Howard Dean, Hardball, sort of defends Steele but says he shouldn't have apologized to Rush.

[madfloridian]

Run time: 06:33 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXm7iQSkumY   Posted on YouTube: March 14, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: March 14, 2009 By DU Member: madfloridian Views on DU: 1204

 
He said he thinks Steele ran a fairly moderate campaign in MD, but that the right wing of his party won't accept that.

I like this comment from the person who put up the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXm7iQSkumY

"The extremists and fanatics on the far Right fringe of the Republican Party have started attacking their own party chairman, because he is a reasonable, moderate politician who wants to operate on the basis of running an inclusive, rational political organization that truly wants the best for the Country. The Far Right wing of the party is intent on remaining ignorant, stupid, and irrelevant, and by attacking their moderate chairman they're only digging a deeper hole for the entire organization..."

[defendandprotect]

1. Howard Dean - LOVE YA . .. .

"The extremists and fanatics on the far Right fringe of the Republican Party have started attacking their own party chairman, because he is a reasonable, moderate politician who wants to operate on the basis of running an inclusive, rational political organization that truly wants the best for the Country. The Far Right wing of the party is intent on remaining ignorant, stupid, and irrelevant, and by attacking their moderate chairman they're only digging a deeper hole for the entire organization..."

BEAUTIFUL . . . !!!

[burning rain]

4. I don't think Steele has much of a core.

He has some moderate impulses, but lacks integrity and coherence in his positions.

[madfloridian]

6. The point is that the right wing ideologues are still in control

and can keep anyone who even wants to be moderate from being a leader or winning a primary.

[burning rain]

8. Agreed, no argument there.

^

[defendandprotect]

10. Any chance that some who support GOP might begin to think that what

Steel has said is largely common sense ?

[MindMatter]

9. There are some similarities between Dean and Steele, but mostly differences

Dean is absolutely right that people expect their leaders to stand for something. People will vote 180 degrees against their own personal interests and their own best judgment if the choice is between a person with an evil, despicable plan and a person who has no ideas.

In Dean's case, he inherited a party full of entrenched insiders who stood for absolutely nothing. They were perfectly happy losing most of the power because they didn't have any ideas what they would do with the power, and the system rewards the losers. They still get fat at the Federal feeding trough.

Dean had to change that. He systematically went about rebuilding the Party from the ground up, inspiring many new people with energy and fresh approaches to enter the game. We can never give Howard too much credit for what he did, but it is worth noting that it was the activist end of the Party, the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party as he put it, that supported him and helped him push the dead-enders out of the way.

Steel's problem is exactly the opposite. The GOP definitely stands for things. Steel's problem is that the things that the GOP stands for are strongly disliked by 70% of the public. They aren't to give up on those things, so their only way forward is to continue as they have, misrepresenting their positions, lying about opponents, and relying on the ugliest of campaign tactics.

A hiphop video here or there isn't going to change anything.

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. Dr. Dean knows what he's talking about.

The right wing fringe attacks on Steele are a lot like what the DLC'ers did to him.

[Wetzelbill]

3. the Moe Green analogy might be apt

Howard built up a movement, stayed headstrong and has been shut out from certain things as a result. I think the pettiness of it all isn't coming from him though.

[madfloridian]

5. Right through the eyes. A bullet.

Yep. Chris Matthews had fun with that one.

[AlbertCat]

7. Shut up, Howard!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE you...really. But every time I see you on "Countdown" or Rachel's show, you are telling the GOP what to do to succeed. You always have good and sound advice for them. SHUT UP! Let them hang themselves. Don't give them good advice! They might actually listen some day and take it!

[localroger]

11. But then he would miss the really fun part...

...which is knowing that the Repubs won't listen to him and will go down in flames while we shout "TOLD YOU SOOOOOO!"