[Seattle-editorial] Proposal: Dr. Dean comes to town

[Gentry Lange]

Anyone can do upload a story once it has been approved by 2 people. I am
around, but only at night lately. Call me if you want to take a stab at
uploading a story and I'll tell you the password. Here's the link:

http://seattle.indymedia.org/features.cgi?screen=menu

My cell number is 206.498.3937

Do you know basic HTML? If you'd rather I post it, then I'll do it when I'm
back later tonight. Also I am happy to demo how it is done on Tuesday before
or after the editorial meeting.


Gentry

-----Original Message-----
From: seattle-editorial-bounces at lists.indymedia.org
[mailto:seattle-editorial-bounces at lists.indymedia.org]On Behalf Of
typist at speakeasy.net
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 2:33 PM
To: Jeremy G Kahn; typist at speakeasy.net
Cc: seattle-editorial at indymedia.org; Mark Taylor-Canfield
Subject: Re: [Seattle-editorial] Proposal: Dr. Dean comes to town


That works for me -- the two paragraphs, but I wasn't suggesting putting the
whole article on front page just my summary with link to whole article, but
the two paragraphs sound fine too.  Thanks for correcting my spelling.

Gentry, are you out there?  Who does the tech work of up loading?

Judy

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeremy G Kahn [mailto:jgk at fifthhorseman.net]
> Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 09:00 PM
> To: typist at speakeasy.net
> Cc: 'Mark Taylor-Canfield', seattle-editorial at indymedia.org
> Subject: Re: [Seattle-editorial] Proposal:  Dr. Dean comes to town
>
> Mark's article is good, but the whole thing is too much text for the
> front page.
>
> I suggest that the text for the front page be cut way short so the other
> articles on the front page have some room. How about this?
>
> Enter former Vermont governor and current presidential
> candidate Howard Dean, the great white hope of
> grassroots activists in the Democratic party. ?Meet
> Ups? are sprouting up all over the country and
> especially in the Northwest. ... Dean has been able to create an amazing
> amount of national hype and he has been able to raise
> more money than any of the other Democratic party
> candidates. He is the only Democratic candidate who
> did not support the war in Iraq.
>
> He obviously does not see himself in the
> way that he has been portrayed by the conservative
> Democratic Leadership Conference ? as a radical
> ?lefty? who is out of touch with the majority of
> Americans. At the recent events in Seattle, Howard Dean did not
> come across as a radical. In fact, his smooth
> professional politician?s smile and swaggering
> attitude reminds this journalist that electoral
> politics are largely a game of perception.
>
> <summary, this text is also the link-to-article> Writer Mark
Taylor-Canfield takes a meditative look at Howard Dean's presidential
campaign and gives a minute to minute account of Dean's visit to Seattle,
August 24, 2004.</summary>
>
>
>
> Oh, and I think you meant "meditative" not "mediative" -- right?
>
> --jeremy
>
>
>
>
> typist at speakeasy.net wrote:
>
> >In keeping to the suggestion that we not bother editing articles and that
we just put a summary of the article and link to the whole thing "warts and
all", I'd like to propose the following article by Mark Taylor-Canfield (not
that I found it warty).  I would add just one editorial detail, the summary:
> >
> >
> ><summary> Writer Mark Taylor-Canfield takes a mediative look at Howard
Dean's presidential campaign and gives a minute to minute account of Dean's
visit to Seattle, August 24, 2004.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >><title>Dr. Dean Comes To Town
> >><subtitle>15,000 Gather In Seattle To Welcome Presidential
> >>Candidate Howard Dean
> >>
> >>Enter former Vermont governor and current presidential
> >>candidate Howard Dean, the great white hope of
> >>grassroots activists in the Democratic party. ?Meet
> >>Ups? are sprouting up all over the country and
> >>especially in the Northwest. These pro-Dean gatherings
> >>are held mainly in private homes and on the internet.
> >>His campaign is widely regarded as the most effective
> >>internet organizing effort in the history of US
> >>politics. Through mostly small donations from ?average
> >>citizens?, Dean has been able to create an amazing
> >>amount of national hype and he has been able to raise
