Why I am behind Gov. Dean 100%

[GreenInNC]

The year was 1986 and I was a college student in the North Carolina mountains and the fall election that year was the first time that students could vote in the towns where they went to school. Before that we had to vote absentee where we lived. I decided to run for county commission and the local Democratic Party did not give me any support because I was a student. I was so pissed, I left the party and re registered unaffiliated. I eventually became very active with the Green Party, helping restart the party here and at one point was the only Green Party member in North Carolina to hold elected office. I also served as national co-chair of the party in '04-'05.

I re registered Dem in 2005 because I saw the openness that Gov. Dean and NC Dem. Chair Jerry Meek were bringing to the party and I felt that my voice would be heard and what was important to me would be considered. I believe that Gov. Dean has revitalized our party and has brought many new and returning voices into the fold. I have since become very active in the party. I now serve as precinct chair, county party treasurer, chair of the county progressive Dem's, on my state senate district committee and am on our state and county executive committee.

I am headed out to Denver in a couple of weeks and I hope to be in the crowd Thursday night when Obama gives his acceptance speech. That night will be a truly historic moment for our country and I do not want to miss it.

[Warpy]

1. People who tried to volunteer for a lot of state parties

in the hideous years when party conservatives had control were often told to write a check, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. It was no mystery why the party was dying in a lot of states. Conservatives and their idiotic insistence that corporate cash was better than grass roots involvement were killing it very efficiently.

That's why Dr. Dean is the best thing to happen to the party since liberals went out of power in 1969. The party was going bankrupt at the state level in so-called GOP states. It is now healthy in all 50 states and the GOP is 0 for 3 in getting their people elected in "safe" districts in special elections.

It's why this primary was so important. It's very telling that one of Obama's first announcements after he had sewn up the nomination was that Dr. Dean would remain party chair. Had Clinton won, the announcement would have been the opposite.

[GreenInNC]

2. Previous NC chair

I understand that the previous chair of the NCDP was more conservative and that many progressives felt left out. Jerry Meek has done a good job of bringing all parts of the party together. Our state convention this past June was the largest one ever as was our annual fundraiser (didn't hurt that both Clinton and Obama spoke at it).

[madfloridian]

3. Yes..."openness" is a good description

Trying to let the people back into the party again. Recommended.

[eridani]

4. My story too. Green until 2004

Worked for Kucinich, joined my local party, and am now a state commiteeworman and on the eboard of the state progressive caucus. Dean is the best thing that has happened to the party in years. When Obama cleared the threshold, my first thought was VoteBuilder is saved! The 50 state strategy is saved!

[GreenInNC]

5. when we convert

When we convert, we go all in don't we?

[eridani]

6. Yep. My original thought was that if the Kucinich thing didn't work out--

--I could go back to being a Green. what I discovered was that far too many people on tbe left (myself included) had been spending way too much time talking to each other instead of to our neighbors. I made a deliberate choice to stay out of my comfort zone and commit fully to electoral politics as a Democrat.

[TexasObserver]

7. I'm behind him because he's been the best party chair in decades

Chuck Manatt and Paul Kirk were better than McAwful, but not as good as the doctor.

[DFW]

8. Howard has made a huge difference, and here's why:

Howard has taken a job that was largely done sitting down, either behind
a desk or a banquet table, and transformed it (as long as it's his job) into
a job that is done on your feet and/or on the road. Get your ass in gear and
you get stuff done. Don't, and you're taking up space. Howard isn't wasting any
space at all. I'm amazed he is able to keep up as he has without any serious
burnout. I know he gets back home to Judith as many weekends as possible, and
he is very much a (private) family man--no mean feat with his very public life.
Judith is not a big fan of business travel, especially not on Howard's scale.
Maybe that's where he secretly tanks up to get the energy he needs to get his
monumental job done as has no other in recent history.