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There have been many Republicans and and even some Democrats who seem concerned about the wellspring of supposed anger nourished by the rise of Howard Dean. Their mantra is that Democrats can't win on anger alone. We need a message of hope, a message not built around frustration and rage at George W. Bush. In other words, Howard Dean cannot win, so we better nominate (insert candidate here).
To those who are part of the Dean campaign, the grassroots, the meetupers, the people giving up valuable time to write letters, make phone calls, put up posters, donate hard-earned dollars, canvas, and travel to other states in order to make a difference - the whole Dean = anger thing seems a bit out of context, if not outright ridiculous. Consider, for example, the depth of conservative anger towards liberals.
All this brouhaha about Dean's anger serves as yet another reminder that Dean's opponents just don't "get" the campaign - even still - at this late stage in the pre-primary haze. Or they are just allowing themselves to be taken in by the warm fuzzy embrace of Karl Rove's oversimplified and oh-so-easy to repeat talking points. Strange, how good Rove is at recruiting Democrats to his cause.
Lets get something straight... there IS anger out there at Bush and especially his policies. This anger is COMPLETELY justified from the Democratic perspective. There is also anger amongst a great number of Democrats at the Democratic party itself. We've watched too many of our own allow this President's policies to become law, followed shortly thereafter by the spectacle they make of themselves pretending they had nothing to do with it. This anger, too, is COMPLETELY justified.
Fact: We now live in an America governed by George W. Bush's Doctrine of Preemption, John Ashcroft's Patriot Act, and a Government more so than ever of, by and for the corporate juggernaut. Our environmental laws are being gutted, religion is slipping more and more into the political discourse, and the fringe elements of the right wing seem to be exerting more power than ever. The massive media conglomerates have continued to consolidate, becoming behemoths. Rupert Murdoch rules the airwaves of political discourse. Our fourth estate now resembles more of a country-club with a members-only electrified gate.
And the Republican party continues to consolidate as well. Like a well-oiled machine (pun intended), now running all three branches of government, able to hypocritically bitch and moan about supposed transgressions of obstructionist Democrats. The very same Democrats who only mustered enough political spine to block four of Bush's judicial nominees. The same Democrats whom have been unable to stop the Republicans from redistricting Texas, passing two deeply flawed tax plans, and passing a crazy Medicare bill. The same Democrats whom have give Bush a blank check to fight his war on terror, allowed them to disenfranchise voters whenever and wherever they can (Florida, Colorado, etc), allowed them to recall Gray Davis in the all important state of California - replacing him with a body-builder movie-star from Austria. "Lets Roll" indeed. The Republicans are on one, don't kid yourselves. They are steamrolling the opposition, nevermind what they do to the consitution or the country in the process.
So lets take a moment to figure out why they have been so successful. How did the Republicans get so organized, so "on-message", so well-marketed, so unified in their efforts to pretend they have a mandate? Was it George W. Bush's message of hope for all Americans? Was it his promise of a new "compassionate conservatism", or his desire to "unite not divide"? These are just a few of the supposedly positive messages that lost Bush the popular vote to Al Gore.
No, I think the answer to Republican successes has a lot more to do with capitalizing on the anger of their base than anything else. More than any one thing that gets Republicans to the polls is the anger felt towards anything and everything Clinton - or more generally, "liberal". Clinton enraged Republicans. Their indignant ire at his connection with voters, their inability to impeach him, to convince Americans he was a morally bankrupt, and the fact that he was the cause of the downfall of Gingrich and Livinsgton eats them up to this day. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, are they a source of hope for all Americans? No, they are the standard bearers for the current Republican philosophy of "slash and burn", "shock and awe". It's what they teach all of their operatives. Liberals are evil, and they must be stopped. They teach their constituents to be filled with rage towards cowardly, unpatriotic, treasonous liberals. They do not unite, rather, by definition and job description, they divide - just as George W. Bush does. And more so than Democrats ever have, they distort the truth to enrage their base.
