The Democrats Go Dean Crazy; Hil Tacks Right

[papau]

Hill Dems are veering right while Howard Dean moves the party structure left???????

http://www.observer.com/pages/frontpage1.asp



The Democrats Go Dean Crazy; Hil Tacks Right
by Lizzy Ratner and Ben Smith



Soon after Howard Dean took a solid lead in the race to lead the Democratic National Committee on Jan. 31, Senator Hillary Clinton fainted in Buffalo.

Of course, that’s not to suggest that the two events are related. But it can be safely said that Dr. Dean’s recent re-emergence as a Democratic titan—and the most compelling alternative to the Clintons—must have caused quite a bit of agita back at the homestead in Chappaqua. And it locks the former Vermont governor and the New York Senator into an uneasy partnership that will define their party for the next three years.

Dr. Dean won the endorsements of a majority of state Democratic Party officials on Jan. 31 and the next day solidified his lead when the A.F.L.-C.I.O. declined to back a candidate and three of his rivals dropped out of the race. Should he win the final vote on Feb. 12, Dr. Dean will join Mrs. Clinton as two of the most prominent leaders of a party struggling to define itself.

The duo will pull the party between two ideological poles: Mrs. Clinton’s conciliatory, pro-war centrism, and Dr. Dean’s strident rejection of George W. Bush’s White House. But if Dr. Dean wins, he might be put in the unlikely situation of shepherding Mrs. Clinton through the 2008 Presidential campaign.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[soleft]

1. Count me among the Dean crazy

He's taking over the DNC is the first thing I've felt good about when it comes to politics - since Nov. 2

[cags]

4. Me too, Go Dean, Go Go Dean whoo hoooooo

A light at the end of the tunnel is peeking through

[brainshrub]

2. The bottom line:

"Centrist" Democrats are nothing more than Republican appeasers. If people are given a choice between a Republican, and a Democrat who sounds like a Republican... they will go for the Republican every time.

Frankly, Hillary sounds more like a Republican every time I hear her. She's pro-death penalty, pro-corporate, pro-Iraqi war and she's been hinting at appeasing the pro-birth crowd lately.

My prediction is that she will be defeated for re-election to the Senate. Her track-record does not distinguish her enough from mainstream conservatives to fight off a well-funded Republican contender.

[Larkspur]

6. I think she'll win re-election as senator but she will struggle during a

Dem Prez Primary because Dean's supporters will not let her slide easily to the coronation and if we can find a solid anti-Clintonista candidate, we may help expose her dark side for all to see.

[brainshrub]

8. Didn't Dean say that if he became DNC Chair he would not run for pres?

I don't remember where I heard that.

[Capn Sunshine]

18. It's part of the Party Rule structure

The Chair can't run.
But he can resign.

Trust me on this however, Howard Dean really doesn't enjoy running for pres.

[Larkspur]

22. Dean isn't the only anti-Clintonista Dem around...

A former VP from TN is no friend of the Clintonistas either.

[Melynn]

25. That's been my point for a while

If people have a choice between voting for a phony Repug or a real Repug , they will vote for a real Repug.

Hopefully, Dean is start of a new beginning for the Democrat party. I'm afraid that Hillary is stuck in the 90's playing the triangulation game and it will result in the end of her political career.

[calimary]

26. Your bottom line is BULL'S-EYE BRILLIANT.

Spot on.

"Centrist" Democrats are NOTHING but republi-CON wannabes. DINOs. And people tend to want to vote for what they think is the real thing. Why go for the cheap imitation when you can have genuine republi-CON. What the hell is wrong with offering an ALTERNATIVE? If indeed we are the opposing party, WHY THE HELL DON'T WE OPPOSE?!?!? What's the point, otherwise?

To me, it just underscores and legitimizes the complaint of so many people I myself have heard or read - who claim they see no real difference between the two. Why should they - when there basically isn't any? As long as we go along, go along, go along, and agree, agree, agree, and concur, concur, concur, there's no reason even to pay any attention to us. The person who declares something, whether good or bad, always has more credibility than he or she who merely adds "me, too."

