Why Support Howard Dean?--Lets list a few reasons

I hope this can be a positive post. While there has been a lot of squabbling around here especially between Dean and Clark supporters in the past couple of days I sense there are still many undecided voters who probably would like to know more about the candidates who visit DU.

I support Howard Dean because he has made me feel passionate about politics for the first time since I was a kid of 12 supporting Jimmy Carter in 1976. When I've gone to his Meetups I've met other people who have never been involved in the political process or lost interest, suddently becoming involved because they believe in the message that Dr. Dean is conveying. "We have to be Democrats again" and "We have to stand up to George W. Bush"--for a long time we have waited for a candidate to say this--plainly and with passion.

I've known of Howard Dean for a long time since I have friends in Vermont who kept telling me about their Governor and the awesome things he is doing in the state. Still, Prior to November I was a Gore supporter--and probably would still be one if he had not gotten out of the race. When he did, I decided to find out more about Dr. Dean and was struck first by his stand on Universal Health Insurance. As a physician it is clear he believes that it is a right of every citizen to have health insurance. He did a great job covering virtually every child in Vermont.

Then came the war vote. Howard Dean was consistent in his opposition to a war I consider one of the most immoral in our history. It made me feel proud that on the very day that Bush won the congressional vote that on his website Dean wrote of his support for our soldiers who would be carrying out this needless war and wishing them and the innocent people of Iraq well, yet strongly voicing his opposition to what was inevitably going to begin. I think time has vindicated Dr. Dean's position.

Then there is Dean's Civil Rights Record--he signed into law the most far reaching civil rights bill since the 60's when he supported Civil Unions in Vermont. This makes me believe that Howard Dean will stand up for what he believes even when it is unpopular with many--and that he will support the civil rights of all people--regardless of color, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

A 15-year old girl named Stephanie Dziczek won the John F. Kennedy Library "Profile in Courage" Award for an Essay she wrote on Howard Dean and the fight against the opposition to Civil Unions. This essay is worth reading:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/pica_essay_winner_2001_dziczek.html

There are many other reasons for me to support Howard Dean from being 100% pro-choice to being the anti-bush in that he has been a marvel of fiscal responsibility as Governor. But my main reasons are stated above.

Why do you support Howard Dean?

A rating from the NRA
Cut social programs in Vermont to balance the budget, which is the only state that does not require a balanced budget(Political, all politics-"I balanced the budget when I did not have to.)
Very pro-death penalty

If I were to tell you these three things about a candidate, very few of you on DU would probably vote for this candidate.

The only one or two reasons why people support Dean is that he opposed the war and his harsh criticism of Bush.

Also, his stance on the war is irrelevant now.
We are in Iraq.

1. Has the NRA endorsed a Dean candidacy? Which national gun laws does Dean say he supports?

2. Exactly which social programs did Dean cut to balance the budget? What were the circumstances? Is Vermont better off now, since they are not bleeding red like most other states?

3. How many people were put to death during Dean's tenure as Governor? There are 2 conditions under which he would support the DP - does that make him VERY pro death penalty?

These questions and others have been answered ad naseum here...

I don't see how opposing such a war could be. It stands as something which was morally and ethically right. Too many innocent people died in that war and his opposition to it is not irrelevant.

Where do you get your idea that he is "very pro-death penalty"?? Yes he has a had a positive rating from the NRA because he believes that is an issue for the states to decide. If New York wants to have all the gun control possible that is fine--he believes this to be a states right.

He managed to balance the budget and still do more in the field of social welfare than any other Governor including covering most children with health insurance and expanding programs to make presciption drugs more affordable for seniors. Also during his time as Governor he increased the minimum wage, created over 40,000 new jobs, removed the most regressive type of tax--the sales tax--on most clothing. Signed a tough consumer protection law regarding managed care. Preserved more than a million acres of farmland, wilderness, and shorefronts from exploitation. Signed the toughest standards regarding mercury in water.

There are more than one or two reasons why Dean supporters support him and if you ever went to a Meetup you might recognize this yourself.

That's your completely debatable opinion, and continues to be a minority opinion by a relatively wide margin.

and far far more people would against him for that one reason than for him,
which might in some way be noble or something if it hadn't already happened. To lose an election on an issue or issue's which you cannot change, rather than primarily policy proposals is moronic

he would also lose on his other major isses alone but his big past political proposals(to take the more conservative option of signing the civil unions bill, and making a political decision to latch onto the anti-war movement) would be the bigger factors in his handing of a second term to Bush

>>>The only one or two reasons why people support Dean is that he opposed the war and his harsh criticism of Bush.