> >>more money than any of the other Democratic party
> >>candidates. He is the only Democratic candidate who
> >>did not support the war in Iraq. The backlash against
> >>George W. Bush has fed Dean?s campaign with thousands
> >>of enthusiastic volunteers who are so opposed to Bush
> >>that they are becoming active in electoral politics
> >>for the first time in their lives.
> >>
> >>At a fundraising event at the Westin Hotel in Seattle
> >>on August 24th, Dean told his supporters that the
> >>?Meet Ups? were not his idea. He claims that they were
> >>happening long before he had even heard about them.
> >>He also told the group of donors that had gathered,
> >>?If I am the most liberal candidate running for
> >>president, then American politics are in a sad state
> >>of affairs.? He obviously does not see himself in the
> >>way that he has been portrayed by the conservative
> >>Democratic Leadership Conference ? as a radical
> >>?lefty? who is out of touch with the majority of
> >>Americans. In one statement, the DLC referred to Dean
> >>as a ?fringe candidate? who would never be able to
> >>garner support from the mainstream voter, and
> >>therefore he could not win the election.
> >>
> >>At the recent events in Seattle, Howard Dean did not
> >>come across as a radical. In fact, his smooth
> >>professional politician?s smile and swaggering
> >>attitude reminds this journalist that electoral
> >>politics are largely a game of perception. I witnessed
> >>a manufactured photo opportunity with Dean after his
> >>speech at the Westin. The press handlers from his
> >>campaign brought us out into the hotel lobby so we
> >>could take photos of him holding a small child. She
> >>and her mother were the only members of the general
> >>public who were allowed to get that close to Dean
> >>during the fundraiser. I witnessed several other
> >>examples of the traditional photo op session. The
> >>press conference was cut short
> >>so that he could be seen with a couple of other
> >>?important guests?, mostly folks with children. He is
> >>definitely well schooled in the politics of shaking
> >>hands and kissing babies. In this way, he comes across
> >>as a very mainstream kind of candidate.
> >>
> >>Other comments during his speeches give more evidence
> >>of his willingness to use
> >>US military power. He seems proud of the fact that he
> >>supported the first Iraq war and the invasion of
> >>Afghanistan. In the case of the Persian Gulf war he
> >>stated that ?an ally had been invaded and we had to
> >>protect Kuwait?.As for the Afghanistan war, Dean
> >>invoked the 3,000 victims of the September 11th attack
> >>on the World Trade Towers and claimed, ?It was
> >>self-defense.? These statements should worry pacifists
> >>and non-interventionists who support him. He told
> >>those gathered at the rally that he ?would not
> >>hesitate? to send troops to a foreign country. The
> >>only difference between Dean and Bush on this issue is
> >>that Howard Dean promises, ?I will not lie about the
> >>real reasons for the war.? Are we to assume that the
> >>Democratic candidate would therefore have no problem
> >>with invading sovereign nations to secure oil or to
> >>destabilize unfriendly governments?
> >>
> >>As for the environment, Howard Dean had little to say
> >>to the people of the Northwest.
> >>He did not commit to the idea of removing dams in
> >>order to save the salmon. Nor did he have any real
> >>proposals as to how to solve what Bush calls our
> >>?energy problem?, except for an off-handed remark
> >>about renewable energy sources (no specifics). The
> >>Dean campaign website contains no more details on
> >>environmental policies as far as I can tell.
> >>Here?s a quote:
> >>
> >>??One hundred years from now, long after my
> >>governorship has ended, Vermonters will continue to
> >>hike, camp, fish, and farm lands that will be forever
> >>pristine.
> >>Vermont?s population may triple in that time, yet our
> >>essential character as a state will remain unchanged.
> >>As President, I would bring my commitment to our
> >>environment to the White House.?
> >>
> >>Since the website contains no information on the
> >>context of those comments, I?m not sure when he made
> >>that statement, and I?m still left with no facts
> >>regarding any specific proposals he may or may not
> >>have in mind. Dean says he opposes drilling for oil in
