Last weekend, attendees of the Democratic National Committee's winter meeting in Washington, D.C. heard from seven of the eight declared presidential candidates. And as you might suspect, the weekend was filled with attacks against the policies of the current administration.
For instance, Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., said the president's policies were \wrong for our children, wrong for families, wrong for our values [and] wrong for America."" Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., added that the president entered office with ""the best economy in probably 50 years ... and has turned every good fact on its head.""
But Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont, brought the house down. His criticism of the president--and also of his own party--elicited the most enthusiastic response of the weekend, both from party activists and from political observers.
After criticizing Democratic leaders for supporting, among other things, the president's war plans and tax cuts in a time of growing federal deficits, he said, simply, ""I am Howard Dean and I'm here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."" He later added, ""This campaign is about change ... We're first going to change this party because this party needs to look in the mirror and ask itself: Is this party about the next election or is it about changing America?""
So who is this guy? And why am I supporting him and his agenda? For one thing, Dean will lead Democrats back to the days when it stood for something more than winning elections--when it was a vital force for social change and progress. But more than that, Dean can win. And he ought to win. Here are some reasons why.
u His record and his campaign style will resonate strongly with independent voters. First of all, his fiscal record in Vermont is enviable. During his tenure as governor he cut taxes, balanced budgets, saved up money during the salad days of the 1990s and paid down a sizable amount of Vermont's debt obligations. And his stand against national gun control legislation--while a source of anxiety to some Democratic loyalists--will play particularly well among libertarians. As for his approach to campaigning, he is running much like Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., did in 2000--as a straight-shooter who says what is on his mind.
u He is locking down the antiwar vote. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and the Rev. Al Sharpton may have something to say about this. However, insofar as presidential politics is concerned, Dean has occupied this field for months. And as the Kucinich and Sharpton campaigns begin to fade away, Dean will be the only one left standing resolutely for peace and a multilateral foreign policy. Thus, he will have an important constituency--and the devoted volunteer base that comes with it--all to himself.
u He will play to win in the South. The GOP, of course, has an electoral stranglehold on the region. But Dean is going after Republicans on their turf. Moreover, he is actively seeking support from both black and white voters. Consider what he said on Friday: ""White folks in the South who drive pick-up trucks with Confederate flag decals on the back ought to be voting with us because their kids don't have health insurance either, and their kids need better schools, too."" If he can close the Republican margin among white Southerners, he might make the region truly competitive. He may even do a better job of winning Southern support than Edwards, who presently trails the president by a wide margin in his home state.
u He would absolutely thrash the president in the debates. This will be particularly true if the hard economic times do not end by next summer or if the current and future wars do not go smoothly. But at any rate, Dean's record of achievement and his articulate vision for America's future will compare very favorably to the president's inept handing of foreign and domestic public policy.
u And most of all: He has a spine. If you need any proof of this, consider his support of legislation that allowed homosexual Vermonters to enter into civil union partnerships, which grant them the same rights as married couples--such as hospital visitation privileges and spousal health insurance coverage. On this matter, he said the following: ""I never got a chance to ask myself whether signing it was a good idea or not because I knew that if I were willing to sell out the rights of a whole group of human beings because it might be politically inconvenient for a future office I might run for, then I had wasted my time in public service.""
Courage, intelligence, leadership and a bold plan for the future are the four main things that I look for in a candidate. Howard Dean has these qualities--in spades. That is why he has earned my support and merits yours.
