Dean Promises to 'Take This Country Back.' (The title alone is priceless)

BET ^ | 2-15-05 | Ed Wiley III and Tracy Scott

[Indy Pendance]

Promising to “take this country back for the people who built it,” Howard Dean took control of the Democratic Party Saturday, immediately drawing mixed reactions from the moderate and more liberal wings of the party.

“Today will be the beginning of the re-emergence of the Democratic Party,” said Dean, who was uncontested for the job after former Rep. Tim Roemer (D-Ind.), Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas), party activist Donnie Fowler, former Ohio party Chairman David Leland, former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and New Democratic Network President Simon Rosenberg dropped out of the race. Dean replaces Terry McCauliffe, whose four-year term ended last week.

The former governor of Vermont, Dean became a national figure when he joined the race for the presidency. Early on in the primary season, Dean became the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination but withdrew after critics lambasted him for what’s been deemed the “Dean Scream.” The media played repeatedly a video of an impassioned Dean at the Iowa caucuses, his sleeves rolled up and collar unbuttoned, pumping his fist in air and letting out an amplified yowl.

It wasn’t his first misstep. Earlier in the race, Dean had been blasted by fellow Democrat Al Sharpton for saying he wanted to attract the rebel-flag-waving segment of society to his party, and by other Democrats for dissing the centrist politics of Bill Clinton.

But despite Dean’s somewhat embarrassing exit from the presidential race, many believe he is the right man to lead the Democratic National Committee, while others say Dean is too liberal and abrasive, and question whether he has what it takes to lead and unify the party.

Still other Democrats argue that the only issue now is how to combat an ideologically driven Republican Party that now controls the House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House.

“This administration … believe[s] there should be no roof of opportunities for the rich and powerful, no safety net or floor for the poor,” said the Rev. Jesse Jackson. “So we do call on our new DNC Chairman to move our party to the center – the moral center. We call on Howard Dean to do what he does best – to tell the truth, to stand up and fight for the defenseless and the weak, to point out the corrupt and biased priorities by which this administration, this Congress, and this GOP are pushing. On the crises of our times, Howard Dean will fight for a Democratic Party that’s occupies the moral center.”

Stephen Minarik, chairman of the State Republican Party disagrees.

Speaking to The Buffalo News recently, Minarik said, "Howard Dean is the personification of today's national Democratic Party - elite, radical, out of control and sadly out of touch with ordinary Americans."

Carrie Gordon Earll of Focus on the Family, a conservative organization, told Cybercast News Service: "Dean can be a wild card. If you go by his track record, he does tend to pull to the left, but not on everything. He may remake himself to be more moderate, but I don't believe that's who he really is."

[blackie]

I'm here to serve. :)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[FreedomPoster]

>>First rule of finding yourself in a hole is to stop digging. But in Dean the rats have found the political equivilent of a back hoe.

Bite your tongue. Backhoe is an indispensible FReeper.

;-)

[Kozak]

I've made "the scream" my cell phone ring tone.
Most Annoying Ever.

[manic4organic]

The only better choice we could have hoped for would possibly be Michael Moore. Go Howard, go!

[SunkenCiv]

Somewhere on FR, recently, was a topic regarding an op-ed which said that Dean would be out by 2006, or the end of 2006. I'd guess that has to do with "having their asses handed to them" in the midterm elections, but it could be that the op-ed writer doesn't see much in the way of competence and a lot in the way of sheer fanatical nuttiness in Dean. :')

IOW, I couldn't be happier.

Social Security going bankrupt? Call Howard Dean and Ted "Trust Fund" Kennedy" -- they'll be happy to point out how there's absolutely nothing to worry about.

[SunkenCiv]

Too funny!

[MeekOneGOP]

It wasn’t his first misstep. Earlier in the race, Dean had been blasted by fellow Democrat Al Sharpton for saying he wanted to attract the rebel-flag-waving segment of society to his party, and by other Democrats for dissing the centrist politics of Bill Clinton.

Sharpton revs up against Dean
(Click here or on the pic for entire article)

At stake for Sharpton is control, both of his home turf and the African-American wing of the national party. He won't look kindly on any presidential candidate, including Dean, who doesn't recognize his primacy. In fact, he's threatening to sit out the 2004 election. "I'll just go back to Harlem," he says. Let Dean explain that to black voters.

(credit to Registered for original pic of Kerry/Dean)

[Seadog Bytes]

[Seadog Bytes]

Yes, Ma'am. I hope you are well today.

[Tribune7]

Dean Promises to 'Take This Country Back.'

And state by state:

Not only are we going to New Hampshire ..., we're going to South Carolina and Oklahoma and Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico, and we're going to California and Texas and New York! And we're going to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan. And then we're going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House, Yeeeeeaaaaaah!"

[Seadog Bytes]

Bump

[RedEyeJack]

Speaking of Rev Al... Did his girlfriend get the high level DNC position that Al staked out for her? Since the MSM nor Al have said anything about it I assume that Al got his way.... Anyone have knowledge on where this went?

[johnb838]

He's campaigning. He's never going to be willing to stay in the shadows and work for a rat candidate.