(no subject)

[rivka]

Here's the text of a recent Howard Dean stump speech in Iowa, including an informal question and answer period. If you haven't checked Dean out yet, you might want to take a look. It's a good basic introduction to his positions on many issues - and to his style, which is a big part of what attracts me to him.

I admire a guy who will stand up and say,

I told you when I started out that there were going to be some things that you agreed with me on and there were going to be some things you didn't agree with me on, and I think we've found a few. But one thing you're going to know is what my position is on every single issue. I'm not going to say one thing to one group of people and something to somebody else.

I know what the feeling is in this part of Iowa about gay rights. Don't you think I knew that before I ran for president?

This is why I think he can win. He's not going to try to pretend that his opinions match the opinions of the center all the way down the line - he's going to position himself as someone we can trust even when we disagree. He doesn't go in front of conservative Democratic audiences and say, "Well, the Vermont Supreme Court made me do something for gays, and I thought civil unions would be better than gay marriage." Which he could do. But he also doesn't write those voters off. He challenges them to believe that he can be a good president and someone who disagrees with them about gay rights.

As the Baltimore Sun says, it's all about authenticity.

Comments

[melebeth]

You know, I could almost cry (ok, I'm lying. I am crying just a little bit, but I've been doing that a lot lately) that there's actually a candidate who I'm wholeheartedly for. Who consistantly makes me think "This is a man who could make me proud to be an American again."

What an awesome speech.

[lizardling.livejournal.com]

*nod* my friend K is going to a local Dean rally.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

You should go with your friend K!

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

It's not quite all about authenticity.

As they popint out, Perot and McCain had azuthenticity to spare. But over the course of a campaign, neither of them exhibited any ability to listen and work effectively with ideological opponents (yes, stonewalling an opponent can be seen as effective if you get your agenda pushed through anyway). One thing I like about Dean is that he does have the experience of being a state executive (like 4 of the previous 5 presidents); I think that will translate well to voters in the coming months. He's authentic without being an autentic loon. :-)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Those are good points. One of the things that reassures me about Dean is that - in contrast to, say, McCain - he's good at crafting his message and then sticking to it. McCain's off-the-cuff remarks could really wander into dangerous shoals, and then he'd get tangled up trying to extricate himself. It's the kind of thing that people love to watch, but it's not the kind of thing they want to see in their president.

Dean, on the other hand - well, for example, it's obvious if you follow his public remarks that a month or so ago he realized he was in serious danger of being miscast as "the pacifist candidate." Suddenly, every time he was before a camera or an audience, he managed to work in an explanation that he doesn't oppose war in general, just the Iraq war. It wasn't a change in position, it was a change in presentation of his position - and it seems to have been effective, if you can judge by the changes in how the press questions him and writes about him. I guess you'd call that "effective authenticity?"

I agree with you, as well, about the critical necessity of electing people who will be able to work within the current system to get their policies enacted. That's why I'm not a Kucinich supporter, and why I didn't vote for Nader.

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

Don't get me started about Nader in 2000.

Another thing I like about Dean is that he seems to be building an organization. As much as I dislike the christian fundamental political movement in the US, I have to acknowledge and respect the work they've put into developing a strong ground-up network over the past 25 years. If Dean does nothing more than getting liberals to [a] stop running from the term and [b] begin organizing effectively, then this will be an amazing campaign.

I think he's capable of achieving much more than that, though. :-)

[nsingman.livejournal.com]

I've never read a full stump speech of Dean's before - thanks for reproducing it. He's right about Iraq, and he's right about Dubya's mendacity. However he is, quite plainly and honestly, a socialist who wants to raise my income and FICA taxes by (doing the calculations quickly) at least a five-figure sum.

I hope he is the nominee; I think it would be a much more interesting campaign that way. But I don't think the Democratic Party bosses will let it happen.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. What a great speech!

[warlordkittens.livejournal.com]

he so rocks.

hi.