> >>the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge. Other than that, it
> >>sounds like he thinks of the natural environment only
> >>as a place for recreation and farming. And how can he
> >>assure anyone that Vermont will be as beautiful and
> >>endearing after a hundred years? I guess he won?t be
> >>around to be held accountable for his prediction a
> >>century from now, so it doesn?t
> >>Really matter.
> >>
> >>After a fundraiser at the Westin Hotel where donors
> >>were reputably served peanut butter and jelly
> >>sandwiches, Dean made his way to Westake Center to
> >>address a huge crowd of enthusiastic supporters. I
> >>heard the same chant that reverberated through the
> >>Westin,
> >>?We Want Dean!?  It became obvious to me then that
> >>this guy is a veritable rock star.
> >>His cult of personality has come at a time when the US
> >>sorely needs a courageous challenger to the status quo
> >>which is now controlled by corporate raiders and
> >>religious extremists.  But it always makes me nervous
> >>when I see this kind of phenomena.
> >>Mindless chanting and hero worship do not necessarily
> >>translate into good government. Political rallies
> >>often have the feel of an old-time religious revival
> >>meeting. Passionate individuals testify to their
> >>commitment to the candidate and that is supposed to
> >>encourage others to do likewise. By the time the
> >>candidate shows up the crowd is in a total
> >>frenzy, which has been carefully orchestrated by
> >>members of the campaign staff.
> >>
> >>When Dean entered the room it became so loud and
> >>uproarious that members of the electronic media were
> >>forced to remove their headphones or turn the volume
> >>down to avoid severe aural pain. The sound meters were
> >>peaking and Seattle City Council President Peter
> >>Steinbrueck was so pumped up that he nearly swallowed
> >>the microphone. His shouting came out sounding
> >>distorted and unintelligible. All one could tell was
> >>that he was very excited. Former Washington State
> >>Governor Booth Gardener was also there at the podium
> >>to welcome Dean and promote his candidacy.
> >>
> >>Later, at the Westlake Park rally, Dean supporters
> >>began to shout down some of the remaining speakers by
> >>chanting again ? ?We Want Dean!? again. The crowd was
> >>literally rebelling against the organizers and the
> >>speakers. They wanted Dean and they wanted him now!
> >>The campaign staff was flustered but before the crowd
> >>could become too raucous, the man of the hour arrived
> >>to ecstatic cheers. People seemed to be extremely
> >>happy to see him, as if they were afraid that he might
> >>be just another figment of the liberal imagination and
> >>not a real challenger to Bush.
> >>
> >>The crowd seemed satisfied that Dean is the ?real
> >>thing? with the right stuff. He received the greatest
> >>response every time he mentioned Bush or his
> >>administration by name. He is undoubtedly capitalizing
> >>on the growing anti - Bush sentiment which has been
> >>growing quickly since revelations about the lack of
> >>weapons of mass destruction in Iraq became public.
> >>He?s riding a tide of dissatisfaction which was
> >>apparent in the rest of the world before the Iraq war
> >>started but was lacking in the US at that time.
> >>
> >>The question is: Is Howard Dean a visionary or just
> >>another liberal opportunist? I was unable to find
> >>anyone who could give me some honest answers about
> >>Dean?s record as governor of Vermont, a very small
> >>state with a tiny economy.
> >>
> >>The most encouraging statement I heard from Dean
> >>regarded his push for ?universal? healthcare. He
> >>bragged that 99% of all Vermont residents under the
> >>age of 18 have health insurance.  He listed countries
> >>that provide state-funded healthcare for its citizens
> >>? Canada, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain,
> >>Scandinavian nations, and ?even Costa Rica?. This
> >>brought loud cheers from the audience that had
> >>gathered at Westlake Park. Dean is an MD and has used
> >>those credentials ceaselessly to promote healthcare
> >>issues. The old saying goes, ?If you can?t trust your
> >>doctor, who can you trust?? His position in the
> >>medical field has given him a voice of authority on
> >>this issue. Let?s hope that if he
> >>is elected he can do better than the last Democratic
