Dean: "Republicans have a 20-year head start on hijacking this country."

[madfloridian]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002022022_dean01m.html
Howard Dean book-signing draws hundreds

SNIP...."The former Vermont governor was in town to promote his new book, "You Have the Power," a brief memoir of his presidential campaign that is part angry screed against the media, weak-kneed Democrats and right-wing Republicans, and part exhortation to his supporters to stay involved in politics.

"I think that there are a lot of people in this country who have felt totally ignored and almost despised by the political establishment," Dean said of his devoted following.

"There are a lot of people in the country who want to be part of a community again. They feel like they've been cut out of that, and I don't cut people out..."

SNIP..."Dean said the Democrats need to organize in a way reminiscent of the Republican Party's effective organizing over the past two decades — from the School Board to Congress.

"We believe that the Republicans have a 20-year head start on hijacking this country," Dean said...."

[RandomKoolzip]

1. Howie...I love ya Howie....but....

Howard Dean was the candidate that really inspired me, he really is a great guy, but sometimes he puts his foot in his mouth in a big way. "Republicans have a 20-year head start..." implies that the Democrats desire to catch up on the "hijacking" process. Bad choice of words.

[madfloridian]

2. OR it could be that we GAVE them the head start.

And we did. What do you think he means by taking it back?

[liberalnurse]

3. Lets not play the chicken or the egg came first.

Howard Dean isn't......Lets move forward.

[madfloridian]

9. We are not doing that though. Not yet.

There are issues we have to address as a country, or we can not move forward. The main one is the Iraq war. It is not being addressed.

It does not matter, chicken or egg. Truth matters now. I want to hear it. I want our guys saying the war was based on lies, and they would not do it over again.

[liberalnurse]

10. So do I......

I believe this is the unspoken truth......Keeping it a "family secret" like incest......

[RandomKoolzip]

4. I'm not flaming Dean.

I'm not interested in getting into a flame war. I liked Dean a lot, he was the first candidate I've ever given money to (I could barely afford it, too!)

I know exactly what he MEANS, I just think it was a poor choice of words; a semiotician could read that and cringe. There's an implication there via the wording of "The republicans have a 20-year head start..." For the suggestible reader, especially the one who wanted to make mince-meat of Dean and his movement, one would read that and go, "Oh, so you want to catch up on the "hijacking" then?"

Sorry, it's the former English major in me trumping the political animal in me.

[madfloridian]

6. I was an English major as well.

I taught for many years. I think that is our problem now...being so careful. The Republicans were allowed by us to hijack this country. Now we need to take it back.

It does not matter to me if you were bashing. The fact that he is not always so prim and proper with words is one reason he is still making a difference.

I am so sick and tired of empty rhetoric I could just scream myself!!

[RandomKoolzip]

7. I'm sorry if I upset you.

Didn't mean to piss you off, if I did. I'm tired of seeing our best guys attacked on non-issues.

Actually, I think it's more like a THIRTY-year head start, anyways; Scaife and the Four Sisters started building their media empire during Nixon's first term. Have you read "The Republican Noise Machine?" Dean is absolutely right on this one.

[madfloridian]

8. I am reading it right now. The noise machine.

You did not piss me off anymore than I already am. I want to hear truth loud and clear, or loudly and clearly. The book is terribly scary, and when Dean said we were about to have a civil war in this country.....well, I don't think he was far off base.

He says it, the others say proper things. I am to the point now that I think proper ain't gonna work anymore.

Proper only matters to people with souls and consciences. I think he really means we need to hijack it back.

[librechik]

5. Howie is right, as usual

and if we take the country back from the assholes who hijacked it, that doesn't make us hijackers. We're the rescue squad!

The 20 years thing is really bumming me out. sometimes it feels like there's no hope!