Have you ever shaken Howard Dean's hand or spoken with him?

[gristy]

Sorry - this should be a poll, but I find that my star has disappeared...

My story (which I have told on DU before) is that I flew on the same plane with him from Minneapolis to Albany, NY the summer before last. He was two rows in front of me - I saw that he spent much of the flight reading his NY Times. I walked and spoke with him (mostly about the evil of electronic voting) all the way from the plane to the front of the airport.

[benddem]

1. I had lunch with him

just 4 of us at one table....not a gaggle. Have talked to him two or three times since. He's a great man and a great leader for the DNC no matter what those stupid repugs and pundits say. He should have been President. He certainly is a mile above the doofus in chief.

[Comicstripper]

11. Cool

Can I ask what the occasion was?

[benddem]

18. It was a fund raiser for Bill Bradbury for Senate in Oregon

it was kind of a fluke. We went cause we'd seen him on Cspan. This was in Oct. 2002. I know Gov. Barbara Roberts. She sat down with us and Dean joined her...cause they were on the Gov. Council together.
The day was exhilirating. I started giving money then.

[Comicstripper]

21. You're lucky....

I guess that at that point he hadn't announced his candidacy...was he considered a likely candidate? I mean, I've already heard a million different names mentioned for 2008, I presume the same was true of 2004. Did you ever think, "I could see this guy running?" Were his intentions known then?

[Guaranteed]

2. GOD, I WISH I HAD.

It's something I have to do before I die. :)

[coloradodem2005]

3. Shook his hand at least a couple of times.

And I spoke to him. Essentially told him what I would call a true joke. Because it had a punchline, but it was also quite true.

[leveymg]

9. Did he laugh? Care to share?

[coloradodem2005]

19. He did laugh.

Look here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3101729

[leveymg]

28. Beau Jest, Mon Ami.

Bush is very inspiring. Bet that joke gets repeated.

:D :+ :bounce: :hi: :dem:

[NMDemDist2]

4. i have at a campaign stop. I wanted to look him in the eye

I'm very glad he's chair :bounce:

[davhill]

5. I have

At the Florida Democratic Convention I skipped Kerry's speech for a chance to meet Dr. Dean. I figured that Kerry didn't have a chance at the nomination and that meeting Dean was a historic opportunity. I was sure wrong about the first, but maybe not about the second.

[ReverendDeuce]

6. I have...

I met him in Iowa just a few days before the caucuses. Got an autographed DFA sticker, shook his hand, exchanged some cordial words and offered encouragement, and got my picture taken. He was very acomodating to his fans!

[msongs]

7. three times, stories follow:

in Nov 2003 when he was less than a blip he came to a small florists shop here in Riverside and spoke to maybe 50 people. arrived at the local very small airport and came to the shop in a family car. I just had read his name in the paper. Well, I came away impressed by him and his views.

then later he came for a fundraising breakfast after spending the night in the Mission Inn, a local rehabilitated hotel owned by a millionaire right winger, where George W. Bush would be staying a week later, something he did not know til I pointed that out. walked into the restaurant unannounced and chatted with and spoke to all assembled.
I got to present him with two t-shirts I had designed for him, boy was that an honor!
Then there was a rally near by attended by several hundred people.
Finally got to hear him speak at the University of Redlands before a crowd of 1000+ before the election but after his campaign ended.
you can see pics of that here: www.msongs.com/dean-redlands.htm

All the way thru I have been a fan of his sincerity, blunt talk, and willingness to give us local power, despite all the various issues that developed regarding his campaign.

I think he has what George W Bush can never have, integrity.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/dean4dnc.htm

[GoCubsGo05]

8. No, but.....

I have met Dirty Mo.

[wrickrick]

10. No but....

I did stay at a Holiday inn express

[Bouncy Ball]

12. Yes, I met him in September of 2003.

My husband and I were in the first group of 500 Texans to go to Iowa by chartered flight to canvass door to door for him. We worked with the Davenport HQ for Dean.

It was amazing. We saw him give a speech and I was standing about two feet in front of his microphone.

He is really warm and genuine in person. He seems like exactly the same person.

[leveymg]

13. Stood in a bank line with George McGovern & thanked Ed Muskie

on the corner of K and Connecticut. Boy, am I getting on! Both were smart, gracious guys. Also spent two hours ingterviewing Mike Dukakis on the phone the day before he wasn't re-elected Governor of Mass in 1980. Was a reported for a student paper in Boston. Couldn't believe he would give me that much time at such a crucial moment. Wasn't surprised he wasn't elected President eight years later.

