Howard Dean says politicians should "listen to people before you start talking at them."

[madfloridian]

How true. He also said people want their opinions to matter and that the way to win in CA in 08 was not to spend 30 million on TV ads. Amen to that also. He once said if Congress would not change campaign financing we could do it ourselves by getting the word out other ways.

From Palm Springs today:

Dean: Democrats must boost grassroots campaign

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, also chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Saturday that Democrats will need to step-up their grassroots campaign in California to take the presidential seat in 2008.

"The strategy to win in California is not to spend $30 million on television," Dean said Saturday morning. "People want to be contacted door-to-door, and they want to be contacted on the Internet, and they want their opinions to matter.

"What I tell politicians is you should listen to people before you start talking at them."

I was just reading this poll from Newsweek at Daily Kos. The numbers are amazing.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/17/14404/9120

Q4. All in all, do you think the United States is making progress or losing ground in its efforts to establish security and democracy in Iraq?

Making Progress: 29%
Losing Ground: 61%
Don't know: 10%

Q5. In general, do you favor or oppose President Bush’s decision earlier this year to increase the level of U.S. troops in Iraq?

Favor: 32%
Oppose: 64%
Don't Know: 4%

Q6. Do you favor or oppose Congressional legislation that would require the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the fall of 2008?

Favor: 59%
Oppose: 34%
Don't Know: 7%

I found myself wondering if the politicians will listen or just tell us what they are going to do.

[MonkeyFunk]

1. I, for one,

do NOT wish to be contacted by door-to-door canvassers, and I've read a few accounts of how Dean's over-reliance on them in Iowa in '04 ended up hurting him. People were fed up with strangers coming to their door.

It hasn't yet made me a Jehovah's Witness, and it certainly wouldn't affect my presidential primary vote.

[madfloridian]

3. So Dean nearly made you a Jehovah's Witness.?

That's funny.

[MonkeyFunk]

6. That would be funny

if I'd said anything of the sort.

I'm saying most people don't like being harassed in their own homes.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. "Harass?"

Interesting choice of words.

Or a good neighbor. :shrug:

[napi21]

7. I know what you mean, but in a way, he's right. I know it works well for LOCAL

candidates. No one has come to my door forquite a few years, but I remember when the local candidates did, and it made a difference. If that guy, who's running for the school board, or County Commissioner, or City Council, made a positive impression on me, I remembered his nameon election day.

Obviously a national, or even State wide candidate CAN'T possibly visit EVERY front door! But I think it would really make a big difference if they employed enough peopleto handle direct questions on the internet! How many times have we here at DU said "Why didn't XXXX say what they think about XXXX?" Or something that really bothers you about a particular candidate. Wouldn't it be great if you could send a question to one or ALL the Presidential candidates and actually get a personal answer?

Ithink the other thing that does have an effect on people is if they see a LOT of people supporting one particular candidate. It may be subconcious, but it makes that candidate appear to have a lot of supporters, and all voters want a winner.

[MGKrebs]

12. Dean overdid it in Iowa.

Trippi was good at some things, but once they got some money and attention, I think he didn't really know what to do with it. They had people going to the same doors 5 and 6 times.

Door-to-door can work well if done right. You may be a bit of an anomoly because you already pay attention!

[ellisonz]

23. Exactly.

Door-to-door done correctly is the most effective means of voter contact and mobilization, most especially at the local and state level.

I hate to say it, but I still hold Trippi accountable for jumping the shark in 2004, and I love my Howard Dean.

[MonkeyFunk]

25. Yeah,

for local, I don't mind, because it's usually the candidate himself knocking on the door. State level, not so much, and nationally, forget it.

[SharonAnn]

26. Iowans are used to this, and they expect local people. Kerry already

had a "machine" in Iowa comprised of local people in every county, so his people had a huge effect on the county caucuses.

Remember, the party faithful are the ones who show up at the caucuses. If they're already tied into a candidate, you're probably not going to sway them.

And, as usual, those who haven't participated in a caucus before are unlikely to participate in one this time. Just the way it works.

[MissWaverly]

2. you mean he's not for catapulting the propaganda

if the people resist the first time the pretzeldent says something, he thinks it is his
duty to make them bend to his will becuz he knows what is best, so he says it 50 times
w/o ever changing.

[madfloridian]

4. Now Bush is warning Dems not to set withdrawal for Iraq.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-03-17-voa23.cfm

"U.S. President George Bush says he will veto an emergency spending bill for the war in Iraq, if Democrats, who control Congress, include conditions setting a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Democrats say the president is committing American forces to an open-ended civil war. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports."

