Howard Dean, has he lost his mind?

BY MAGGIE HABERMAN
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU

HOWARD DEAN, The favorite to be the next head of the Democratic National Committee, made his case in midtown yesterday, promising to make his party operate more like the GOP - at least when it comes to elections.
"I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for, but I admire their discipline and their organization," the failed presidential hopeful told the crowd at the Roosevelt Hotel, where he and six other candidates spoke at the final DNC forum before the Feb. 12 vote for chairman.

Italics mine. This reminds me of one bloggers comment:
Jane's Law: The devotees of the party in power are smug and arrogant. The devotees of the party out of power are insane.

I REALLY want the Democrats to be a viable and winning (at least some of the time) party. If the Democrats completely abandon the center, the Republicans will likely do the same (public choice theory says this shouldn't be so, but the Republicans have a pretty good instinct for self-destruction themselves). Rhetoric like this from Dean (who appears to be the front runner for the DNC chair) does not encourage.

i thought he went insane a year ago when he freaked out and screamed and ate that reporter on national tv.

i might be imagining the part about eating the reporter though.

Dean does come across as a bit of a.. oh, how shall I put this.. raving manic crackpot.

I'm an Issues voter rather than a Party voter, which I suppose makes me Independent. (I think both (all) sides are equally untrustworthy and should all be repeatedly slapped in the mouth on principle.) However, if more Democrats were like Dean.. I'd claim to be Republican, just so I didn't get painted with the kook brush by association.

I'm keeping my hopes up for a Wesley Clark/John McCain ticket in '08 if we're still allowed to vote by then. (Yes, I am a sucker for disappointment.. why do you ask?)

I believe that the "I hate Republicans" sentance was a "figure of speech" and should not be taken literally. Howard Dean tends to put his foot in his mouth almost as often as Bush.

I like Howard Dean for the same reason that republicans love Bush, because I think the Democrats need some stregnth and some insanity. I tired of wishy washy wimps that won't stand up for themselves or the people they represent.

If Dean had been the presidential candidate at least I would have felt that he put up a good fight instead of running off to wimper in a corner with his tail between his legs when confronted with asshats like the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" and the "Florida Family Association".

I think he will infuse some much needed stregnth into the party and I also believe that he is not such a politician that he is completely removed from what the average everyday persons experiences. I doubt that he will come off as an over educated elitist - which is the present public perception of "liberal".

You didn't imagine it !! I have it recorded on my DVR. I'd send you a copy but then They would know I knew and I can't have that now can I?

I happen to like Dean's insanity but I have to agree with you, I would love to see a Clark/McCain ticket. I respect them both. Though, both of them have had a few insane public moments themselves.

I put no stock in how the media portray people any longer - I don't even have any confidence in what they report and that's sad. Look at how bad the republicans made McCain look when he went against Bush. It was dispicable.

I tend to think that they do the same with Dean.

One question. When was Dean ever sane? lol

Side note: McCain is a Republican and Clark is a Democrat... not gonna happen.

I know - it dosen't mean that I can respect and like them both.

If the Dems want to be a viable party again they have to stop trying to be all things to all people and start truly being the opposition party. They've been much too nice and conciliatory for their own good.

I'll happily stay independant. I'd vote for McCain in a heartbeat if I ever get the chance.

Oh, I agree... I was addressing the Clark/McCain ticket

McCain would indeed be hard to beat if on the Republican ticket.

Yes, I know. It's still my ideal ticket, hence the comment about disappointment.

He is also addressing fundamental differences in the way the GOP and DNC run their campaigns. This include support of congressional candidate, leadership selection, fundraising and most importantly the way in which consultants are hired to complete work for a major campaign.

Democrats do have an outdated system and one that doesn't promote accountability or a winning strategy. Dean will be able to overhaul the inner workings of the Democratic party.

I don't think he is talking about being more like the GOP from a position standpoint. This is about administration and running the party.

One key reform is that the DLC pays its media firms on commission. This is a corrupt and outdated practice that costs Democrat contributors LOTS of money. To give an example.

Bush spent $6m on media development and placement with their media firm. Kerry spent at least $12m for the same services.

Why is this? The RNC pays ONCE for the services of their firm. THey pay for development and proper placement. THE DLC pays a commission on placement. This means that the media firm for the DLC gets more money the more placement they get. This is not strategic at all. These firms can runs tons of ads in unnecessary venues and rake in the dollars. This area needs drastic reform and this is what Dean is talking about.

I hope so.

"For both of these extremes have caught hold of part of the total truth about our society, and both of them can blend, far more easily than is generally believed, into a common assault upon the Totalitarian Center, upon that “menace” that is not, like the bogeys of the Ultra-Left and Ultra-Right, a phantom potential of some far-off future, but the group that is oppressing all of us, right here and now." - Murray Rothbard

I love that phrase.

