How Dean can end up a huge winner during these primaries

[jeter]

I don't think Howard Dean is going to win the nomination. It's time for people to realise this. But Dean can still end up a huge winner by being the unifier of the Democratic Party.

Whether non-Dean supporters (or haters) want to realise this or not - Dean has already done so much good for the Democratic Party.

We were hopeless throughout most of the Bush Presidency. We let the chimp get away with everything. This only added to the perception of "inevitability," which fed the media and then led the Democrats in caving in.

Dean stopped this. His opposition to the war. At first seen as political suicide, forced Democrats to listen to their base - the vast majority of whom also opposed the war.

When Democrats began to wise up to the fact that actually listening to base and supporting them helped their cause - the flood gates opened. Now we are in a good position. No one is talking about Bush's "inevitability" anymore. We have the chance to frame the debate ourselves.

Iraq has actually become a negative issue. Whereas, in 2002, Democrats wanted to ignore foreign policy and give the issue to Republicans, now we can claim the issue for ourselves.

This is good. The Bush Administration don't want to talk about Iraq anymore. They are afraid of the issue. This is true today, in large part, because of Howard Dean.

Second, Dean still has a huge network of supporters that can be used for fundraising and volunteering. This is what Dean should use for leverage.

I do hope desperately that Dean doesn't piss away the leverage he has built up. He can use it to sit at the table when the issues that will be on the Democratic Platform are decided. He will get a great spot at the Democratic convention in Boston, where he will have a forum to discuss his issues to a national audience.

Now is the time for unity. We still haven't finished voting, and Dean and Edwards will get another chance to stop Kerry's momentum. It's not impossible. But I think it's safe to say it will be very difficult.

When Super Tuesday is over the party will come together.

Jeez, we have gotten record turn outs in these primaries:

400,000 in Virginia last night. 300,000 in Tennessee. I don't remember the last time that was the case.

All candidates contributed to this.

All those pundits and people who argued that so many candidates were a bad thing were wrong.

Each candidate brought in fresh new people.

- Gephardt, the unions.
- Dean, the Deaniacs (not a put down)
- Mosley-Braun, womens groups and the like.
- Clark, many veterans and Republicans.
- Kucinich, many Green supporters.
- Sharpton, some African Americans.
- Lieberman, the DLC wing and some Jewish voters.

Now it will be up to Kerry and possibly Edwards to bring these people home. Not to insult them. To build a new coalition that will defeat the evil Bush Administration, retake Congress and hold power for the next generation.

A new Democratic coalition is in the making, folks.

The next step after these primaries will be to get all sides together and come up with a plan to fix our country and build a better future. Of all these people, Dean stands to hold the most influence.

It's time to start seeing the bigger picture.

[ShimokitaJer]

1. I think you miss the point

You say "Dean still has a huge network of supporters that can be used for fundraising and volunteering. This is what Dean should use for leverage."

This displays a fundamental lack of understanding of the Dean movement. You praise Dean for listening to the base and responding to his supporters, but still assume that voters are a bloc to be manipulated and directed by the candidates. When Dean expressed doubts about whether or not his supporters were "transferrable," this is what he meant.

Dean has drawn supporters from many different areas of the political spectrum: mainstream Democrats, former third-party voters, former non-voters, disgruntled Republicans, etc. Many of them have faith in Dean or faith in the Dean grassroots movement, but have no loyalty to the Democratic party. It is naive to assume that they will all continue to vote for whoever the Democrats happen to choose.

Dean has already said that he personally will support whoever the Democratic nominee happens to be, but don't assume that he speaks for his supporters.

[jeter]

2. Giving a half-hearted endorsement won't be enough

He doesn't want to come across as a sore loser either. That would be poison for him.

He wants a seat at the table. That's a good thing. His supporters, who were angry with the Democratic Party for their caving in to Bush, will want that - no? To have a policy convention or conference where THEIR issues are finally realized.

That's the point of the post. That, in a way, they've accomplished exactly what they wanted. Maybe their candidate didn't win, but their ideals will live on. They won't be ignored anymore.

What you are describing is more a "cult of personality" which I have always believed is dangerous. No man, or woman, can represent a political ideal. They only advocate one.

If that candidate is defeated, which was the case here, you would want a situation like the one I posed in my post. Where the other candidates can a voice in the policy-making. For Dean, I argue, he and his supporters stand the best chance to get heard and have their message become Democratic doctrine.

How is that a bad thing?

[library_max]

3. Great post.

I would love to see this happen. And I don't think it's crazy to continue hoping for it.

[Mass_Liberal]

4. good post

except that I wan't to wait until after super-tuesday to say that he had lost.