Dean reflects rural New England's conservative liberal traditions

Howard Dean's true political stripes are a source of much conjecture. Is he a centrist in liberal's clothing? Is he pandering to the left while actually being a pro-corporate conservative? Is he an opportunistic hypocrite?

As a neighbor of Vermont, I have always perceived Dean as a solid governor. Neither a liberal firebrand, nor a corporate lackey. That is why I think the stereotypes about him seem to lose sight of what he really is. Which is why I, as someone who wants to see the Democratic Party be more liberal, can be comfortable with a moderate like Dean.


To get a better picture of Dean you have to look at the traditions of rural western New England. That is what Dean reflects, with the added "edge" of his New York upbringing.

This neck of the woods personifies a sense that has been lost in today's mass corporate culture. Life is on a human scale, and politics is still rooted in the traditional sense of community. We also have to deal with each other more directly, because we tend to live in narrow valleys between mountains.

There is less of the ideological divisions that exist elsewhere on the national stage. Conservatives tend to be more liberal and liberals and progressives tend to be more conservative. We do have ideological camps, and some of the same polarization. But overall, people are less distracted by that. People here are pragmatic, but in a progressive way. We're more inetrested in results than ideology. The question is not whether something is "right" or "left" but "does it make sense?" This is why a guy like Bernie Sanders can be a political force in a state of traditional values. And why a rock-solid Republican like Jim Jeffords can bolt the GOP.

And politics is still rooted in people and real life. And because of that, political alliances and frictions are more personal and practical. The tradition of the Town meeting is still alive and well. In many communities, people do double duty as citizens and politicians. That is how Dean could go from being a Doctor and part-time Lt. Governor to Governor in one fell swoop.

There also is less class divisions here. Sure, we do have our gaps between rich and poor. (That's also something of particular concern in the last couple of decades, as affluent urbanites have moved in.) But, in a larger sense, there is moe intermingling than seperation among different classes. The bank president stands in the same grocery lines as the janitor. The PTA is a mix of yuppies and rednecks. And, despite the tensions that sometimes arise between old Yankees and the affluent outsiders, the newcomers tend to either lose their elitism or leave.

Also Dean's personal qualities are not that unusual around here. We tend to be blunt and direct, rather then smooth and measured. Dean's "anger" and "temper" is simply the directness of a Yankee.

Dean is a shrewd politician, and he will milk whatever leverage he can get out of the liberal outsider label. But he is also a pragmatic Yankee liberal, who is more inetrested in results than labels. And the way he has run his campaign -- based on "people power" -- perfectly reflects the tone of the region he comes from.

IMO that tradition is what democracy should be about. And Dean represents it well.

Is he slightly to the unelectable left of Karl Marx or slightly to the right of unelectable Barry Goldwater?

I read his stands on the issues long, long ago. With the singular exception of his health care policies, he's an economic conservative, in the old-time sense of the word - balanced budgets, frugality, limited government.

That's why the right wing is afraid of him and is trying to paint him as a big-spending liberal. They know he will point one finger at the enormous borrow-and-spend Republican mess and call them on their reckless disregard for the future. They will look like idiots criticizing Dean as a big-spender when all he's done is balance budgets.

they hand out junk like "The Dean Swarm" in the
NYT magazine.

From your analysis of what its like to live in
a rural area, it would seem that Dean should have
a lot of appeal out in places like Idaho and Montana
and Colorado.

Or, is it the New Englandness of VT that makes it
special, not the mountains. I mean, the virtues
and ambiance you described could be going on in
rural Colorado as well.

I'm not bashing, but genuinely interested. Also,
you have no profile. Do you live anywhere near
MA? Feel free to reply via PM if you value your
anonymity?

arendt

I don't see New England's qualities as unique at all. They are the basis for the American democracy we read about in school textbooks. And this is the world of Normal Rockwell, and idealized small town life that appeals to conservatives and liberals alike. And is not limited to any one region.

Here, as elsewhere, those qualities are being beseiged today by mass culture and corporate eonomics. But they orgininated here and we have, in my slightly biased opinion, managed to preserve more of them here than many other regions that have sold out their birthright.

The fact that Dean comes out of that -- and his campaign is based on a modern large-scale version of that principle -- is something that can resonate in many regions. Both rural regions and in the minds of many urbanites and suburbanites.