McCain intrigues me. My understanding was that his positions on some social issues weren't terribly tolerant (a negative in my book) but he seems to be more of a lip service "family values" Republican, and I can accept that. Not ideal, but nothing ever is, depends on one's level of acceptable risk.

I have to say, Hillary also intrigues me. Yeah in the early days I thought no way, but she does seem to be taking the "Bill" mantle and starting to run with it. Still a big question mark in my book but there's a least a glimmer of potential. Another bonus for the Democrats, she drives certain elements of the Republican party truly insane (perhaps even more than Bill) and that helps with moderates.

I'm cool with the Democrats looking to assert themselves. But I'd much rather see them stake new policy initiatives on their own (as to their success, well who knows) than blindly attack all Republicans, some of whom they need to convert. Granted, this isn't a presidential nominee situation or anything, but his position would not be inconsequential and he is rather loud (and a press magnet).

Neehai, I agree that if Dean can restructure the "process" of how Democrats run elections, that will be a good thing for the Democratic party. The fund-raising only focus of the last one (McAuliffe, not bothering to check the spelling) wasn't enough. My problem is that there are probably other folks who can do the same job, without all the baggage of Dean.

I happen to like Howard Dean, but I still thought this was pretty funny. Everyone will always remember him for the "Dean Scream", I think he should play up on it and spin it into something positive.

Ok that is brilliant and you have sucessfully sought revenge on one keyboard

ohhhhhhhboyyyy....people sure have gotten that scream thing wrong..and its all the medias fault. I hate the media. He was in a room full of screaming supporters and the microphones were rigged to only zoom in on his voice and mute the crowds sounds. If you were in the room itself..you wouldn't have even heard him scream.
Diane Sawyer made an apology for the way the media ran with this..but by then it was to little to late and so the scream will live on in infamy.
People...people..people....Dean is more center then you can even imagine. Of course he wants health care for all kids. Who wants to see a kid not receive health care? Republlicans. Why would republicans be so mean as to deny health care to kids?
Dean was endorsed by the NRA when he was gov of vermont. He supported the govt going into Afganistan...cuz thats where the terrorist were!! Let me repeat that!! The TERRORIST WERE IN AFGANISTAN!! Instead our country forgot about OBL and went for saddam instead...huh?!? Get the one who attacked us first...k? HE IS STILL OUT THERE!!!

And what do the Republicans want more than anything? Power!!
And that was Deans mantra...WE HAVE THE POWER!! The people have the power to live their lives as they see fit. We have the power to make change around us.
The power is not in the govt. Hell...it does a piss poor job right now no matter who is in there. Swinging from left to right...right to left...making me dizzy. Sweeping changes in this country are not going to happen at the top...but from the bottom and it is happening all around us now. There is a movement that was started by the Dean campaign that has not stopped. In fact it is growing by leaps and bounds. People are finally waking up that little patriot inside and taking action. They are taking their power back in small ways..which are starting to snowball into larger concentric circles.
Why do the Republicans fear freedom of the individual? I thought this was a basic tenet of their party.

By the way...I kinda like McCain too. He is a more centrist kinda guy.

ok...disclaimer..this is all IMHO. *waits for the flames from the other side*

Oh the "Dean scream" was so overblown. I watched the clip and it was freaking obvious that he was just pumping up his supporters. "OMG he is enthusiastic about his campaign! Burn him!!!!"

I love the scream. I consider it a battle cry.

I know some liberal talk show hosts even put the soundbyte on their show and play it all the time as a good thing. I can't believe Dems made such a big deal of it.

No flames from me SuluMor, I agree. I also think he will make a great DNC Chairman. However, I think he needs to embrace the scream and then less people will think that he is extreme. In other words, make a joke about, put some spin on it, find a way to turn it into a positive.

See - calling it a Battle Cry would be a positive spin. The republicans put spin on Bush's mangling of words and make it look like he's just an every day guy and not a Yale graduate. I think Dean could do the same.

I have always thought Dean is just as crazy as Bush is. Maybe that's what happens when you are locked up in a cabin in New Hampshire! *snickers, removes tongue from cheek*

MCain's positions on a woman's right to choose bother me deeply. That said he'd be a fine candidate and a President (if he won) that I could support. I'm also troubled by his support of Bush --if he votes "yay" on Gonzales for AG then he'll lose any potential support I migtht have had for him. He's certainly the only Republican in the pack I can envision as a good President.

Dean, will make an excellent DNC chair. I only hope if he does he can chase the DLC out of any position of power within the Democratic Party. Joe Lieberman and his ilk need to be run out on a rail.