" Many in Congress say they support the troops, and I believe them," added Mr. Bush. "Now they have a chance to show that support in deed, as well as in word. Congress needs to approve emergency funding for our troops, without strings and without delay. If they send me a bill that does otherwise, I will veto it."


Without strings and without delay says Little Boots.

[MissWaverly]

5. He had nothing but support for 4 years, and he blew it

If he is asking for another rubber stamp, I would just like to ask why should we
trust him after all this time and a trillion failures.

[MissWaverly]

9. we really need to change things

last time around all the attention was on the swing states, all the visits, all the attention, I felt like there wasn't even a campaign going on in Maryland and that was
before we were diebolded.

I would like more of the 50 state strategy.

And although I agree that door to door does not do much for me either, I would love more
speeches in my state. I think hearing a presidential candidate live is a momentous occasion.

:-)

[TheConstantGardener]

10. Wait, why are they focusing on California?

That's an easy blue state. Does he mean for the primaries? WHO does he want to win in the primaries? I don't understand what he's talking about with california but I think he's right on the grassroots part.

[madfloridian]

11. Because he was there today.

I guess. He was speaking of CA because that was the focus.

[NCarolinawoman]

20. Perhaps he is trying to give hope to candidates who don't have a lot of money....

and hope to their grass-root supporters as well.

Frankly, I appreciate him saying this.

[madfloridian]

13. The point of politicians listening to us was an important one.

But it got lost in the process of attacking Howard Dean for Iowa all over again.

Never mind. It was a good thought for a moment.

[MonkeyFunk]

15. please

there was no attack on Dean. It was a comment on tactics that, to some degree, backfired on him. I apologize - Dean is god, he can do no wrong, he smells like fresh rosewater and lotus blossoms bloom from every seat he puts his ass on.

[madfloridian]

17. You are just plain insulting. There is no need for that.

You hurt all of us when you do that.

[MonkeyFunk]

18. And you're plain

over-sensitive about anything regarding Howard Dean. So there we are.

[madfloridian]

19. To some saying things to hurt others is a game.

I said nothing out of line.

This is a game to you. It was about politicians listening and changes that are needed in our party.

But to some insults are a game to be played. That's kind of sad.

[MonkeyFunk]

21. If I said Dean wears pants

you'd be "hurt".

But I'm not going to stop mentioning him entirely because of your sensitivity. I said nothing in my original post here that attacked Dean - I talked about how he's wrong to think people WANT to be bothered in their homes.

[madfloridian]

22. "lotus blossoms bloom from every seat he puts his ass on."

No, that's not insulting at all. It makes you look bad. It does not make me look bad at all.

I guess I am old enough to not find that funny. Our grandkids say stuff like that, silly things to shock.

But hey, if that's funny to you....be my guest. I posted something important about the changes that need to be made. You turned it into something ugly.

Perhaps you could avoid me when I post about Dean, or when I post about Edwards whom we will probably support.

Go for it, my friend, let's hear more about Dean's ass. Or anyone's ass. Or just any old stuff will do.

[ellisonz]

24. Over the line!

"he smells like fresh rosewater and lotus blossoms bloom from every seat he puts his ass on."

Howard Dean has earned my respect through his hard work, dedication and honesty...it's that plain and simple. Deal with it. He is the Chairman of the Democratic Party don't ya know...

:+

[Cha]

14. It seems like a lot of the Dems are

listening to the corporations and couldn't care less what the People have to say.

Of course, Dean is and that's what makes corporatemediawhores like carville and matalin so rabid they're frothing at the mouth.

[madfloridian]

16. What Howard Dean said almost 4 years ago about preemptive war.

From one of my favorite Florida blogs, the Ybor City Stogie.

Howard Dean April 17 2003

What Howard Dean Said
Almost 4 Years Ago

When Congress approved the President’s authorization to go to war in Iraq – no matter how well-intentioned – it was giving the green light to the President to set his Doctrine of preemptive war in motion. It now appears that Iraq was just the first step. Already, the Bush administration is apparently eyeing Syria and Iran as the next countries on its target list. Too much is at stake. We have taken decades of consensus on the conduct of foreign policy – bipartisan consensus in the United States and consensus among our allies in the world community – and turned it on its head. It could well take decades to repair the damage this President and his cohort of right-wing ideological advisors have done to our standing in the international community.

Howard Dean, April 17, 2003
posted by stogie at 9:53 AM

I posted that in CA today he said politicians should listen before they started talking. Just that simple. Change tactics, quit spending millions on TV advertising, be creative. If you don't like door to door, don't answer. Don't knock.

Our politicians should have listened about Iraq instead of just talking at us.