"We need to have a permanent campaign" vanden Heuvel quotes Dean.

[madfloridian]

His concepts on this are interesting.

http://www.thenation.com/edcut/index.mhtml?bid=7

SNIP..."Dean's new book, You Have the Power, is an eloquent attack on Bush's failed record. At its core, however, is Dean's belief that progressives must look beyond November 2nd to achieve a progressive majority.

For starters, tactics matter, argues Dean. "By...establishing a permanent election-to-election presence on the American political scene through think-tanks, foundations, and grassroots organizations," Dean writes, the radical right has achieved political power. Extremists can be beat at their own game, though.

"We need to...have a permanent campaign, which is what the Republicans have done for the last twenty years," Dean recently argued in a Mother Jones' interview, a belief echoed powerfully in his book. After Election Day, progressives can take one month off "and then everybody's got to get back to work."

While Dean has endorsed John Kerry--and is traveling around the country drumming up support for his former rival--he recognizes that victory in this election means the defeat of the right, not the triumph of a progressive movement. Dean understands that no matter what happens next month, it is vital to continue to coordinate, organize and build the infrastructure to drive progressive ideals into the political debate and electoral arena.

In addition to publishing this excellent primer, Dean's new political action group, "Democracy for America" (DFA), is on its way to becoming a central station for progressive action across the country, finding and supporting the next generation of progressive leaders from school boards to Capitol Hill and, most importantly, inspiring members of what the late Senator Paul Wellstone liked to call "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."

[NYCGirl]

1. BTW, did you hear Howard this AM on AAR's Unfiltered?

Good appearance. Rachel Maddow and Lizz Winstead said that Dean is "everything George Bush wishes he were" (a clear-speaking populist who knows how to speak to people). They both agreed he's reminding them more and more of Wellstone.

[madfloridian]

3. Missed it. Do they archive? Or does Sirius replay?

I knew he was going to be on, but I missed it.

[NYCGirl]

5. They archive at the link below:

http://www.airamericaplace.com/archive.php

You can try them tomorrow. His appearance is around the 11:30 am (EST) point.

[madfloridian]

6. Thanks, I did not see that.

I will also see if Sirius has a week-end replay. May have to internet stream. Sirius has been having ball games on week-ends. I hate that.

[madfloridian]

7. That was a great segment. I got to hear it this evening.

They sounded like they had a lot of fun.

[shance]

10. Dean's movement is much bigger than Wellstone, as great as Wellstone was.

Dean's movement I believe is perhaps a kind of moral compass that we so sorely need. I hesitate to use the word moral, because it has been so carelessly thrown around, but I think its an appropriate term in the respect that organizations like DFA promote inclusion and overall common sense solutions in government to problems and life situations that effect all of us.

Governor Dean and his movement at large I think have become what Ralph Nader could have been more like, had Ralph Nader not become so enamoured with his own reflection.

I believe organizations like Democracy for America are about promoting what is great in America and creating a country where both our descendants and our children can be proud (and humbled) again.

Its about enhancing the qualities and capabilities in every single person on this planet. Movements like DFA are inclusive and welcome everyone, not some typical select clique that people have to conform to in order to join. I believe it's realizing what everyone has to offer this world, and enhancing those qualities and gifts. I've met some of the most wonderful, amazing people through DFA, because I believe mainly for what it promotes.

I believe Dean and others like him are about prioritizing the value and tremendous importance in education and learning, as well as involvement in our communities, city councils and governments at large, AND it includes conservatives, liberals, independents, etc. alike.

I don't see it being limited by political parties, as people are inclined to resort to, (probably due to habit more than anything). Seems to me the movement is more about taking out the dysfunctional, unhealthy and ineffective factors of our system that in the big picture will potentially hurt everyone of us, and replacing it with more proactive, community-based solutions, with everyone becoming more involved and responsible in and for their Democracy. As he has said, Democracy is not a spectator sport.

I have no doubt our forefathers and mothers would strongly agree.

