Latest anti-Dean memes are confusing!

[Brian_Expat]

During the campaign, Kerry folk said Howard Dean was waaaay too far to the left to win the election -- a McGovernik! A far-left Vermont hippy!

Now, as the GE approaches, Kerry folk are saying that Dean and his supporters are really Republicans.

Which is it, guys? Can't you even keep your rhetoric straight?

[FreeperSlayer]

1. I don't think that ANYONE...

...outside of the repug party thought that Dean was 'far-left'.


ed. can't spell!

[molly]

2. No - The Dean Deception

http://www.isreview.org/issues/32/dean.shtml

This article, very well researched, and footnoted! talks about Howard Dean pre-presidential run. It addresses his stances on many items of interest to this community throughout his years as governor of Vermont.

Snippets:

Though he has been dubbed a "raging liberal" by admirers and critics alike, Howard Dean governed Vermont strictly within the framework of the conservative Democratic Leadership Council.

Many people on the Vermont left see Dean’s current posture as politically motivated. "The notion that he is a liberal is ludicrous to those of us who worked with him in Vermont," said Terrill Bouricius, a former state representative.4 Dean admits that he recognized early on that the popular anger at Bush is "a raw energy, an energy that I know could be channeled."5

and

But such political maneuvering is nothing new for Dean. Upon becoming governor of Vermont in 1991, after the sudden death of then-Republican Governor Richard Snelling, Dean made a sharp turn to the right and pursued that course ever since. In his 11 years as governor, Dean would shift rightward on one position after another, all the while claiming to be concerned for the needy and less-fortunate, and disappointing all who thought they were getting someone who would govern from the liberal end of the political spectrum.

Dean inherited a massive deficit in the state budget from Snelling. Refusing to raise taxes on wealthier Vermonters (and rendering the tax system more regressive than previously), Dean declared in his first State of the State address that it would be his mission to balance the state budget with some "tough" cuts. Even though Vermont has no law requiring a balanced budget, Dean promised, "The pain for Vermonters will be real."7

Dean slashed millions of dollars from all sorts of social programs, from prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients and heating assistance for poorer Vermonters to housing assistance funds. In defending his cuts to social programs, Dean said, "I don’t think I have to shy away from that just because I’m supposed to be a liberal Democrat."8

[bitchkitty]

3. Republicans? I thought it was

Howard and Ralphie, sittin' in a tree!

[buckeye1]

4. Try this meme.

Dean is a loser. After 17 contests, its a proven fact.

[DebJ]

12. Nope. The American Public is the true loser here.

[meegbear]

5. Kerry folk are saying

Dean and his supporters are really Republicans.

Links? Stories?

[adadem]

6. Who called who Republicans? n/t

[PVnRT]

15. Seen this thread yet?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=384193&mesg_id=384193

[seaglass]

7. You've got your memes all mixed up, no wonder you're

confused. It was Kerry supporters along with many others who were not fooled by Dean's rhetoric. He tried to appeal to the left by stating that he was from the Democratic wing of the Democratic party but only his supporters were fooled.

[NNN0LHI]

8. You got some examples on hand of Duers saying Dean was too far left?

I do not remember anyone saying this. I know I never did. Lets see some examples of what you are talking about so I can either address the suggestion or write them off as someones overactive imagination.

Don

[DebJ]

13. Oh yes all kinds of people were claiming that Dean was a leftist. I

remember that clearly because every time I would say, where did they get their information? But then again, why was I thinking the media would be giving out information, instead of simply trying to discredit a candidate not bought and paid for and supporting their own interests, ha!!!
Having read everything I could get my hands on about Dean, spending hours in Borders pulling books off the shelves to read even a few pages here and there, I never saw Dean as a leftist. Just as the best man for the job. A realist.
Sorry I don't have any sites to post to back this up, just my memory of being shocked many, many times as I heard people call him a leftist. He never was.

By the way, Dean eventually became a threat to the media because his internet acitivities were making CNN et al inconsequential to the election process. Of course, when he stated that he wanted to take down the media, that only made matters worse. But fellow netters might want to consider that the media WAS threatened by his lack of need of them. Interesting concept, no matter who you support. And the media fought back and won. The media wins. They call the shots.
NOT US>

[Lexingtonian]

9. You have four choices

Right, Left, conservative, and liberal.

Look at his audiences- very much middle class and white.

Add up the pieces and you find in sum that they are moderately Left economically (Democratic) and moderate Right socially (Republican). Now that some serious portion of his supporters are revolting against Democrats, the most disparate element is their conservative-ish side, and that gets called Republican. And as they throw the Democratic label away, the patterns that remain remind observers of Republicans- the narrow social tolerance/classism, the entitlement brattyness.

It's not all that accurate, but reporters are just used to militant fools being Republicans. So it gets thrown into the public arena.

[mmonk]

10. Dean had most things right.

I regognize that, but the DLC and the media refused. I saw that early on. I'm Kerry now by default. If Edwards wasn't gaining a little I might have considered backing DK. Dean's message should resonate, however, in some change within the party and has changed debating the administration on issues for the good.

[maddezmom]

11. must have missed that new meme

and the previous one, too. Always thought Dean is a centrist, and still do.

[BeyondGeography]

14. Whether he's right or left doesn't matter anymore

as long as he follows through on his commitment to work for the nominee.

[DebJ]

16. and get change out of the party.

[BeyondGeography]

17. Oh, I forgot, Howard is the only true Democrat

in the party.