Nation-Building >> Come on, Ann, let's have an endorsement! | return to front page

My favorite ex-Guv Ann Richards was on LKL last night plugging her new book. Ann is well known for her wit and intelligence, and she had plenty to say when Larry asked her about Ahhhnuld and Election 2004. Of particular interest is what she had to say about our candidate:

KING: Let's turn now to your party. Howard Dean. I think we have the tape here. Watch -- I think -- if we have it ready, this is what you said back in December on this show. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - DECEMBER 16, 2002)
RICHARDS: The one I like of the whole bunch so far is Howard Dean, the governor...
KING: Governor of Vermont.
RICHARDS: ... of Vermont.
KING: I met him a couple weeks ago. Why do you like him of the whole bunch?
RICHARDS: Well, he's the only one saying anything. I like candidates who tell me something that is going to make a difference to me. And Howard Dean is a doctor. He knows all about medical care. And he's talking about health care in this country, which I think is important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: What do you make of how he's doing?
RICHARDS: Well, I think Howard Dean is a phenomenon, and I've never seen in my lifetime a grass-roots organization like Howard Dean has put together. It is phenomenal. There are people meeting all over the country in little groups that are Howard Dean supporters, and it is a grass-roots effort where they're going out and getting more of their friends and more and more to join up. And a lot of it is being done on the Internet. And I know that you saw that he had raised more money than the rest of the candidates in the last reporting period, and he's done it all on the Internet in small amounts. So I think there is something going on here that is unlike anything that we've seen before. And I think it is based solely on what I told you back in December, that this guy is talking about issues and was not afraid to take on George Bush's policies. And I think that that's it, pure and simple. Whoever wins this nomination is going to have to go after George Bush and this administration on education, health care, the environment, the war and the continuation of it, and the lack of being able to bring any normalcy to Iraq.

Ann is obviously favoring Dean, and this is about as close as she'll get to endorsing anyone before the primary season. Check out the entire interview, as she had lots to say about how Shrub has run this country into the ground.