Let me clue you in. The *only* way *any* Dem is going to take the presidency from Bush* is to call him on his bullshit in no uncertain terms.

If you can't win the presidency all of your policies and plans are just fairy dust. So, yes - that *does* have a lot to do with why I support Dean. Because the namby pamby crap has to end and Dean is the only one with the cojones to end it.

he just says he's the only one doing it, and he also says he's the only real democrat, and people here that and repeat it, and it becomes the buzz.

It's all poltical BS and rhetoric though. He's not a straight-talker, he was never the dark-horse, and he doesn't really believe that "What we really need is someone who can beat Bush"

I can't let you get away with half-truths.

1. Dean's position on guns is that Vermont doesn't need the same laws as say, Michigan. He supports background checks and the ban on assault weapons. In fact, he supports the status quo federally and believes the rest is up to individual states. He does not think that gun manufacturers should be protected from lawsuits.

2. Cut social programs to balance the budget. Tell me what programs Dean cut. I can think of plenty of programs Dean instituted or supported, particularly health and childrens' programs.

3. The Death penalty. No he doesn't strongly support it. Believe me, he doesn't. He opposed the death penalty being instituted in VT. A few years back he changed from being totally opposed to the D.P. to supporting it in cases involving particularly brutal crimes against children, and certain acts of terrorism. He never tried to introduce the D.P. in this state, even after he changed his mind.

Dislike for a candidate too often leads to inaccurate and slanted representations of their positions or records.

One more thing, I haven't decided yet on who to support. I waver between a few candidates. I like most of them. It's just too early yet for me to make a firm choice.

Also, his stance on the war is irrelevant now.
We are in Iraq.

I am opposed to rape. But somebody got raped last night. Does that mean my stance is now irrelevant?

Does a stance only remain relevant BEFORE the crime you are opposed to is committed???

What about the other candidates? I would like to hear more about them.

Mike

But I would not vote for him for President.

or do you just want to come on here and knock Dean?

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Actually I am way too sleepy to list all the reasons.

Suffice it for now to say that hes one of the few ploititians in my lifetime to excite me.

Now im off to sleep to dream of sugar plums!

Great post BTW CMT!

I have heard many claims about how Dean "fought" to pass the Civil Unions bill, but I have seen very little info about what he actually did in this "fight". The essay you link to mentions only one act of Deans' - he signed the legislation (in fairness, it mentions Deans using the civil unions bill while campaigning for re-election, but since the bill had already been passed by that time, I don't see how it could be considered part of the "fight" to pass the bill). I also know of two other things Dean did to increase the chances that the bill would be passed:

1) Right after the judge's decision, Dean gave an interview expressing support for the idea of civil unions

2) He marched in a parade in support of the civil unions bill.

Does anyone know of anything else Dean did to "fight" for civil unions, or is it just those three things?

is what gets me excited about Dean. Sure, I like his positions, especially on health care and the war, but it's the respect he feels towards the common people. Anyone who frequents the blog can see exactly what I'm talking about. It's a community. People who look from the outside just see some blog and think it's a bunch of Internet geeks who have an infatuation with Dean. But if you really look, read the comments and see that the campaign staff use the ideas from the people, you'd realize that it's all about the pure idea of We the People. It's an amazing thing to be a part of. Joe Trippi explains it much better than I can. See for yourself: http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/001096.html#more

It's the possibility of the people in charge actually listening to the average American. Isn't that worth fighting for?

I believe that if Howard Dean is the Party's nominee then the moderate Dem's will vote for Bush...if you dont think so...remember 1984??

independants decide elections, and Dean would hand a second term to Bush

like Dukakis he's a governor who's perceived as just as liberal as his liberal new england state

he's Mondale on taxes

he's McGovern on defense

would a moderate Democrat vote for Bush?

National security and foreign policy are going to be major issues in 2004 and Dean has no experience on these issues.

...since 4 years ago they said Chimpy's lack of experience wasn't a problem.

Look at the list of a few former Governers who became President: Clinton, Reagan, Carter, and FDR. No Repug would say Reagan wasn't up to the challenges of these issues, and no Dem would say FDR couldn't handle them.

After all, think how the world was at peace when Clinton was in office. Not too bad for a former governor of a small rural state who had no previous foreign policy experience.

(edited for clarity.)