The Doctor Is in Town! BY: Boris Ryvkin
"Yearrrrrgh!"
Last Saturday was a day of pomp and circumstance for the delegates gathered at the meeting of the Democratic National Committee to choose their new chairman. Terry McAuliffe, the outgoing leader who had raised millions of dollars in grassroots contributions and solved the party’s budgetary problems during the last election cycle, had nonetheless presided over an 8 loss streak. The Dems decided to move in another direction, and the talk of the town had been for the last two months that Howard Dean, the ex-Vermont governor and vocalist, would be the man to watch in the race for the chairmanship.
What a journey it has been for the firebrand Democratic presidential candidate whose star seemed to evaporate in the fields of Iowa and the mountains of New Hampshire. Who could forget his outspoken demeanor, forceful body language, and skill at pumping up his closest supporters. From being the only candidate who personally paid for cups of coffee for his half-frozen volunteers during the New Hampshire primaries, to presiding over, with the assistance of former campaign manager Joe Trippi, the largest internet grassroots fundraising effort in recent memory. The Doctor saw himself above all as the man of action, who would ride into Washington after “sending Bush back to Crawford, Texas”. He is a man who is not afraid to demonstrate his hard-left positions on America’s social, economic, and foreign policy. From being a staunch supporter of abortion on demand and gay marriage to saying that, “Americans know that they can’t trust Republicans with their money”, Dean is a man who has ignited a party in need of passion. Dean is filled with controversy, but that seems to be one of his main selling points. Despite being elected governor of Vermont 3 times, Dean allegedly stated during the presidential campaign that he would drop out if “secret” documents about his conduct at his post were to leak out. Dean went on the record as saying that removing Saddam Hussein “made America less safe” and “might not be a good thing”. Reports have claimed he even called Hamas terrorists “freedom fighters”, and John Kerry a Republican, which leads us to ask whether enthusiasm and reason go hand in hand.
Just like his famed presidential campaign, a DNC under Dean's control is dead in the water!
No matter how you might view the Doctor, the Democratic leadership placed their faith in him despite his far-left leanings and his somewhat problematic relationship with likely 2008 nominee Hilary Clinton. Some have cited his skill at organization, while some have praised his “faith to bedrock Democratic principles” With a party in retreat after losing both houses of Congress, the presidency and a plurality of gubernatorial races, Dean has to face a map of Red America and a leadership moving away from the mainstream as much as himself. Dean stated that the party needed to “change its language” to improve its appeal to people of faith. Of primary importance was the traditional Democratic championing of the rights and health of children and the poor. While John Kerry keeps saying that “the Democratic party doesn’t need a makeover. We came within inches of winning the presidency” and Bill Clinton attempts to convince the leadership he isn’t moving left, Dean has to face reality. Last week, in a televised conference, Dean said that he “hates the Republicans and everything they stand for”. Notwithstanding, GOP chairman Ken Mehlman called Dean to congratulate him as a “strong leader for your party”. Dean has a tough choice to make. If he continues the adversarial stance of an attack dog, he runs the risk of becoming either a relic like Al Gore or a target like Harry Reid. Dean has appeared to be softening his touch. He even commented that he “will be living in the south for most of the time”. Indeed, with moral values and the war on terror being high on the average voter’s mind, Dean’s dubious stance on these issues put him in a dangerous spot for leading the party in the 2006 midterm and 2008 presidential races. With Hilary Clinton moving to the center and beating all potential challengers, including a head-to-head with Rudy Giuliani, some have commented that the threat of “Dean on her left flank” could undercut her bid to reach the White House, but only time will tell.
