Why still support Dean? Electability PLUS Integrity.

[stickdog]

1) Dean’s record uniquely positions him as the strongest candidate in the Democratic field. The worst failings of the Bush Administration are the Iraq disaster, the out-of-control budget deficits, the ever-worsening healthcare crisis and the historic loss of jobs. On all four of these points, Howard Dean has the record to prove he can deliver results and not just promises. Dean is strongest against Bush where Kerry is weakest:

Bush’s insane Iraq War
Bush’s and Congress’ deficit spending
Bush’s and Congress’ indefensible refusal to address America’s healthcare crisis
The record-breaking millions of American jobs lost during Bush’s maladministration.

2) Dean’s personal integrity and the integrity of his campaign fund-raising represent a fundamental change from the way Washington insiders handle business today. The Democratic Party’s and other Democratic Candidates’ PACs spent over $150 Million in the first nine months of 2003 alone. This soft money was largely financed by the same corporate interests these candidates now assure us they’ll fight against. In contrast, Dean has broken all grassroots fund-raising records using $100 donations from regular Americans. Which candidate do you think will really stand up against special interests? With Howard Dean, we don't have to sacrifice integrity for electability.

3) You can trust Dean to do the right thing going forward because he stood up for what was right long before it was the thing to do. With gay rights. With Iraq. With the Bush's "popular" tax cuts for the rich. With the Medicare boondoggle. With universal healthcare for his state.

4) Dean's a fighter who has HEART. It's not anger -- it's the passion to fight for the underdog, to stop the Republicorporate attack on the middle class, to put the livelihood of Americans ahead of billionaires' portfolios and megacorporations' profit margins, to create new jobs by giving small American businesses a helping hand, to restore common sense and morality to our dealings with other countries and to stop the political scaremongering and actually DO something constructive and Constitutional to make America safer. It's the strength we're going to need to overcome the special interests and Republican roadblocks to universal healthcare, fair taxation, corporate reform, renewable energy and environmental protections. Finally, it's the passion we'll need to stand up to Bush's 200 million dollar political destruction machine and send the boy king home crying.

5) Dean tells us the truth. He isn't afraid to bluntly state that the emperor has no clothes. He's not afraid to tackle the "too hot" issues of 2000 election, the 9/11 commission stonewall, Iraq, the Patriot Act, the anthrax attack, the hugely irresponsible government growth under Bush, the ridiculous tax giveaways for the rich and even the regressive nature of FICA.

6) Dean doesn't make a bunch of promises he can't keep. He doesn't give everything away to special interests while increasing government spending and trying to bribe everyone with a few hundred dollars in tax cuts. He doesn't govern based on the whims of polls and pure, selfish political expediency. He governs responsibly, for today and for the future.

7) Dean's done it. He's won every election he's ever been in handily. He's brought affordable healthcare to Vermonters. He's reduced child abuse, protected the environment and created jobs all while balancing the budget every year.

8) Dean's already been vetted, and his supposed weaknesses are now all old news. Because Dean's clean, and despite everything they've thrown at him, the only thing they've gotten to stick is that he CARES TOO MUCH about his country.

"Anger" = "Passion"

"Can't Beat Bush" = "Can Legitimately Criticize All of Bush's Worst Failings"

Think another boring, corporate financed, media selected, business-as-usual elite DC insider is the best America can do? THINK AGAIN!

[SheilaT]

1. Thanks for posting this.

I'm watching the mad rush to Kerry with increasing despair. He's the wrong man. I know I'm going to get attacked for that, but it's still true.

It was Dean, not Kerry who denounced the war from the start. Dean, not Kerry, has balanced budgets. Dean, not Kerry, is the all time most amazing fund raiser ever. Dean, not Kerry has inspired thousands of first time donates and activists.

[napi21]

3. I agree!

I'm still supporting Howard! I sent him some $$ yesterday, and I hope some of the attacks on Kerry in the last few days will make people realize that he isn't the shoe in they think he is.

Cross your fingers for tomorrow!

[Clark Can WIN]

10. Question is, where do we all go?

When we are no longer allowed to criticize the chosen one?

Doesn't seem like a very progressive media then does it?