I also think, in a realpolitik sense, that it is also a package that can appeal to many "swing" voters and even conservatives.

Dean is going to appeal to all rural areas simply because he comes across as human, common sense and he can talk like a normal person.

When I have seen Dean speak to small groups in Iowa and New Hampshire the people seem to appreciate his bluntness. Yet he seems to convey a friendly "bedside manner" of putting people at ease when he speaks to them one on one. I have not seen him in person, but I see people responding to him differently than the other candidates.

Lots of people here like to say he is an arrogant doctor, but fail to realize most Americans will list doctors extremely high on a list of professionals they respect and trust. Much higher than career politicians or lawyers.

Like a doctor, he must be sympathetic, but straight enough to tell difficult news when necessary.

I see that as a positive thing, and much better than what many politicians do, which is tell people to take an aspirin for a serious illness.

From my view Dean is just another "affluent urbanite" who "moved in".
Also, New England is generally progressive (except for NH which is too cheap to pay for anything.) Dean is dismayingly moderate, but then again he's not a native.
And Jim Jeffords was NOT a rock-solid Republican to begin with- 'nor are Chaffee or Snowe. They represent what the GOP used to be.
And praising his shrewdness is an affront to those who belive in honesty and genuineness.

why did they keep re-electing him? So affluent big-city Americans are not allowed to move to rural states?

If you don't believe being shrewd is a desirable trait to have when trying to be elected, your candidate is in the dark.

and honesty is a New England hallmark.

SHREWD:

5 a : marked by clever discerning awareness and hardheaded acumen <shrewd common sense> b : given to wily and artful ways or dealing <a shrewd operator>

You said he is an affluent outsider who "moved in" on the people of Vermont. What kind of remark is that? Is sounds kind of like the remark by Edwards that Yankees shouldn't come down south and tell us how to do things.

But he's a Vermonter now. Anyone who implies differently doesn't know much about him. He's no different than anyone who was born here.

You obviously missed the point of my post. Shrewdness is not a bad thing, as long as it is applied to decent goals. Sure, he's an ambitious politician. Aren't they all?

But my point is to counter the notion that he is dishonest by not fitting conveniently into the marketing pegs of the Beltway Media crowd.

I tried to make clear that I was not painting western New England in idealized terms. Sure we havew a lot of the same problems as anywhere else, but I stand by what I said in basic terms.

And I was not saying New England is not progressive. Just the opposite, But it's progressive in a pragmatic way.

And I donlt see anything wrong with his being an affluent urbanite who moved in.

Jeffords was a rock-solid Republican. Sure he was more of an old-style moderate Republican, but how many other Republicans were willing to do what he did?

and how can being moderate be dismaying? Last week Dean was too Liberal. Next week he will be too Conservative. but THIS WEEK he is DISMAYINGLY MODERATE! (Is there a mayingly way to be moderate?)

Whatever...

Can Dean do ANYTHING that you would not criticize?

I wouldn't bet on it.

The only New Englanders who can honestly relate to how life in Vermont is are central to northern NH, Maine and upstate NY. You're describing what is true in Mass, NOT what is true in Vermont. It's an entirely different ball of wax.

... flatlander. NY is not flatland.

They are people who come into our world and think they know better than us about what's good for us and what we should want. We can't stand those kind of people. Anyone coming to Vermont "from away" who seeks to fit into our world rather than force the world they came from down our throats are welcomed with open arms.

Hope that explains "flatlander" to you.

:kick:

Think seriously about who stacks up best against Bush in 2004 America. Then go vote. It's that simple.

</sarcasm>

I mean, making DUers realize that candidates have
backgrounds and contexts, and do not spring from
the media's forehead like in Greek mythology is
a NO-NO.

How can you truly demonize people if you make them
human?

I mean, who would have thought you could get together
a lynch mob for a Dr from rural Vermont - someone whose
style and positions are quite normal for that place.
Well you can't, unless you DE-humanize and demonize
him first: leftie, peacenik, egomaniac, duplicitious,
etc. etc.

How dare you inject moderation into a flame fest!

arendt

Context is a real pain in the butt, isn't it?

The fact that Dean was governor of a state that was in desperate need of jobs doesn't matter to the purists. The fact that he was highly critical of Bush's war before that was a "safe" position doesn't really matter to the pragmatists either.

