Wednesday, July 30, 2003

To My Friends: 5 Reasons Why I Support Howard Dean Remember last February 15th, when over 1 million people demonstrated against the war in New York and San Francisco, together with millions more around the world.  That day felt great, and two days later, the New York Times said there was a second super power in the world—the superpower of public opinion.  All of us knew the war was being based on lies.   But the war happened, with the consequences that we all predicted:  destruction and quagmire in Iraq.  Today our country is less safe, more isolated, more broke, and overstretched soldiers and reservists are dying in a guerilla war.   Since then, I have wondered what could bring back that feeling of unity and power, and make it more permanent.  Surprisingly, I think it is Howard Dean.   Dean is not perfect, but in many ways he is the exact opposite of George Bush.  He, along with us, recognized Bush’s lies.  His positions on most issues are fair and democratic, supporting what benefits the majority of ordinary people, as opposed to paid lobbyists and special corporate interests.   But, beyond his positions, Dean is running a campaign that is as much a people’s movement as a traditional election campaign.  Those of us who participate—on line by reading the blog (www.blogforamerica.com), doing leafleting, going to meet ups—all feel part of a campaign that is the antithesis of ordinary politics.   Most politicians, including the mainstream democrats and our Massachusetts representatives like Markey and Kerry, are arrogant and disdainful of ordinary people—using them as props for their own power.  They are much more comfortable currying favor with rich supporters and corporations who can pay (in the currency of cash and support) for their services.  The result is that most of our laws are designed as special pay-offs – you give me that tax break, and I will help you look good on drug policy—so that nothing is really done for the common good.   Every other industrial democracy in the world provides its citizens with health care, family time, and laws that promote general well being over profit.  Only in the U.S. do most laws promote special interest profits over the general well being.   Our democracy has been hijacked by money.  The antidote has to be a people’s movement that reclaims our public political space.  I believe the Dean campaign can be such a movement.   The glue that holds us together is our anger and hatred of George Bush for desecrating so much of what we love about our communities and our country.  But we need more than anger, we need power.  And we cannot get power without participating in the existing political process.   The next 15 months will be dominated by the presidential election campaign.  Those of us who passionately opposed the war must now be active to defeat George Bush.    Howard Dean offers that opportunity.   First, his campaign is a participatory campaign—many events are spontaneously organized by local groups.  The campaign genuinely attempts to learn from their supporters.    Secondly, Dean’s money is coming from a broad base of small donors, reached through the Internet.  He has barely begun to tap the power of this fund raising—but it is money that does not tie him to special interests.  The more the campaign can be financed this way, the more Howard Dean will be able to speak for the common good.   Third, his positions are consistently among the most progressive democratic positions.   Fourth, he has a fighting temperament—which is absolutely necessary when dealing with Republicans who have destroyed decades of political accommodation with all out ideological attacks, stacking the court with extremists, trying to end filibusters and other procedures that protect minority positions, or trying to overturn redistricting in Texas.  Other democrats are simply too compromised and intimidated to make a real fight.   Fifth, he is the only democrat who can win.  This last is the most important.  Democrats can never defeat Bush by being junior Republicans.  We need an outsider, who can galvanize anger and support, and not be caught up in Washington’s money laundering machine.  Bush will not be defeated easily.  He will have money, corporate power, the full support of media conglomerates, radio and television, and right wing zealots who will act like brownshirts as they did in Florida in 2000.  So our only chance is an outsider, who can create a wave of popular revulsion that can sweep Bush from office.    If you agree with me, I want you to sign up directly with the Howard Dean Campaign by visiting the website  www.deanforamerica.com, and giving them your email address at www.deanforamerica.com/signup/ .   Also we will be having meetings of Dean supporters in Lexington, with the first one being organized this September.   Please let me know how you feel.       11:47:04 PM   comment []

© Copyright 2003 Toby Sackton. Last update: 8/5/2003; 12:19:23 AM.