HAPPY, HAPPY DANCE TIME!
Posted on 02/13/2005 2:04:41 AM PST by ppaul
WASHINGTON — Howard Dean won the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) yesterday, vowing to lead a crusade back to power by competing for values-minded voters in "red" Republican states while continuing blistering criticisms of President Bush that rank-and-file Democrats love."Today will be the beginning of the re-emergence of the Democratic Party," the former Vermont governor and presidential candidate said to cheers and applause from party activists and leaders. "We are going to take this country back for the people who built it."
The 447-member DNC elected Dean by acclamation, his triumph locked up in recent weeks as he outmaneuvered rivals and forced each to quit the race one by one.
His two-month campaign for the job showcased his skills at motivating and organizing supporters among active and devoted Democrats. Unanswered is whether Dean can find a voice that will appeal to less-devoted Democrats or independents.
Dean, a 56-year-old doctor, brushed aside questions about his style. "I'm not a Zen person," he said after his speech. "I am who I am."
He renewed his pledge not to pursue the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2008, a commitment that would help him remain neutral as a large field of hopefuls start angling for the spot.
He also insisted he would not seek to dictate the party's positions on issues. "I'm not going to get into policy issues," he said. "Most of the policy pronouncements will be coming from the leaders of the Congress."
Dean often has been to the right or left of many Democrats.
As governor, he balanced budgets and was supported by the National Rifle Association. Among the 2004 Democratic presidential candidates, he urged the biggest tax increases and the biggest expansion of health care. He also opposed the war in Iraq from the outset.
Democrats yesterday lauded Dean as a fierce fighter for their side, and said the record and persona that hurt him in a presidential candidate would not matter for a party chairman.
"We need somebody that's a fighter, someone who will fight for this party," said Wellington Webb, a former Denver mayor and one of Dean's failed rivals for the party job.
Webb praised Dean as "the first one to take on George Bush ... the first to energize the grass roots of our party ... the one who showed us how to raise money on the Internet" and someone who was not "Republican Lite."
PUKE!
I HOPE DEAN GIVE US MORE IN CONGRESS THAN CLINTON DID.THE DEMOCRATS WILL NEVER LEARN. AND THANKS GOD FOR THAT. WE WILL HAVE MORE SENATOR SOON.
"Dean often has been to the right or left of many Democrats."
He's all over the map.
Hillary will run in '08, who will our side put up to defeat her?
Dean gets elected to chair the DNC....It's a GREAT day to be a Republican!
The only guy who was a bigger loser than Kerry in the 2004 election.
I see them losing alot in the future.
As my name implies I'm a Reformer who votes for the candidate first, but I won't be voting for any Democrat after their display the past 4 years. With Dean heading them towards more of the same, that party could take a serious hit.
After reading the DU election night thread, they were puting their hopes on a Hitlery / Osama Obama ticket.
I can only hope they nominate a woman and a muslim as we fight the war on terrorism.
Another cow holding an "I love pro choice" sign. I just love the way they slant this so it doesn`t focus on the truth. How about "I love no choice"? It`s what the kid has.
"I'm not a Zen person," he said after his speech. "I am who I am."And that's all he am. He popeye the sailor man. Toot! Toot!
Dr. Rice
Twisting, slowly twisting in the wind, he utters his primeval scream as the shaken party faithful melt away into obscurity.
Simply delightful news. I shall go for a walk this morning and greet all with a cheerful hello.
I caught a little of the meeting on C-Span -- New Mexico's Gov. Richardson's remarks. He might well end up on Hill's ticket as the VP. He is Hispanic and he's not a senator from MA. Right there he's ahead on points. You could see the dems treating him with respect and adulation. He's a big deal over there and they take him seriously. First he stroked party activists with boiler plate rhetoric on how great they were and how they were the party of compassion, a party of individuals lifting themselves up, helping, others and making a better world together. (Echoes of Hill's 'we're going to take some things back you already have...for the common good'.) Richardson then went on: The party has a great future, but needs to organize and come up with new ideas now. Then: "God bless you and God bless the democratic party."
Much is made of this but I suspect that a balanced budget is probably the law there.
Even here in NY a balanced budget is required by law.This has made for "very unusual"accounting procedures over the years.
>>It just frustrates her that emotion isn't enough.
You've just described 95+% of the Dem side of all political discussions with an informed conservative.
I'd be suprised if Obama ran for VP in 08. I think he wants to establish himself as a senator first.
DNC going even further to the LEFT heading DOWN into the abyss!!!!
D2
:-)
Even the moonbats at DU are having buyers remorse, akin to waking up with someone in your bed after a night of heavy drinking.
Frankly, I think this is a smart move by the DNC. The Democrats will never make any headway trying to be centrist and organized. If people want centrist, organized, sensible politics, they will vote for the Republicans.
Democrats need to be loud. Democrats need to be chaotic. Democrats need to say bizzare things and advocate impossible positions. If they do this, 1 out of 100 things they say will make sense, but that one thing will resonate with the people and advance their cause.
By elevating Dean, the Democrats are abandoning their losing strategy embodied by the Clintons and the Democrat Leadership Council. This will hurt them in the short run, but is the only way back for the Democrat Party in the long term.
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