[hedda_foil]

2. And to these I would add JUDGEMENT.

Of course these are the issues to RUN on. But Dean not only recognized and spoke out strongly on these issues from the onset, long before the focus grouped consultantants told the other candidates they had to do it too. But he OWNS these issues. He believes in them. He has fought for them. He has a STRONG record on them and he has proven that he can and will take on Bush on our turf, because he already has and Bush is faltering for it.

Any other candidate will breathe a sigh of relief upon winning the nomination and quickly back off to the wishy-washy pseudo "centrist" consultant-defined muddled "middle" ... a middle which is totally irrelevant to the majority of Americans, and which will fail to bring in the voters needed to change the White House, House and Senate. Dean can do it because of his integrity, sincerity and record and incredible JUDGEMENT.

[napi21]

7. You're right on most, but not all.

I don't think the Dem nominee, whoever it is, will lose voters this time. The loss of jobs to outsourcing, the obvious pandering to the Big Business community, and the scandals that are just beginning to surface, have enraged a lot of people. It may be a vote against GWB, not necessarily for the Dem candidate, but I really believe it's there!

I don't know if Russert is going to be his normal self, or play a little hard ball on Sunday, but if he plays even a little, shrub is going to burry himself. I still can't believe he can't seem to put 5 words together qand create a decent sentence!

[Lugnut]

15. Hi napi21!

Welcome to DU. :hi:

Sorry to burst your bubble but MTP is being taped in the White House tomorrow. If Shrub flips out or screws up NBC will fix it for airing on Sunday. There is NO WAY his handlers will allow him to do a one hour live interview.

[janx]

4. The American thing to do is to vote for Dean.

He is, was, always has been, and will continue to be the best leader for the American people.

He is not afraid, and I am not afraid. Are you?

[Straight Shooter]

5. And I will add the Courage of His Convictions

Once he decides an issue in his heart and mind, he speaks it and he stands by it. When I first heard him, and listened to the crap that everyone was flinging at him, and still he took it and stood his ground, I knew this was the man I wanted to represent me, as an American, to the world.

Dean will always take responsibility for his actions, and he will make it clear where he stands.

And as for Iowa, "scream," my a**. That was a Rebel Yell!

[ozone_man]

6. Excellent summary.

Dean is the best choice for all of your well stated reasons. I still think that Dean may make a comeback. We are still in the early stages of the primary season and things can change quickly.

Shouldn't that last line read "Can't Beat Bush" = "Can Legitimately Criticize Bush"?

[napi21]

8. i've done everything I can.

I've donated money I really don't have, I've been interviewed by the local paper, gone to meetups, sent letters, made phone calls, and promoted Howard to everyone I know.

All we can do now is hope the voters in the states that matter have heard the message.

[Casablanca]

22. Good for you. You'll have peace of mind no matter what happens. nt

[ozone_man]

23. There is still hope that the truth

will make it out to voters in a way that they can process it. The media obstructions make this almost impossible, but I'm not giving up until the end. And then at the end, there will be another quest no doubt.

[Virgil]

14. It is going to be hard to beat the establishment

People do not know who Dean is. I just do not see how he can beat the insiders he set out to replace. I wish him luck because the insiders like Kerry and Edwards were failures in stopping everything that has happened. I thought the Peter Principle said people would rise to their level of incompetence. But now we are ask to promote the incompetent to the highest job in the world.

I wish someone could show the Democratic Party that failure will not be rewarded no matter how many recommendations the establishment throw out to the chosen. I just do not see how it can be done. It wasn't Bush the Puppet that took the Republicans to office, it was the machine behind him.

But I will say that you guys got one good education in politics. I will say that corruption is the biggest issue in regards to our government. The media situation and failure was created on purpose. We have seen that the hardest thing to find is the truth. That will not change with a new president. It may come with people gaining a political education and teaching others. Your candidate may lose, but you and the country have gained much.

[stickdog]

21. Yes, we are getting an education. Let's hope we learn quickly before we

have to report for re-education.

[Casablanca]

24. Don't give in to cynicism. At least people know that Dean exists.

There is a window of opportunity because the costs of insider politics has gotten so high for so many people. It isn't something that can be rationalized or abstracted away anymore. People are seeing their jobs moving to India and people are talking about the transfer tubes coming back from Iraq.

Of course, the power of denial is still very much in effect among many Americans, but when the establishment has to throw an election to the SCOTUS to get their guy in by the skin of his teeth and build a huge media echo box to quell dissent over it, it's not a position of strength. And that really was their finest hour as far as having the electorate behind them.

