Howard Dean: "Barack Obama is your generation’s JFK, Don’t blow it."

[andym]

http://www.fordham.edu/Campus_Resources/eNewsroom/topstories_1681.asp

Dean told the young voters who helped elect Barack Obama never to take a vacation from politics.

"My generation was a very confrontational generation, we protested and fought for many things," he said. "But then we got burned out and took time off to raise our families and build our careers and things changed. Democracy is a creature of human beings, and it dies if you don’t nurture it.

"This is your president. Barack Obama is your generation’s JFK," Dean said. "Don’t blow it."

[The Wielding Truth]

1. Wow. I hope Obama can get done what needs to be done.

[thatsrightimirish]

2. Hopefully Obama and the Dems in congress don't blow it

[tblue]

3. I'm sorry but I have no idea what Dean means.

How would his audience blow it? I'm worried about them being disillusioned, by the Administration disappointing them and turning them off from politics. They worked very hard and voted for change and they were so passionate about it.

[MarjorieG]

4. Older like Dean, I know what he's talking about everytime I come to DU. With world-weary anti-Obama

posts, without any sense of what he's up against. He's a deft politician, but also liberal and progressive to his heart and roots, elected by a mix of everything, presiding over a Congress that's less and less concerned about us. Maybe at one time, but many not any longer.

Obama is very gifted, and saved us from a depression that's messy in its unwinding. A little awareness of the stakes would be nice.

[MoJoWorkin]

11. Thank you, MarjorieG ! Finally, and intelligent post in this DU wilderness--of late.

I am 64 years old, and I totally agree with you, and Dean.

I was 15 when I started in politics by canvassing for JFK, and have been active in politics as much as I could, depending on life circumstances since that time. Living thru all that has happened in all those years, I appreciate just what we have in THIS President.

We have been given a gift of him. We should not blow it, indeed.

Some people on here need to get a spine themselves, and put their shoulder to the wheel instead of this constant bellyaching. They are no better than the negative naybobs of the Republican Party. Negativity does little to advance what they SAY they want. Their throwing in the towel after only 9 months shows weakness in THEM, and not this President.

With all he has had to face, President Obama has worked wonders in a short amount of time--if they can't see this, then they are truly blind.


Work for change you want in positive ways.

[OneGrassRoot]

13. Thank you, Marjorie and Mojo. :) n/t

[Number23]

21. "Their throwing in the towel after only 9 months shows weakness in THEM, and not this President."

You better PREACH!!! Tell it!!

:applause: :yourock: :applause:

[JuniperLea]

23. "Their throwing in the towel after only 9 months shows weakness in THEM, and not this President."

Exactly!

:applause:

They are weak and feeble minded, and they think the rest of us should be just like them. Ugh... I'm sick of the instant society that tells me I need to tap my foot impatiently whilst waiting for the microwave to cook my fake food.

[Clio the Leo]

14. +1 NT

[phleshdef]

16. I think people from my generation (20-30 somethings) are too caught up in instant gratification...

...to realize what an awesome President we have.

[BREMPRO]

18. great perspective, i whole heartedly agree.

I agree that the anti-obama sentiments are really misplaced, counterproductive, reflexive, and infuriating. He's actually trying to change things for the better- steer a ship that has been heading for an iceberg for 30 years, and some members here at DU'er don't seem to have any idea or appreciation of the power of forces stacked against him. It's the "you're not mopping fast enough" crowd. I said to one poster, "he's got a lot on his plate and much opposing him, cut the guy some slack," , and the response was "why, because he's black?" really disappointing, especially here on DU. He never said he could do it himself and has always insisted he needs our help to enact change. He can set the vision in his speeches, but without public support and actions (contacting your reps, letters to the editor, going to rallies, and accepting reasonable compromise etc..), congress will fall back on their corporate masters. He's is a president, not a dictator.

I get frustrated when i hear the "Public Option or Die" crowd ignore the credible research that shows "fee for service" delivery of health care is the more important than who pays; public or private insurance. The president made several attempts to highlight this issue, but the base was so focused on demonizing the insurance industry, that he got no traction. There's no excuse for not being educated about these issues and simply criticizing the president because he's not pushing for single payer ( or "demanding" a public option- he IS advocating for a public option). He was not elected on the platform of single payer, so why would you expect it?

Obama believes in achievable evolution, rather than radical revolution; In deliberation and consensus rather than dictatorial proclamation; Leadership through persuasion and reasonable compromise. This shouldn't be a surprise or disappointment to the majority who elected him. By all historical standards of democratic politics, these are also more effective long term strategies for change.

I wish more DU'ers understood and appreciated how much he's actually done by changing the course of the country already in 9 months: gotten an unprecedented coalition to sign up for significant positive changes in health care; helped bring us back from the brink of a depression (even if you dislike his economic team, there's a consensus among serious economists that this is true); pushed back against the oil and gas lobby for green energy and climate change legislation; transformed foreign policy from belligerent bluster and torture, to diplomacy and strategic alliances-vastly improved our status and influence in the world. The Nobel committee acknowleged and honored this change.