I had this email argument with Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution once. I complained about an appearance he made on CNN as the "liberal" side against some cutesy little conservative goldilocks who was making (and scoring) all the points and three out of four or five times, all he had to say was "well, I agree with my opponent that..." or "well, my opponent makes a good point..."

I wrote him and said (well, more politely) FUCK THAT SHIT! Aren't you supposed to be offering an opposing view? Pointing out all the holes in the argument of your opponent, rather than agreeing, agreeing, agreeing? His response was that he thought it was far more important to give the impression of being able to get along. He didn't want contention or disagreement (made us look unruly and disagreeable, he claimed, when we shouldn't be so obstructionist). My argument remains, however: If all we do is agree, agree, agree, what's the point to our even being there? Why should anybody even listen to us? We're not saying anything new or offering anything different. How to Become Utterly Irrelevant 101. He just didn't see it. It seems clear as day to me.

So Hillary can go ahead and start veering to the wrong and remain sickly and spineless like the other pansys in our party. I'm placing my bets on the feisty doctor from Vermont. You know, the guy with the backbone.

[Larkspur]

3. I'm on the Dean side too

It will be interesting over the next few years as the Dean faction that is pulling the Dem Party back to the center wrestles with the rightward leaning Hill Dems. Of course, Dean has us to help him challenge those Repuke-lite Dems.

[WI_DEM]

5. Dean will not be some far left winger

he will stick up for basic principles ,however, and be outspoken in his opposition to the administration. That is what an opposition party is supposed to do and what the chairman of that opposition party should be. But as a governor and as the head of the Governors Association he has proven he can and will work with others.

[cthrumatrix]

7. they are afraid of Dean --- I like that

[CWebster]

9. Not even Dean can make her brand of centrism acceptible. nt

[gulfcoastliberal]

10. 3rd Way / NDN/ DLC has cost us dearly

I really wonder if the damage can be repaired, it has gone so deep in the core of the party.

I wish Hillary hadn't run for senate now. I wish the Clintons would stop right-wing appeasment; these are the people who made their lives hell and now they pander to them! Maybe Hillary will switch to repug since she agrees more with GW and right-wing ideology than with her own party.

[Debi]

11. I'm crazy for Dean!

:bounce:

[XemaSab]

12. From what I've heard Dean say about Framing....

...I don't think he'll let Hillary get very far talking like that as a potential candidate.

[bluedog]

13. We Need DEAN

about time someone with a backbone speaks for the "real" people of this party.........we are sick of thiese wet noodles who haven't any spunk and can't defend our canidates on these talk shows.........GO DEAN
:yourock:

[erpowers]

14. I am a Dean Fan Too

I am very happy that it looks like he will be the next DNC chair. I think he will stand up to Bush and the Republicans. Also, I think he will build the party at the grassroots level.

[HelpIsOnTheWayDamnit]

15. Yeaarrrrrrrgh!!

Yearrrrrrggghhhh! Go Dean!!! :headbang:

[Capn Sunshine]

20. great user name!

welcome to DU :headbang:

[KittyWampus]

16. And The Same Crew Takes The Mediawhores' Bait Yet Again

like fucking clockwork.

[CWebster]

17. same crew....

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0106-14.htm

[Mountainman]

19. The centrists have not gained us anything so I say let's be a party of the

people again. We need Dean because he will tell it like it is and not appease the right.

Ever since we were afraid to attack the very popular war president we signed on to be losers.

[Capn Sunshine]

21. The problem with "centrists" is they AREN'T

When a bunch of neocon wackos who control the corporate media decide to define "the center" as way the hell over there on the right, it makes the ACTUAL centrists like Dean framed as something else. The problem isn't centrism, it's defining it as republican lite.

[Moderator]

23. papau

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.

DU Moderator

[janx]

24. Maybe Lizzy and Ben have been smoking some weed. n/t