Just imagine how hard it will be for the media to control President Dean's message. The last thing they want is to have to cover him 24/7. He may have his overstatements, but the raw, unvarnished truth comes out of his mouth way too often for him to be anything but devastating for their cause.

[Clark Can WIN]

9. We have gone our rounds

but I have come to realize, we have so much more in common than not.

We are on the outside, we are the grassroots, WE BELIEVE !

uckFay the ediaMay!

[stickdog]

12. Yes. That realization has dawned on me as well.

Clark has overstepped the boundaries of what the media considers acceptable criticism in order to tell the truth about Bush.

And he, as well as Dean and Kucinich, have payed dearly for exposing Bush's badministration.

[nofurylike]

13. thank you for that kindness

[nofurylike]

11. Thank you, stickdog, for posting this, the work of it!

and thanks to those who replied so positively. i heartily agree!

i needed this. you have cheered me. the twisting media is exhausting!

whatever happens tomorrow, know that Dean is going strong, and keep on for him. his people broke a major funding record yesterday, and this was written in a message i got from a Dean volunteer:
"Yesterday, one-third of the financial contributors to Dean for
America before 4PM were NEW DONORS!!"

over 10,000 new supporters that day.

KEEP ON!!


peace!

[Anwen]

16. Thanks Stickdog...

I have always enjoyed reading your thoughtful posts. :)

You just summed up every reason why I'm a Dean supporter until the end. I don't see the genuine passion or candor in any of the other candidates. And I couldn't agree more with your statement: "Can't Beat Bush" = "Can Legitimately Criticize All of Bush's Worst Failings"

Dean is most definitely electable, and he is exactly what this country needs.

[milkyway]

17. Great post, Stickdog. Here's my additions...

--Dean is a leader, not a follower. It amazes me how the Democratic Party refuses to understand what people look for when voting for a President. They are not voting for a set of policy positions. They want someone they see as a strong leader, even if they don't necessarily agree with his positions on the issues. Yet the Dems keep nominating guys that are seen as flip-flopping wimps: Mondale, Dukakis, Gore. If it weren't for the political mastery of Bill Clinton (and maybe the candidacy of Ross Perot), we would be having 24 years of Republican presidential rule.

--Despite his fiery image, at heart Dean is a pragmatic problem-solver. He can clearly see things for what they are. He is not fooled by b.s. or smoke and mirrors. He examines a problem and the evidence in the same way a doctor or scientist would. He can also frankly communicate what the problem is, and what long-term solution is necessary.

[Guaranteed]

18. AWESOME post.

Possibly one of the best ever. You said it all.

[stuzzy]

19. Our time will come

I was talking about this with a coworker today who is a Bush supporter whose confidence in Bush is falling. I expounded upon my reasons for supporting Dean. Integrity, straight talk, the courage to tell it like it is and not sugar coat it or water it down or just plain bs or lie about it. This is the main thing that attracts me to a candidate.

In the 2000 election I really like John McCain for the same reasons I like Dean this year. I know he's a republican but he talked straight and didn't tow the republican line. Even during this administration he has been vocal when he disagreed with the president, often speaking out to the media when he disagrees. He didn't vote for the overtime bill, which would affect me. I know he's not a democrat but he had my respect and it's important for a politician to have my respect, because so few do. I followed Jesse Ventura's reign with interest, he seemd like a no nonsense guy and it pioqued my curiosity. Before McCain, Perot caught my eye (crazy as he was) as another straight talker. The point I'm trying to make is we are seeing more and more non-mainstream politicians entering the fray. Two presidential elections in a row we have seen a straight talker candidate come from nowhere and take their party by storm, only to be put down by the establishment and replaced with more "acceptable" candidates. I can only think that this is a trend that will continue and build momentum.

I think the public is getting tired of politics as usual and are beginning to see the light (I hope). I can only think that one year one of these "crazy" politicians will by fluke or whatever will actually make into office and possibly make some real changes. I think our time will come....someday. Of course, I am optimistic that this will be the year, and Dean will be the man.

[REP]

20. Only One Thing To Add

All of what Stickdog said, plus Dean is the only candidate who seems to realize that women exist outside of children. His positions on women's rights are a breath of fresh air to women all over the world.