I Just Met Howard Dean - Ask Me Anything!

I'm just back from Madison where there was a DNC Rally. Howard, DPW Chair Joe Winneke, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, and the Mayor of Madison. Mike Something or Another.

:P

No he didn't. In fact, I was impressed with how gracious he was during the meet and greet session after he spoke. There were several people in attendance who appear to think that Howard is in desperate need of THEIR ADVICE on how to handle Michigan and Florida. As the rambled on an on, Howard was respectful of their opinions and gave their real answers. I'm sure this happens everywhere he goes right now, and I personally would have run out of patience by now.

and can't say the same about Kerry. Glad you got to meet him. Sounds like a good guy.




Oh...and that beaver gets a bit out of control sometimes...;)

nt

:bounce:

I just think, "Damn, we could have had him as President."

Interesting story we heard from Howard and Joe Winneke (WI Dem Chair), regarding the future of the 50 State Program. If Hillary or Obama wins in 2008, Howard will step down as DNC Chair because the incoming President gets to pick.

All 50 State Party Chairs forced all the candidates to sign a pledge that they would continue the 50 State Program after Howard is gone, otherwise they would not release their state voting lists to their respective campaigns.

So Howard's legacy with the Democratic Party is secure.

:bounce:

Senator Obama?

The repukes don't even have to suit up and take the field for this rumpus; we're slashing our own throats here...

:banghead:

He was scrupulously non-partisan in all his public and private comments.

But Polenz in Cudahy is supposed to be nice. And then there the A & J Deli in South Milwaukee (near my office) that is good. And if you want Pazcki and go somewhere other than the National Bakery, well, then you've made a tragic error.

He did when I met him after he spoke here in Boulder in 2003. The speech was amazing, one of the best I've ever heard. It was really just an outdoor rally, but it was damned fun to hear him speak! The handshake was a kind of weird sideways one, so I'm just wondering...

I admire Howard Dean. He is a true party leader!

But, really, he was surrounded by people and just sort of reaching out there.

He wasn't surrounded, but there were a few students vying for his attention at the time. He had just signed my poster and I extended my right hand to him. he placed the fingers of his left hand in my hand, so that was pretty much the handshake. Not the best, but hey - I still got to shake Howard Dean's hand, and that ain't too shabby!

I ask this whenever someone meets someone famous. I'm biased towards nice people.

As a member of the Neighborhood Leadership Program (see my post in GD-P), I was one of about 40 people who had a private meeting with Gov. Dean prior to the main event. What came through very clearly is how appreciative he is of the work done by volunteers and local Democrats. I don't think the man has a fake bone in his body, and he genuinely loves working with the grassroots.

But I was lucky enough to shake the Gov's hand on a few occasions in 2003 & 2005. He was very gracious and had a nice smile for me and everyone who spoke to him. I never cease to be inspired by him (to the point of wearing my "Dean for President" shirts many years later).

:shrug:

All Michigan and Florida delegates are being assigned to me.

But seriously.

From the horse's mouth: Dean would prefer a revote because that would be the fairest way (for both campaigns) to resolve it. That might not be possible, however, so he's hoping that a negotiated arrangement can be agreed upon as soon as possible.

Hopefully he will be able to resolve this.

the a-list and the b-list were all busy, so they scraped up the c-list, including me. about a dozen people and howard. lasted about a half hour.
he autographed one of my buttons that i made about him. he was all smiles. the pics are the wallpaper on my computer.

and I sense an evening drinking with Gov. Dean would be a hoot! I think he's got a bit of the devil in him (and I mean that in a good way).

his tongue about the real deal in this party.
his handshake, btw, was firm enough for me- i was suffering from 2 herniated discs when i met him, pain all down my arm. so, hurt like hell. got a chance at a second squeeze, tho, and could not turn it down.

And yes, he's for real. He's really that bright, that spontaneous, and his handshake
is as firm as can be if he isn't trying to placte three dozen people at once. As DNC
chair, he will NEVER express a preference in public. He will bust ass to get the nominee
elected, and it's driving him nuts that we don't have one yet, and it will lose him a lot
of sleep if we don't have one after PA and NC.

He beats McCain hands-down in the "straight talk" department, and all the MSM can ever
see or hear is the scream. Howard will tell anyone flat out that "we didn't know what
the hell we were doing" in his campaign for president, even though he was thinking of
running before anyone outside of Vermont had ever heard of him. Well, he knows what he
is doing now, although he gets caught between conflicting interests sometimes (MI and FL,
for example), and finds himself in a lot of damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don't
situations.

But he's a tireless, dedicated Democrat, and the only thing I can beat him at is playing
Leo Kottke tunes on a 12 string guitar, and he is man enough to admit it :-)

I'd love to see a Democratic Fundraiser where people pay $100 each to get up in front of the crowd and recreate the scream. Winner chosen by audience applause.

We get a large majority in both the Senate and the House in November,
and when the first session of the new Congress is called into session,
the whole Democratic side turns to the Republican side (including Lieberman),
and gives them the Dean Scream: YEEEEAAAHHHHHH!

Oh, well, I can dream, can't I?

nt

Them: recession, war and despair.

Us: Yeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh!

He's BETTER than that.

He's like a GREAT BOSS, he inspires you
to do more, because it's OBVIOUS that he's
working as hard as he can.

I would get behind him in ANY endeavor.

Yes, I am from Florida, and I'm a bit p'oed at the good doctor. Oh, and I voted for neither Hillary nor Obama, but I still want my vote counted in some way.

Actions have consequences. I'm sorry that you vote didn't get counted, but State Democratic Leaders knew what they were doing.

Wait, sorry, I'm digressing into GD P mode.

Ergo, to lighten the mood, I will now post a picture of a squirrel waterskiing:



Who does that squirrel think he is? A person? A squirrel waterskiing! That's crazy!

On edit: It looks to be a she squirrel, knowing how male squirrels are typically endowed.

nt

:shrug:

Being pissed off about how the Primary was handled, which is not the fault of the DNC, much less the fault of the eventual Democratic nominee, hardly makes me likely to vote for McCain.

The Democrats doen't want us so I guess I won't be supporting them either!

The distinctions you draw may be valid, but lost on a lot of people. One guy told me four years ago that he wouldn't by a Kerry bumper sticker for $1 because his rich wife should buy them and give them away.

as he is on TV? :)

(doing my best Larry Craig impersonation)

I AM NOT GAY. I LOVE MY WIFE.

But if I were, I would totally tap that...I'm just saying...

J/K LOL!!!