can Dean portray himself as an outsider?

can Dean portray himself as an action hero?
what can the other candidates do to appeal to the people who registered just to vote for Arnold?

Dean Statement in Response to DLC's Charge that Public Servants are "Fringe Activists"

“Once again, the DLC has chosen to put their own political agenda ahead of the progress needed to unite the Democratic Party. This election has barely begun, and the DLC has repeatedly dismissed people who attend caucuses, who get out the vote, and now the 1.3 million members of AFSCME as ‘fringe activists’ who do not reflect ‘the mainstream values, national pride and the economic aspirations of middle-class and working people.’

“The DLC staff can say what they want about me, but they owe an apology to the 1.3 million members of AFSCME. Our teachers, our health care workers, and our state and local public servants don't need a lesson from Washington insiders about the needs and concerns of middle- and working-class families. What they need is a Democratic Party that will stand up for them.”

Posted by Mathew Gross at 04:27 PM
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000206.html

Tell From and Reed of the DLC What You Think
Click here to sign a letter to the Democratic Leadership Council telling them that you're an active Democrat who supports Howard Dean. You can tell your friends about the link, too: www.deanforamerica.com/DLC

Posted by Mathew Gross at 01:29 AM
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000240.html

Fineman on the DLC Memo
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000213.html

Former DNC-Chief Steve Grossman to DLC: "Creating Conflict is Not Leadership."
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000225.html

Liberal Oasis on Howard Dean and the DLC
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000226.html

Will the Real DLC Please Stand Up?
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000228.html

Congressional Members Call on DLC to Stop Divisive Tactics
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000238.html

Activists Are Out of Step
By Al From and Bruce Reed
http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=251866&kaid=85&subid=65

The Real Soul of the Democratic Party
By Al From and Bruce Reed
http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=251690&kaid=127&subid=900056

I don't think anyone has explained yet how it is that the former chair of both the Dem Governors Association AND the NATIONAL Governors Association, AND a former member of the DLC can be a political outsider.

I just don't get that. Am I to understand that he talked to NOBODY the entire time he was governor and chair(even though he was escorting Mrs. Bayh to functions), and that he has NO connections because of his family's history at Smith Barney and Wall Street?

Yeah. Okay.

a Washington outsider.

He doesn't fiddle with politics in Washington or make law.

That's what Senators and Congressmen are for. Dean is neither.

Hawkeye-X

because it was really driving me crazy, LOL.

politics in DC. I'm sure you must know that.

Why do so many feel the need to pretend that Dean is an outsider who hasn't been part of the overall DLC pull to the right for his ENTIRE time as governor?

He also is familiar enough with how things work in D.C. to have an advantage that none of the others do. First, he served 5 full terms as the governor of a state, as well as part of a term when he was sworn in after Snelling died. He has the executive experience leading a state whereas the others don't. This is a huge advantage Dean has. Because he has been active in the Natl. Gov. Assoc., he is well known in D.C. and has worked with many politicians on various things. At the same time, his role was more of an advisory one, including taking different positions and being a spokesperson for those positions. However, he hasn't been involved in the votes and political grandstanding and game playing that is all too common among DC lawmakers. That's what makes him an "outsider". Basically, he's a DC "outsider" who has seen the "inside" operate first hand, and knows how it works. This makes him even better prepared for the job.

I support Dean. I think he's electable, but I'm really sick of knocks against supposed Washington insiders. And I certainly don't see Dean as the best prepared of the candidates. That would be JK. Unfortunately, I don't see Kerry as electable and I still have a hard time with his IWR vote.

he really isn't an outsider, but the DLC and other establishment dems cast him as outside the mainstream thus actually helping Dean create an outsider persona.