CWebster]

20. There is only one thing that can potentially sink Dean

A DLC Candidate he will have to muster enthusiasm from the grassroots for.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

23. I think we all trust Dean and his judgement

whether if we disagree or not.

[Arkana]

26. By all means, wingnuts, keep bashing Dean

and let us outpace you in '06 and '08 while you continue to harp over "The Scream".