A friend posed a great question today: she asked how some of the individuals in power and in this Administration could be so incredibly out of touch and literally so vehemently against taking care of what allows us to literally LIVE: air, water, and earth come to mind. She asked, "so are these people going to walk around with their own exclusive oxygen tank in order to breath?"

Enough said.

[anarchy1999]

12. Very well said. Thanks.

n/t

You just forgot to include the "Greens", we are independent, we are conservatives, we are liberals etc. alike.

"I don't see it being limited by political parties, as people are inclined to resort to, (probably due to habit more than anything). Seems to me the movement is more about taking out the dysfunctional, unhealthy and ineffective factors of our system that in the big picture will potentially hurt everyone of us, and replacing it with more proactive, community-based solutions, with everyone becoming more involved and responsible in and for their Democracy. As he has said, Democracy is not a spectator sport.

I have no doubt our forefathers and mothers would strongly agree.

A friend posed a great question today: she asked how some of the individuals in power and in this Administration could be so incredibly out of touch and literally so vehemently against taking care of what allows us to literally LIVE: air, water, and earth come to mind. She asked, "so are these people going to walk around with their own exclusive oxygen tank in order to breath?" "

go to:

www.reclaimdemocracy.org

last edit:

I have to put this in, last year or maybe the year before I heard Nader say "Democracy is not a spectator sport", long before I ever heard Dean say it. I know I also heard it from the founders of above link, from David Cobb, from Medea and Kevin, from Greg Palast, from Jim Hightower and Michael Moore, among many, many others. Howard Zinn comes to mind as well as Thomas Jefferson, Tom Paine and well, I guess you see where I might be going here.

This list of individuals working and inspiring us all could go on forever. I guess I'm trying to say we have much to be proud of. Let us make ourselves be proud in the good to be found in our heritage.

On edit one last time! I Forgot GRANNYD!

[shance]

17. I agree and thank you for the response.

One addition.

I don't know who coined the phrase 'Democracy is not a spectator sport', but it's a great term and needs to be repeated as much as possible. I happened to hear Governor Dean say it and so that is where I gave credit.

I think ultimately *credit* should go to all those who have the podium and thoughtfulness to speak about it as much as possible, because it is so important for everyone to hear.

[madfloridian]

15. I like your summary, and I concur.

I think it is of a mindset that many do not understand yet. Dean has not even attempted to define himself, and in his book he despairs if or why he is a Democrat. I know that feeling.

It is just a philosophy that is not bounded by labels.

It is new, and it is taking baby steps, taking chances. It hurts to lose, but if you don't take the chance you will never win.

Like the DeLay, the DFA first ad...not really intended...just let's do it and see what happens. They got enough money overnight for the ad to air on TV.

Good grasp of the DFA movement.

[murielm99]

2. Dean is absolutely right on this.

No wonder they had to destroy him. His intelligence is a threat.

[madfloridian]

8. Bluntness and intelligence is not acceptable in politics now.

Yes, he thinks things out...he has philosophies...something many politicians have abandoned.

[Eloriel]

20. It wasn't about intelligence, I can promise you that

They had to "destroy" him because he wanted to give power BACK to The People. Absolutely couldn't have THAT. Shame that it was his own party who felt the threat so keenly that they did the deed themselves.

However, at times like this I like to remind myself what I think it was Ted rall who said (or close enough): at least they didn't kill him.

[billie_]

26. INDEED...i love Dean....he gave the Democratic party...

spine, heart, soul and excitement again....

I was heartbroken when he was not our nominee...i am volunteering for MoveON and trying my best to get out the vote in Miami...but i don't have the passion for Kerry/Edwards that I did for Dr.Dean...

policy-wise, i agreed with Kucinich, 100%...but i felt Dean spoke as a true populist and i think had he not been destroyed by his own party and the media, all people would have been touched by his words ...Dem & Repubs alike...

but I agree, atleast they didn't kill him...isn't that a sad thing to have to say or think...

i still have terrible suspicions about Wellstone :(

[NEOBuckeye]

21. The media stopped Dean the candidate, not Dean the progressive visionary.

They are absolutely powerless to stop the seeds that Dean has been planting from growing into an extremely powerful new grassroots populist movement that will enable us to take back our country from the corporate elite, and knock them off their pedestal, back down into their place.