He IS pursuing a moderate progressive agenda and needs our help, support, critique, and patience to be effective.

[HopeOverFear]

19. ++++++1

[Cha]

25. Thanks Majorie..this would never

make any impression on those whose only contribution is to whine about how they don't have their wish granted yet.

[JeffR]

7. Dean means

for once, let radicals exult and feel their oats just a bit. We've earned it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

5. I see Dr. Dean's message has already been poo-poo'ed by one poster.

I think we all know what the good Dr. means. Obama has said it before, "don't the let the perfect, be the enemy of the good". That's a message that never quite satisfies the left, because we're such a "big tent". Each special interest group clamoring for the spotlight, and much too often, at cross purposes.

[John Q. Citizen]

6. If jingoism rings your bell, more power to you!

[Obamacare]

8. I love Dean

I'm glad to hear from him and I wish he would keep talking, he's part of the reason why so many dems are sitting in congress right now. The 50 state strategy was an excellent idea.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LatteLibertine]

9. Dean means

stay active and stay engaged. It wasn't enough just to get out and vote. We need to help President Obama achieve progressive ends.

Some days I wish Alan Grayson was his VP :)

[Cha]

12. Yes, Deans gets it.."stay active and

engaged" is abslutely correct as the Obama admin is making easer than ever.

[tabbycat31]

15. I wish Grayson was his COS

[flyarm]

17. from your posted article..seems to me What Howard is saying is exactly what many of us on DU have

been saying.........


"While not opposed to bipartisan legislation as a whole, Dean charged his party affiliates in the Senate with giving up too much for little return.

"Olympia Snowe is a fine person, but to give up the public option to keep her on board is to ruin the health care system and to deny the Democrats re-election in 2010," Dean said. "The penalty for Barack Obama is that he’ll spend the next six years the way Bill Clinton spent his time—fighting a Republican majority and getting very little done."

In addition to health care reform, Dean touched on partisan politics, education and the war in Afghanistan during his nearly 90-minute speech.

"The bill in Washington is about change," he said. "The best way to think about it is that Barack Obama has done something that previous presidents haven’t done."

That, Dean said, is to recognize that although 65 percent of Americans admit that their health insurance plans are expensive and could use some kind of reform, they have also reported being satisfied with their current plans.

"So what Obama realized is that you have got to give people a choice," Dean said. "Here’s a truth about a single-payer system—it is far more efficient and less expensive than the private system. The average cost of Medicare is that for every premium dollar, 4 percent goes to administrative costs and 96 percent of that dollar is spent on health care. With private health insurance, only 80 percent goes to health care."

Americans age 65 and older have a choice with Medicare, a plan managed by the government, Dean said, adding that veterans and members of Congress enjoy socialized health care courtesy of the government.

"So if people over 65 have it, if veterans have it, if Congress has it, why can’t the rest of us have it?" he said to thunderous applause. "Give us the choice for the first time in history of the United States of America. Let us choose."

[Sebastian Doyle]

20. I get what Dr. Dean is saying, and as usual, I pretty much agree with him, but....

Given the sickening level of teabagger hatred out there, I really don't like to think of Obama as the "new JFK". Oddly enough, he was compared to Lincoln in the past as well.

Such comparisons make me a little nervous, for obvious reasons. :scared:

[anonymous171]

22. I hope not. JFK is extremely overrated. nt

[Yuugal]

24. So blame us? the victims?

We did our part and gave them the presidency and both houses. Its now their job to do what they promised.

[Nederland]

26. I can imagine some Republicans...

...who might take this to mean something not very nice.

[Beacool]

27. He's telling them not to blow it?

He should be telling Obama not to blow it.

:eyes:

[Bucky]

28. I refuse to buy into any analogy that ends up equating Barry Goldwater with Sarah Palin

Anyway, JFK was my parents' generation's Teddy Roosevelt, so I reckon history always manages to bring along somebody to embody our most active hopes for a better world. We fuck this up, there'll always be the 2040s...

[JNelson6563]

29. Rock on Howard!

:toast:

[paulk]

30. I'd prefer he be an LBJ (minus Vietnam)

JFK was mostly a media creation, afaic. His accomplishments really weren't all that much.

[bertman]

31. Too late to rec, but coming from the generation that protested then burned out

I agree totally with Dr. Dean.

A democratic government like ours can only be sustained by active, knowledgeable, committed citizens who participate in politics and government. That's why it's called participatory democracy.

At age 62 I wish that I had been a more active participant in grassroots politics during my adult life. After we protested and stopped the Vietnam War I got caught up in living the good life and was only peripherally involved in politics even though I maintained my awareness of things progressive by reading and by hanging out with progressive thinkers and activists. George Dubya Bush got me interested in politics--probably the only good thing I can give him credit for. Barack Obama cinched the deal. Now I'm trying to help my friends and progressive colleagues and family members understand that being a silent observer is not an option if we Americans want to keep our freedoms.

Excellent post. Thank you, andym.

Howard Dean is the voice of the real Democrats in this nation.