It's About Leadership, Stupid
I have argued for a long time that the appeal of Howard Dean is a combination of message, medium and man.
The message, that we can't be Bush-lite resonated with Democrats. The medium, the one you're using right now, allows a level of interaction that was not possible before.
Then there is the man himself.
Dennis Myers of the Pahrump Valley Times in Nevada managed to nail it down today. "Dean's strongest asset is not liberal views but his willingness to lead at a time when the Democratic Party is starved for leadership."
Myers illustrates this, not by talking about the Civil Unions bill, but how Dean took on the surround of the issue, the cultural conservatives who invaded the state of Vermont with money, and whose hate-filled campaign forced Dean himself to wear a bullet-proof vest, in 1999 and 2000.
Writes Myers:
Dean responded by standing up to them, campaigning against what he called the "cultural right." He won reelection, the gay unions and progressive property tax were retained, and the new social conservatives in the state lost influence.
Imagine if political leaders in other states had stood up to their cultural conservatives. Here in Nevada the small band of right wingers who used a minority vote to hold the legislature hostage might never have gained office if state leaders had taken them on instead of cowering before them.
America is sick of being bullied by far-right goon squads. Americans want a leader who will take on bigotry of all kinds.
Howard Dean has done that, not just in this campaign, but throughout his political career. It's a unique record, one that is not dimmed by nit-picking or buzzwords from any side.
Howard Dean is a leader. That's what we need in our President.
The message, that we can't be Bush-lite resonated with Democrats. The medium, the one you're using right now, allows a level of interaction that was not possible before.
Then there is the man himself.
Dennis Myers of the Pahrump Valley Times in Nevada managed to nail it down today. "Dean's strongest asset is not liberal views but his willingness to lead at a time when the Democratic Party is starved for leadership."
Myers illustrates this, not by talking about the Civil Unions bill, but how Dean took on the surround of the issue, the cultural conservatives who invaded the state of Vermont with money, and whose hate-filled campaign forced Dean himself to wear a bullet-proof vest, in 1999 and 2000.
Writes Myers:
Dean responded by standing up to them, campaigning against what he called the "cultural right." He won reelection, the gay unions and progressive property tax were retained, and the new social conservatives in the state lost influence.
Imagine if political leaders in other states had stood up to their cultural conservatives. Here in Nevada the small band of right wingers who used a minority vote to hold the legislature hostage might never have gained office if state leaders had taken them on instead of cowering before them.
America is sick of being bullied by far-right goon squads. Americans want a leader who will take on bigotry of all kinds.
Howard Dean has done that, not just in this campaign, but throughout his political career. It's a unique record, one that is not dimmed by nit-picking or buzzwords from any side.
Howard Dean is a leader. That's what we need in our President.
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