[AngryAmish]

4. We need constant struggle against our class enemies

Permanent revolution is the only way to go.

[reprobate]

11. The first thing to do is convince people this IS a class war.

[shance]

19. Struggle against our own human habits is struggle enough, dont you think?

In college, I had a professor who I thought was one of the best teachers I had bar none, repeatedly say that anger was the easiest emotion to 'portray' and/or to use as humans.

He said that anger is the quickest, most primitive emotion for humans to resort to using, because its the most immediate and quickly received response for us instinctively to receive from the brain, and requires little cerebral usage and/or thought. How often do we get angry, and slow down and take a 'cool down' period to think things through before we act and/or say something we might later regret?

I agree that right now a healthy anger is important and useful because there are a few individuals that in a sense are trying to corner and bully Americans into having to defend what is sacred to us, and we must say NO in whatever lingo they will understand.

Interestingly, I don't think some of these individuals have probably ever been been told no, or have gotten their way so many times that the concept of no is simply intolerable to them, even on choices that would hurt them in the long run. (Actually saying no is often an act of the greatest love because I think we learn to delay gratification and develop discipline, but that's a whole other topic**.) So some of these individuals learn no concept of boundaries and respect for others boundaries, as self-help woo-woo as that sounds. Perhaps it all does boil down to good ole self help lingo*** Who knows?

But, there's a time to know when to hold and when to fold, that's true. There is a time to have struggle, like right now is a good example I would say.

However, in truth, was all this necessary if we'd just done what was right, honest, and let Florida actually have a FULL recount that it was rightfully entitled to in 2000?

And constant struggle? I'm sure there is some truth to your point, and yet if we actually would learn from history and from our negative habits and patterns, I don't think we would struggle nearly as much. Perhaps, if we actually rewarded those who succeeded in helping those less fortunate, and those who shared and sought enlightenment and learning, instead of rewarding those who accumulate the most money and power, we would actually create a wholly different, more enjoyable place for everyone to live?

[kodi]

24. that was Mao's point of a permanent revolution

.

[shance]

25. We're talking Mao? I think you've got the wrong forum.

What are you talking about?

[kodi]

27. permanent revolution

.

[anarchy1999]

9. I'm impressed. Thanks Gov. Dean.

It took you a long time to win me over.

[sweetheart]

13. Yes

After kerry is elected, the democrats should hire all the DU'ers
who's work they respect, to work full-time in think tanks, and
in writing on DU and other boards professionally.

I have a feeling we will lose most of the depth of DU after Kerry wins, and i genuinely believe that DU is the core kernel kernel of
the democratic return to dominance in american politics. If the
economics don't add up, the momentum will be lost.

I plan to return to the private sector, as will many others who have
dedicated this period to full-time DU/board composing. Think tanks
should employ several people who write for the thinktank on the
boards, so that the ideas stay in constant touch with the new centre
of grassroots future politics.

I'll send my CV to kerry when he wins. If he roundfiles it, then i'll
take it as a sign. He could just as well multiply the effect.

[Eloriel]

22. ANYone who gets complacent about a Kerry win will be

asking for trouble, big time. Our work will only be beginning if Kerry wins -- the Bushies have to be thoroughly and completely discredited, or they'll come roaring back in 4 years. And when I say "discredited," I mean to the extent that Benedict Arnold is discredited throughout all the history we've had so far (some say unfairly, but that's another argument).

A Kerry administration, weather for 4 or 8 years, will be just a pleasant respite IF we don't get control of at least one house of Congress again, and start electing people who will STAND THE FUCK UP TO FASCISTS.

We have to fundamentally change this country, from the bottom up, or stand the chance of not surviving as a nation (and that's whether Kerry gets in or not, but it's more urgent if he doesn't). Dean has the best vision for achieving that. Fortunately, he's put his money where his mouth is, so to speak, and has made a good beginning with his 1000+ DFA candidates from small local office to Federal campaigns. But it's only a beginning. Much more work has to be done.