I guess it's more fun to flame than to consider.

Beautiful post...and right on the money. Vermont puts out some of the best politicians on the planet. NH has some of the best people on the planet, but could stand to learn a little something from Vermonters when it comes to electing leaders...if ya know what I mean. :D

:kick:

I'm from Ohio but I've been all over the country. Us Mid-Westerners tend to be a little more laid back and not so direct as our Yankee bretheren. My mom and I were talking about Dean's anger the other night and I told her he might be angry but a lot of what you are seeing is that bluntness and directness common of so many New Englanders. Personaly, I like that quality in a man seeking the highest office in the nation.

:kick: again.

It's hard to sum up the Vermont Yankee, especially with the changes that have transpired from the 60's onward, but your description is really good.

I guess one way of thinking about us is that we like to think for ourselves and don't trust outsiders much telling us what we ought to think. This was no more apparent than the case of dairy farmer Fred Tuttle running against a Massachusetts millionaire (Jack Long) for Bernard Sander's Representative seat. Well to make a long story short, Fred won the Republican primary and then backed Bernie (Socialist). Even Vermont Republicans don't like rich Republicans coming up here to buy elections. Catch the movie "A man with a Plan" if you can.

So, Bernie continues to get 70% of the vote, much coming from Republicans, who send him back to Washington to fight for them.

I think Dean has been molded much by the influence of Vermont politics, he is a pragmatist, and has a lot of common sense. For a Vermont governor to remain popular as long as he has shows that he knows how to represent both the old Yankee Republicans and the liberal Democrats, many who have emigrated to Vermont since the 60's. Passing the civil union legislation was one of the more daring efforts he made as governor at great risk to his own political future, but which earned him much respect among the left. Anyway, I think Dean has done well and is ready to take his own brand of Yankee common sense to the national stage. Hope he makes it.

>>>I think Dean has been molded much by the influence of Vermont politics, he is a pragmatist, and has a lot of common sense. For a Vermont governor to remain popular as long as he has shows that he knows how to represent both the old Yankee Republicans and the liberal Democrats, many who have emigrated to Vermont since the 60's. <<<

Yes, that sums it up pretty well.

*kick*

just because

Armstead.

Northern New England is a little different. After all the New England bashing, and small state bashing I've read here at DU this is a breath of fresh air. You've put into words many of my feelings about Dean.

Now if we could only get NH to start electing better legislators!

Vermonters are so good at picking out really great politicians and NH voters don't seem as good at seeing through the BS. Vermonters are looking for signs of the BS and we have our politicians trained to toe the line because they know we won't cut them a single break if they screw up. NH voters are maybe just not holding their elected officials to the same high standards we do in Vermont. We're lucky in that we don't run such a huge deficit, too, and that could be part of it. That deficit I think gives NH voters lower expectations because they don't think much can be done. If NH ever got a taste of the difference good politicians make, they'd NEVER go back! lol

:kick:

:kick:

the town meeting is indeed the basis for blunt talk--and is a sacred tradition in the still small towns of NE, especially in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

EVERYBODY, and I mean EVERYBODY gets a chance to stand up and speak their piece--in my small coastal town, a conflict over who can fish for elvers and how they fish for the same draws a big crowd-half the crowd arrives in their knee high boots-and the old town hall, two hundred years old, is bulging with those fishermen, and those other persons who have come to speak their piece in front of the town electees, who, in ordinary life are our plumbers, our volunteer firefighters, our grocers, and our hairdressers.

I have always loved this tradition and have always felt connected when everyone gathers at a town meeting-especially if there is a very controversial issue-extending greetings and gossip as well as addressing the more serious issues.

and I agree that the most practical thing is the thing that most often will be decided upon by the selectmen. Sometimes that means an agnozing nothing for several y ears. LOL

And he was also on the Planning Board several times. Just someone wanting to add a porch onto their house is politicized in a small town like the one I grew up in. This is why retail politics are so important in rural states with small towns.

The fluid nature of politics can lead to some funny role reversals. The guy you get cranky at while he waits on you in a store might be the same one who later you have to go in front for a building permit.

That's probably a good thing, as it remoinds people that this is supposed to be a democracy, and not an oligarchy.

:kick: