posted
Closing remarks from yesterday's AFL-CIO forum:
"The real question here tonight is which one of us can beat George Bush. Here's is how I plan to do it. I opposed the war in Iraq, not because I am a pacifist, but because I didn't think the evidence was there.
I opposed No Child Left Behind because it was an unfunded mandate that doesn't help kids and it leaves more of them behind. I opposed the tax cuts because I want a balanced budget and investment in America so we can have jobs in this country again.
You can't beat President Bush by trying to be like him, we tried that in 2002 and it didn't work. The way to beat this President is to stand up and be proud to be Democrats.
Look to what Harry Truman put in the 1948 Democratic Party platform: Health insurance for everybody. We need to stand up for ourselves again and take on the President directly.
In the last quarter most of you know I raised a lot of money. That was great. But it was the way I raised it that matters. 93,000 Americans, more than half who never gave to a political candidate before, and most of the gifts were under 100 dollars. That's how you can beat a President that can get $2000 checks as often as he wants. We're going to give the 50% of Americans who don't vote anymore a reason to vote in the Democratic Party.
We're going to stand up and be proud to be Democrats. We've got the numbers, and this time, the person who gets the most votes is going to win the White House."
posted
I don't think Howard Dean has a chance. People don't want Democrats to stand up and be Democrats, nor do they want Republicans to stand up and be Republicans. People want politicians who are near the center- not too far left, not too far right.
We want politicians who talk sense. Dean is going to balance the budget AND pay for universal health care?! How can he do that without raising taxes? He can't.
Posts: 4548 | Registered: May 2001
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I don't know how many of you are located in the Philadelphia area and, of those, how many are interested in Howard Dean, but I'm going to the rally on Independence Mall on Monday, August 11th. I'd love to meet some Hatrackers downtown (if any of you are planning on going). It's a long shot, I know, but if you're interested please mail me -- kasieshunt@hotmail.com.
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Here is the thing that gets me. During the boom years of the nineties the economy grew and grew, but government spending outpaced even the economy. Now that times are leaner, why is it exactly that the government can't scale back, as just about every American corporation has done? It makes no sense. Neither the Dems nor the elephants seem to have much in the way of fiscal responsibility. Whoever wins the election, I have little doubt that our government will spend us into a deep black hole our children will be forced to pull us out of. I am thinking that the pretty much every gov. program will be in the same state as social security by the time these fools are done.
Posts: 4548 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
I love Dean, but why, oh why, did Jon Stewart have to point out his goofy smile? I giggle now every time I see it.
I live in Western Massachusetts, and we are always aware of Vermont politics because it is so close. Dean has been in my radar for years. He is a good guy.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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I went to one last night, too. I was amazed at how many people showed up at our little town library. Especially considering that I live in a strongly Republican area. I think Dean has a serious shot.
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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Fortune magazine (i think, it was some sort of business magazine my father had) had a peice on dean, which basically pointed out that whatever appearance Dean was presnting as a democratic presidential canidate, left-wing was not an adjective that one would associate with the man's tenure as the governer of vermont. Of course, then again, one would tend not to associate anything but liberal with any governer of vermont (it being one of the most liberal states in the union and all).
the article was luke-warm on Dean, but does point out that he's got the makings of a very good moderate, who's perhaps just playing the left-wing democrats in his bid for the democratic nomination, and then will shuffle center, as was more characteristic of his gubinatorial tenure.
All in all, that may mean that Dean is much more votable for the american public than anyone, either the democrats or republicans running against him give him credit for.
of course, this also means that i will probably find him less and less appealing as time progresses (not that i found him terribly appealing in the first place).
Anything to vote bush out i suppose though...
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