[jdj]

14. It's upsetting that this comes 20 years after it should have.

Idealists and utopians sure have a long hard road to facing reality.

[proud patriot]

16. but it did come

:D

[NEOBuckeye]

23. Better late than never!

I have always believed that the 1960s presented the first great window of opportunity for our society to move forward into an entirely new and progressive direction. Unfortunately, it seems that window was closed with the untimely death of Bobby Kennedy, who seemed to be on the verge of initiating the sort of vision embodied by the Civil Rights movement. Dare I say, it was the corporate/capitalist interests plus the racist social status quo who saw this as a threat to their existence, and reacted by ending Kennedy's, in addition to the lives of Dr. King and others. Too bad people didn't pick up the torch and keep fighting, but it's not hard to see how so many were intimidated and demoralized by the assassinations of so many powerful populist leaders.

Yes, it has taken years for us to revisit the opportunity of the 1960s. And now, it seems, through the vision and inspiration of Howard Dean, that we are, and maybe just in time. Even if Kerry wins, we will still be dealing with a very vicious and vengeful Reactionary Right in this country who will stop at nothing to destroy another Democratic presidency. But as Dean is suggesting and is working to make possible, we must mobilize to stand up to the Right, stand up for what's right, and fight to take our country back. We can simply no longer afford to put off fighting the endless fight that actually began years ago, as the consequences of not continuing the fight then, are now staring us in the face.

[madfloridian]

18. He speaks in his book about his anger being the catalyst.

SNIP..."People were angry, and they were cynical. They were depressed. They were caught off balance and confused — by the lies and manipulations of the Bush administration, and also by the fact that so many of the pillars of our society had proved in recent years to be so fragile. The Catholic Church scandals, the Florida recount, the Enron fiasco and other corporate-corruption cases of its type: These were crises that went far beyond politics. They'd shaken up people's ability to believe in the essential rightness of our most basic institutions. Even the Monica Lewinsky scandal had broken a lot of people's hearts, because they'd seen not just their president but the presidency itself profoundly weakened.

People were aware of living in a world of anything-goes ethics. They were aware of being vulnerable to unpredictable catastrophic acts of terror. All of this made them doubt their leaders, doubt their future, doubt themselves. Young people — people too young to remember Watergate or Vietnam — were particularly hard hit psychologically, once the irrational confabulations that had led us into the war in Iraq were exposed. They'd grown up trusting in the basic good of the American government and the basic moral decency of its interventionist policies abroad. Now all this was crashing down around them, and they were at a loss to reassemble the pieces of their pride and their patriotism...."END SNIP

I was feeling so many of these things, that these paragraphs hit home powerfully.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6088976/

[SoCalDem]

28. Think tanks might help, BUT..there needs to be

input from ordinary people too..

Sometimes the "professionals" go out on too many tangents, and get away from the core issues that people care about..

assuming that Kerry takes office, he simply MUST address the media issue..

It needs serious re-regulation and the large companies must be broken apart.. Reagan had no problem getting this UN-done to the Bell telephone system...and to the airlines...and to banks..

The repubes seemed to be against MONOPOLIES back then,, But in hindsight, their plan was probably just to disrupt the whole thing, cause the values of the companies to plummet, so repubes could buy the stock for pennies on the dollar....but I digress..

Once the media issues are addressed, it will be impossible for the talking/screaming-head shows to operate the way they do now, and perhaps the whole milieu will disappear..

Newspapers might actually have to compete via journalism again..

Dean is right.. It will take many years to UN-DO the brainwashing that has taken place for a generation..

[ulysses]

29. unvarnished truth.

:thumbsup:

[madfloridian]

30. His comments on the Dean Dozens on AAR Unfiltered were interesting.

They asked him how they were doing. His voice had a tone of surprise that many were perhaps going to win, when he had really just not expected it. His goal had been to challenge the incumbents in all areas, and he has made it clear that he thought it would take a long long time.

Several of the candidates have posted to the blog about this....their surprise at well they have done first time out.

[DeepModem Mom]

31. kick