Howard Dean's speech in Harrogate today seemed well-received

[madfloridian]

He was speaking at the conference of the Liberal Democrats in the UK

Here is the video of the speech, about 20 minutes.

Howard Dean addresses the Liberal Democrats

Here is more information from a blogger there.

Liberal Democrat Voice

12.26 It’s just as well I’m not in the hall or I would be making a cheering spectacle of myself. He’s describing the Democrats’ essential strategy of “behaving like a national party”, asking everybody for their vote, including people who they had not asked before, in many cases for decades. This was, essentially, a question I asked him this morning, about the contrast between the 50 state strategy and the Liberal Democrat emphasis of heavily targeting resources - even to the point of importing activists.

He also says it’s important to use the language of the people you’re talking to - not to change your message, but to put it in terms of what you have in common. He cites the example of young evangelical Christians in the US electorate - they were concerned about international poverty, Darfur and climate change. All Democrat issues. There is no person in America, he believes, who cannot be asked to vote Democrat.

He then talks about the flaws of isolationism, especially in terms of the global economic crisis. America is now seeking to rebuild relationships around the world, with no junior partners. The Obama administration is committed to responsible withdrawal from Iraq.

..."But I can tell you that the speech was packed out into the fire exits and overran by twenty minutes but nobody seemed to mind. Warm applause to end, and my flyers were gone in about half a minute.

During the speech Dean mentions he will be speaking in Belgium in a couple of weeks.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. "Dean starts by saying he has some small experience of Britain ..."

... and how it has changed. He spent a year at a British public school about thirty-five years ago (”Good god, he hates us,” is the assessment of the LDV cupboard).

And I was there 15 years after that! Actually, he was here 42 years ago - time must be passing quicker than he realises ...

[madfloridian]

2. Heh heh that happens as one gets older.

:hi:

[madfloridian]

3. Did find a brief mention in the Guardian

Not much else about it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/07/lib-dems-conference-cable-bonuses

"Earlier, Howard Dean, the chairman of the US Democratic National Committee and the strategist at the centre of Barack Obama's election campaign, told Lib Dem activists that reaching out to the under-35s was the key to electoral success.

In a keynote speech, the man behind Barack Obama's "50-state strategy" insisted it was vital to make the political system work for young people.

Reflecting on the increasing use of the internet in political campaigns, Deans said: "Many people believe it is a magical solution but it is only a tool. It does not work for people who have nothing to say."

He urged delegates to think of the internet as a community of people who happen not to live in the same city."

[madfloridian]

4. A last kick

for Howie before archiving.

[fadedrose]

5. The real "last" kick nt

[madfloridian]

6. Nice blog write-up from a LibDem blog in February.

http://www.libdemvoice.org/howard-dean-11483.html