Anger and petulance are the current Republican creed.
And poor swing voters are left in the lurch - having to figure out who to trust.
So, here comes Dean, an outsider, now the frontrunner for Democrats. Republicans, notoriously non-introspective when it comes to themselves, and completely forgetting they are the party of Tom Delay - righteously brand Dean as "angry". They attempt to make him a polarizing figure. Of course they probably realize (much to their chagrin), Where Bush promised to govern from the center, Dean actually will, as he did in Vermont. Where Bush touted the ideal of "compassionate conservatism" and has not delivered any sort of compassion to speak of, Dean will fight like a bulldog for the equal rights of all Americans, not just American corporations. Dean is the real deal, and that scares them - as it should. The first real deal in a long time.
Perhaps he is the first in a long line of "bulldog Democrats". I hope so.
It is amazing to me that some people can't see Howard Dean truly and emphatically wants the support of all Americans, regardless of race, sex, orientation, or political party. Not just Democrats, not just Republicans. Not just liberals, not just conservatives. All Americans. In short, he wants to behave as a President of the United States should - Presiding in the best interests of ALL of the people. Not the special interests that perpetually court/buy influence in Government. Most people have not wised up to what an incredibly potent message Dean has. It is one of most important if not forgotten messages of the Democratic Party... equal rights for ALL. Economic and Social justice for ALL. Foreign policy that is in the best interest of ALL Americans. It's not lip-service populism, it's actual, living and breathing populism. "Dean for America" is the truth, and it's about time.
Yes, Howard Dean's campaign is in-part a response to the ass-whoopin world-of-hurt George W. Bush and posse have put on the Democratic Party. Are we angry? Yes, and rightfully so. Are we tired of being steamrolled by the Republican corporate megalopoly? Of course. Are we sick to our stomachs over the direction our country has taken since 9/11? Hell yes. Are we deeply wounded and emotionally scarred by seeing our sons and daughters killed in the name of PNAC? YES, we are.
Is that all we are? A campaign built on anger? Not even remotely.
The Dean campaign is about empowering ALL Americans to make a difference in their country, and we've already gotten to work. "Taking back the country" is not something that becomes necessary unless there is a great threat to it - and so many of us have wised up to the fact that there is. The other side knows how roiled our party has become, and wants more than anything for us to fret about how to take the fight back to them. This is politics as usual for them. When we are divided they win. When we are afraid, they win. When we don't play for keeps, as they do, they continue to win. If we do not take the fight to them, they will win once again. It's that simple. Our message is better, our ideas are better - and they know it. The only way they win is through power grabs, malfeasance and machiavellian machinations. We must once again prove the power of the American citizenry to not be tolerant of the corruption of the few - the greed of the powerful. We must learn to embrace each other as Americans, not just as liberals or conservatives - and unite to fight for the security of our families and friends.
Washington as it is must not continue. The "Special interests" have got to be we, the people - and no one else. We have so many challenges to face in the world - we can't do it divided as we are - or by acting unilaterally around the globe. We have so much work to do. We must win back millions of hearts and minds. We must remind the world that we can indeed be a great society, an inspiration, not a menace. There is no way we will agree on everything, but at the very least, Americans should be united in our desire for equal opportunity and social justice. Not to mention a Government of by and for the people. Let us find our common ground and build on it. How's that for a message of hope.
So, call me angry if you like. Worry about how Karl Rove will portray my indignation towards the Republican empire of greed. Worry about how Drudge will make me sound "Angry" and "Enraged". Worry about how swing voters will be turned off because I am being portrayed this way or that.
Wring your hands all you want.
I'd so much rather be labelled "angry" than sit idly by, ignoring the downfall of my country, and the dreams of it's founding fathers. I'm taking the fight to them, and they're not going to like it.
Yes, call it anger. Call it a survival instinct. Call it the mantra of a newly born bulldog Democrat.
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