While losing Dean has transformed race, politics

[ringmastery]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-02-08-dean-cover_x.htm

WASHINGTON — Howard Dean may be limping toward the exits, but he has reshaped the Democratic presidential race he's leaving behind.

The former Vermont governor hasn't won a single primary. But more than any other individual, he has energized Democratic voters, forged the field's sharp message against President Bush and demonstrated the ability of the Internet to organize thousands of volunteers and raise millions of dollars.

Even rivals who are relieved that Dean might leave the primary contests soon say he has increased the odds that the Democratic nominee can prevail against Bush.

"He touched a nerve, and that jolted everyone else," says David Axelrod, a Chicago-based strategist for North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. "When he had such early success, I think it forced a number of them to assess what they were doing out there."

"Everybody did the same thing we did: They pulled words that Dean was using" and adopted them for their own appeals, says Jano Cabrera, an aide to Sen. Joe Lieberman. The Connecticut senator withdrew from the contest last week. "There was an entire period where all the candidates, including my guy, became 'angry.' "

[JailForBush]

1. Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich both made powerful contributions.

No one who has a clue about politics would have expected either to go the distance, simply because they were the best candidates.

On that note, Dean didn't "lose." We did.

[countmyvote4real]

7. Your last line: Sad, but true.

[randr]

2. Dean needs to be the Head of the Party!

[madfloridian]

3. Past tense is very condescending.

:shrug:

[ringmastery]

4. you'll see more stories like this coming up

the political obituaries are starting. Everyone says nice things about the dearly departed. It's good. Part of the healing process for the party and to unite against Bush.

[madfloridian]

15. I am afraid it might be just the opposite.

of healing. I hope not, but a lot of Dean supporters are not Democrats per se. Glad you are healing though. We all have our healing processes, don't we.

[corporatewhore]

5. while i dont care for dean i think his grassroots net that he created is

fantastic should be kept in tact regardless of the reults to be used as a base to furthere the progressive agenda and challenge DLC assholes!!!!!

[Eloriel]

8. Sorry, we don't belong to the Party, nor the other candidates

It's my understanding that Kerry thinks he'll be heir to us as well. He couldn't be more wrong. Kerry has only my contempt, and I know a lot of Dean supporters who feel the same way.

And anyone thinking we can be co-opted, adopted, adapted, bent to anyone's will or put to use in some plan of another's making quite simply has another thing coming.

[corporatewhore]

13. not asking to back another cannidate but issues like moveon does

for example say next pres doesnothing about equal rights for gays the grassroots network that is allready in place could be used to fundraise and organize equal rights campaigns

[MurikanDemocrat]

16. "we don't belong to the Party"

I thought Dean and his supporters were Democrats?? Isn't he running as a Democratic candidate?

Shit! I'm sure glad we found out the truth before it was too late! Whew!

[corporatewhore]

17. not all who support dean and kucinich are dems some are greens some are

libertarians some are old school conservatives they are not backing kerry because of the PATRIOT ACT and Iraq (even the libertarians were against it )

[arewethereyet]

6. I think I'm going to reserve judgement of this till after November

I think it will be a truer test of this "energy" etc to see how it plays out when it really counts.

I have a suspicion that it will untimately be a negative as a sense of frustration will ensue that drives people farther away once they realize that "politics as usual" isn a very OLD expression for a very good reason.

Its easy to see the signs of that happening but I'll let it play out.

It you're looking for a real parallel, look back at Ross Perot. Same concept and it took a lot of money to put a dent in that.

[countmyvote4real]

10. So what can be done?

How can Kerry reach out to these new voters with his record that says he voted for almost everything that * wanted?

Hell, how can he reach out to me? I'm an old "outsider" Dem.

And if he's got problems with the old base and the new energy, how the hell is he supposed to swing the uncommitted?

Maybe the media will give him a free ride.

OOPS. I'm not arguing with you. Your point provoked me to ponder further.

You're right. We'll see. But if anybody has any answers, it would be nice to know.

PS The aircraft carrier thing is not going to float it in the GE, but I'm glad he's neutralized that issue for now.

[madfloridian]

14. I think it is the unspoken political plays that are causing damage

with a lot of Dean supporters. We are aware of what goes on right here, but we can't say. We have places we can talk, but not here. Any candidate is fair game, but the supporters of a candidate should never be made fun of.

Most of us were quite acceptable here at this forum before primary season, and most of us posted intelligently.

A few Dean supporters have posted things I would not have, but that is their right.....that holds true of all supporters of all candidates. However, there is no doubt that many of us have been nearly driven away by the implications that we were not too bright.

Ouch, that stings a lot.

[countmyvote4real]

19. Ouch not. Dean supportors were early adopters and saw the vision.

Please, please don't drop it.

We can make great lemonade.

[BeFree]

9. Dean may, or may not be done for now, but

He will be around for a long time to keep the message flowing.

If, for some reason he fails to be the president this time, he will surely be playing a huge part in the direction the party as a whole takes for the next few years.

It may prove to be true that Dean has more impact in the long run by NOT being president. With the freedom he would have by not being tied down to one job, he may be able to continue invigorating the grassroots enough so that we do, eventually, "Take Back America"

[pacifictiger]

11. I agree

that Dean actually may be of more help to the country by not being president to try to get to the root of some of the problems behind the scenes - like the lobbying crowd. Whoever is president this next term will have an incredibly difficult job and will likely come out the other end a bit beaten up - I think it will take some time for things to get better and the americans are not known for their patience.

[madfloridian]

12. A lot of people don't understand about us.

Our local group is just as much independents, Republicans, and other, as it is about Democrats. There is no way the others will vote for a Democrat other than Dean.

They are voting for him, not the party.

I have admitted that I only woke up to politics when the steamroller hit us here in Florida. It was a totally helpless feeling, like waking from a bad dream.

I thought I was healing from that when my husband and I heard Howard Dean speak. We have worked very hard for him, and we have donated a lot of money. We would not have done that anyone else in the campaign.

We know a lot of what is going on as to why some others are staying in, and that is their right to do so. Everyone has a right to run. However, we do find it hard when our candidate getting hit by someone who is funded by a Republican. There are other issues, but we can't say them here.

I think that in spite of the putdowns lately, trying to make us seem ineffective and without hope....that in the long run something new might come from this coalition nationwide.

You see, the assumption is that all Dean supporters are Democrats. Wrong. Very wrong. We have staunch Republican neighbors who adore him and his honesty and plain talk. My husband and I are Democrats, lifelong ones, and trust me.....we are really wrestling right now with what to do. It is sincere, and it really hurts to be put down for not jumping into threads of ABB with open arms.

The "us" that make up a lot of our group extends beyond Democrats, though we hold the same hopes for our country. You don't see these people here at DU as a rule, but they are fiercely loyal.

Dean may or may not be dead, in fact a lot of us don't think so yet. Declaring him such is alienating, and it is not necessary.

[madfloridian]

18. Kick because I want people to see that our groups are different.

:kick:

[Atlant]

20. Kick... (NT)