I just saw Deborah Norville conduct a marvelously professional interview with Howard Dean's ex-campaign manager Joe Trippi. Norville is head and shoulders above Diane Sawyer in the "class department". It was an incredibly emotional, truthful, and heartfelt interview. Joe actually spoke to Deborah from his automobile on his way back to a home in which he's spent a total of SEVEN DAYS this past year! He stressed how much he still supported Howard Dean and the campaign and that he hopes everyone will remain every bit as supportive. He became tearful speaking about the whirlwind of the past year and I realized how terribly lucky Governor Dean was to have had such a man helping to bring him where he is today. More to come on the interview after I've re-reviewed the tapes.
Some of Joe's words:
".....changing the political system in this country is really important. That‘s what got me involved. That‘s what—how the governor inspired me. And I still very much believe that‘s important. I actually think the Dean campaign may be the last chance for the American people to really change the system, to really get special interest money out.........this campaign has more heart than any of the other campaigns out there. Again, I think it‘s the heart of the American people that have joined with it are going to make a big difference.........no one is going to change this country for you. You‘re going to have to do it........Howard Dean has shown tremendous courage. When no one else would stand up against the war and say so out loud. When it wasn‘t popular to do it, he did it........George Bush is going to have $200 million. And they‘re using it now to hammer on the Democrats, on whoever the presumptive nominee is going to end up being......how would do you—how could you possibly match that kind of force? I mean, brute force and it‘s all by pioneers and rangers bundling hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars for the president. And there is only one way. It‘s a couple of million Americans giving $100. And that‘s the only way to do this. And if you can do it, you not only will change presidents, you‘ll change this country forever. You want to help here in this country? It‘s because the special interests stop it. And, you know, you want a balanced budget. Do you want real campaign finance reform? Do you want you know real policies in this country that aren‘t driven by the special interests? The only force in this country is the people. That‘s what the Constitution says. And this is our shot. And you know that‘s what I think.........."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Democrats owe a debt to Dean by Mark Shields
"..the Dean candidacy has already profoundly changed American politics for the better..."
I think it's wonderful of Mark Shields to say these true things about Governor Dean, but I think, when all this falls out, Dean's new-found, newly-awakened followers will see that all the support hasn't necessarily "paid off". After all, the Democratic establishment has still pushed, quite publically and obviously, for a "Washington-business-as-usual" candidate. The mainstream media followed the coy lead of the Democratic advisor-pundits. The media swallowed the anti-Dean kool-aid.
The Conservative pundits were more riled up by Dean than by Kerry. Rush Limbaugh was absolutely wild with worry about Dean..we liberal-types can smell Conservative fear when it's present. I have seen the mainstream media buy into this Conservative stop-Dean-by-mocking-Dean drumbeat.
The Democratic public-at-large gets most of their information from the mainstream. They make their voting decisions based on what they hear and see.
In my opinion, the media is partially culpable for the primary results we are seeing. They bought into the Democratic establishment and the Right Wing stop-Dean rhetoric. Just as the media was culpable in misleading the American public in 2002 when they beat the drums of war based on Bush's rhetoric and war fervor.
How can Howard Dean possibly beat these odds?
How does the Democratic party actually believe that there will be the same money-raising spirit that Governor Dean inspired after he was systematically trashed at every turn..by his own?
If things do not change, I hope the Democrats will understand when many of the disillusioned young people recently brought into the system fade away again. I think they've made a crucial mistake.