I worked a lot harder for the candidate this last time around. Don't regret a moment.

[Voltaire]

14. I shook his hand 3 different times and spoke to him once

I shook hands with him and spoke with him at the Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner in Indianapolis, April...2003....I shook hands with him at the Tom Harkin Steak Fry in September 2003 and I shook hands with him a few minutes after the infamous scream in January 2004.

Lucky I guess.

[gristy]

15. Ah... And just how loud was the crowd before/when/after he screamed?

I'd like a first-hand report. As you probably know, the left argues that he was screaming because it was LOUD in there, but his mike did not pick up the crowd noise.

[silverweb]

16. Yes...

My daughter and I met him and spoke with him briefly in LA during his primary campaign, and my daughter met him a second time more recently. He is warm and charming in person, and meeting him definitely reinforced our enthusiasm for him.

We are absolutely thrilled that he's the new party chairman and I'll be making a donation via the DU link on Monday (payday)!

:bounce:

[leveymg]

17. You get paid on Mondays? Aren't they afraid you'll stay drunk the rest of

the week? You must have a liberal boss.

:beer:

[silverweb]

29. *lol*

Actually, I never thought of that. I guess it hasn't been too much of a problem in this particular company....

:D

[Alex146]

20. I shook his hand in Hudson NY

He said he liked me DU Revolution is Online Shirt. That was sure a summer of hope, I hope we can get back to that point again.

[karynnj]

22. Walked through his office

For many summers, my family spent a week at Smuggler's Notch in VT and took little trips to see nearby towns. About 12 years ago, My husband, 3 kids and I took a tour through the State House in Montpelier, VT. When we got to Dean's office, the elderly gentleman who was leading us through the building, told my then 8 year old daughter that the Governor's daughter was about her age. Dean was not there, but the guy wanted to show my daughter a picture including Dean's daughter. (He absolutely raved about Dean - how even though he was very young, he was very smart, a doctor etc)

That's as close as we got to Dean or any other candidate.
My daughter was for Dean in her first Presidential primary vote - but it was in NYC. (I just hoped that Dean and Kerry - 2 NE candidates didn't knock each other out, as they were my second and first choices respectively )

[RealDems]

23. Just met him for the first time this week

at the Cap City Brewery event in DC

[Eloriel]

24. Twice but it feels like more

for some reason.

I saw him in Aug 2003 here in Atlanta and pressed a 50-page report on the voting machines into his hands. I got to see him again a couple of weeks ago when he was back in Atlanta for the regional DNC meeting, and had the chance to ask him if he remembered the report ("Oh, absolutely,") and reminded him of the importance of this issue.

I actually saw him a third time, when he swung thru Atlanta, stopping at one of the municipal airports, as he was in the process getting some nice endorsements from folks down here. Some of his supporters gathered at the airport, but we really only got to see him for a few minutes.

One of the things I find fascinating is that for me there is little or no difference between Dean in person and Dean on TV. IMO he's just as real, just as engaging, just as electrifying on TV as in person and vice versa. I've always found this an interesting phenomenon tho I don't know if others agree or not.

[silverweb]

30. Yes....

"One of the things I find fascinating is that for me there is little or no difference between Dean in person and Dean on TV. IMO he's just as real, just as engaging, just as electrifying on TV as in person and vice versa."

Amen to that Eloriel. I agree completely. And thank you for reinforcing the BBV problem with him!

[lojasmo]

25. Yes. I've met him. My wife has spent quite a bit of time with him....

They had a nice talk in a kitchen in Iowa.

[mondo joe]

26. I met him and gave him a tour of the non profit I worked at

I met him and gave him a tour of the non profit I worked at, with about a dozen flashing cameras surrounding us at all times.

I'd done the tour a hundred times and by then could do it in my sleep, but this was the WEIRDEST tour ever. I could hardly see over Dr Dean's shoulder for all the reporters, and of course I was VERY anxious because I was such a Dean supporter.

I also got my kids to come on down to work to meet him and shake his hand.

[DaveinMD]

27. met him

at a fundraiser for the Vermont Democratic Party in 1993. The event was Bowling with Governor Dean. Very cool.

[PassingFair]

31. Mrs. Grumpy and I have a picture of him with his arms around us!

At another function, we got him to sign them. He looked at the pictures, then at us and said "Where did you GET these" and signed them.
He also hugged my 8 year old daughter. Take away the crowds, and being around him is like being around anyone else, except you get the feeling that he is fearless. That's what I like about him. He's not afraid to lose, so he speaks his mind.