Nation-Building

It looks like Howard Dean is facing some dissatisfaction at home in Vermont, due to his extended campaigning for his presidential bid. He has spent a lot of time recently in Iowa and other states laying the groundwork. However, Vermonters feel slighted, to the degree that in a recent poll, 49% said they disapproved of Dean's presidential bid and would not vote for him against Bush. The article goes into much more detail, analyzing how Dean's numbers compare to Bush with men and women, and tracking how these numbers have changed over recent time. Here's an excerpt: Last week’s poll of 600 likely voters showed that 49 percent said they disapproved of Dean’s bid, while 39 percent approved and 13 percent said they were unsure. ... If the election were held today, 46 percent of Vermonters would vote for Bush, while 34 percent would support Dean, according to the poll. The remaining 20 percent were undecided. The poll, conducted over two days last week by Rese

Governor on quirky, quixotic quest for the presidency - By JULIE MASON, Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle This is an interesting profile, in the Houston Chron of all places. It describes Dean in fairly flippant terms: A 53-year-old physician whose wife is also a physician, Dean wears corny ties and gives windy, detailed answers to questions about his cornerstone issues -- children, health care and balanced budgets. When he travels, he stays at the home of a local supporter or party activist, where he dutifully makes his bed. but is the first piece I've seen in a while that mentions the Bill Bradley comparison. Specifically, the article says: Less optimistic but still positive comparisons also can be made of Dean to defeated former presidential candidates Bruce Babbitt and Bill Bradley -- Democrats outside the mainstream who attracted limited but fervent support. "I think there are some similarities between me and Bill Bradley," Dean said, "altho

Howard Dean denounces Bush, makes long-shot bid for 2004 nomination "I’m tired of my party being bullied by the right wing," says Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. This is a very detailed article with a lot of quotes from Dean. He comes across as very vocal and determined and focused. It's a major PR boost, and note that it deliberately re-evokes the "dark horse" theme. Parts of the article are excerpted below. On President Bush: Self-confident, sometimes impatient, Dean is brusquely dismissive of the man he wants to boot from the White House, George W. Bush. His open contempt for Bush is in contrast with some other Democratic contenders, such as House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, who stood side by side with Bush at the White House to support his Iraq policy. “The president is incapable of managing the economy of America,” he contends. Comparisons to Dukakis: In his brisk assertiveness, Dean is reminiscent of another governor from New Engl

Christopher Graff, bureau chief for The Associated Press in Montpelier, VT has written a open letter to Governor Dean on behalf of all Vermonters, which has appeared in almost all of Vermont's weekend papers. So far, no response from teh Dean campaign. It raises some questions that Dean will have to address. Some excerpts: From what I am reading in the newspapers in Iowa, you tout your ability to balance the Vermont state budget as one of your chief qualifications to be president. But Jim Douglas and Con Hogan say the state budget is not balanced and spending is spiraling out of control. I heard Hogan at one forum say something about a $100 million deficit. Who’s right? I saw in a newspaper in Texas where you were talking up your programs to provide health insurance to Vermonters. But the gubernatorial candidates here are saying those programs are in tough financial shape and face big deficits if they are not cut back. Who’s right? And in state after state

The event already happened, but here was some local coverage in Texas: Early handicappers in the 2004 presidential race have dubbed Gov. Howard Dean, a Democratic contender from Vermont, as a long-shot, liberal policy wonk. But the five-term governor, who is to speak in San Antonio on Saturday, rejects being stereotyped. "I'm much more conservative than President Bush is when it comes to money," Dean said by phone last week. He added that in his campaigns for governor, he has always enjoyed the support of the National Rifle Association. Dean, a physician, is the only Democratic candidate for president who so far has officially filed to run against President Bush. He is to address the San Antonio Stonewall Democrats, a coalition of gay and lesbian political activists.... State Democratic Party Chairman Molly Beth Malcolm invited Dean to the Texas convention. But even two years from the presidential race, she is careful not to tip her hand. "The Democr

The Austin group invited Dean to speak about the political challenges that went into signing Vermont's groundbreaking civil unions bill into law that gave same sex couples the same rights statewide as married couples.