> >>administration at providing US residents with
> >>healthcare.
> >>
> >>The way in which the rally was organized led to
> >>several difficulties. First of all, most of those in
> >>attendance could not see Dean speaking on the stage
> >>because the platform for the media cameras blocked
> >>their line of sight completely. Perhaps they didn?t
> >>expect such a
> >>l
> >>arge turn out, but I am forced to conclude that the
> >>rally was staged primarily for the media, not those in
> >>attendance. Also, security was a bit lacking.  Dean?s
> >>handlers often seemed confused about where to take the
> >>candidate to avoid the crush of the huge crowd of
> >>passionate Dean lovers.  The local media was handled
> >>by overworked and sleep deprived staff members.
> >>Although we got to tag along with the national press
> >>core
> >>that had been following his campaign across the
> >>country, we were also caught up
> >>in the crowd of supporters at the press conference
> >>after the rally and many of us from the local media
> >>were not able to ask Dean any questions at all.
> >>
> >>It is impossible to avoid comparisons, however,
> >>between Bush?s visit a few days ago and Dean?s own
> >>political circus. The local media was allowed no
> >>access to Bush at all. Security was so intense that
> >>the city felt as if an invading force had occupied it.
> >>Dean caused his own disruptions but his spinners will
> >>see that in a very positive light. His rally in
> >>Seattle drew the largest crowd on the campaign so far.
> >>We were all shocked when media sources the next day
> >>reported that 15,000 people had attended the event in
> >>downtown. That is truly impressive for a guy who
> >>compares himself and his campaign to Seabiscuit, the
> >>unlikely race horse who made it big in the 1930?s
> >>during a very rough time for the US. Yet He has
> >>captured the imaginations of millions of people who
> >>agree on one thing: ?Anybody But Bush?, or as I call
> >>it, ?A.B.B.?
> >>
> >>Howard Dean fits the bill for the moment. He may not
> >>be the best candidate, but he might
> >>actually have a chance of winning and replacing the
> >>Bush legacy which so many in Seattle seem to
> >>vehemently despise. The underlying message of the
> >>events which took place in Seattle August 22- 24th has
> >>been interpreted by the local
> >>media as a clash between the elite wealthy and the
> >>common citizens. To liberals and progressives, the
> >>Bush administration represents nothing but the rich
> >>getting richer on the backs of working folks. When
> >>Bush ignored the people of Seattle and went directly
> >>to a millionaire?s mansion, it was amazingly symbolic
> >>of the reasons that the opposition is so eager to
> >>replace Bush with an A.B.B. candidate. They see him as
> >>a liar and a corrupt rich frat boy whose domestic and
> >>foreign policies threaten the very existence of our
> >>nation. Howard Dean, on the other hand, is much more
> >>accessible to the people because most of his support
> >>comes from the grassroots. He needs them to succeed.
> >>
> >>A couple of side notes here, including a question that
> >>was never answered:
> >>When I was standing outside the Westin Hotel with the
> >>rest of the local media during Dean?s fundraiser, we
> >>noticed that vans were being driven up to the hotel by
> >>men in military uniforms with berets. I don?t even
> >>know which branch of the armed forces they
> >>represented. I don?t think it had anything to do with
> >>the Dean campaign but it seemed strange. When an
> >>independent photographer from the University of
> >>Washington asked the driver why military personnel
> >>were taking people in vans to the hotel, the man in
> >>uniform replied, ?I have no idea.?
> >>
> >>I must mention that there was one lonely anti-Dean
> >>protester at the rally who confronted his entourage as
> >>they approached the rented van that was to take Dean
> >>to the airport. The man shouted something through a
> >>bullhorn about Dean being a ?Wall Street crook?. I
> >>tried to interview the man but he left immediately and
> >>disappeared into the crowd.
> >>Maybe someone should look into Dean?s stock holdings.
> >>
> >>Sooner or later Howard Dean will have to face his
> >>critics as well. I get the distinct feeling that he
> >>will be much more willing to engage in the necessary
> >>political debates to come.
> >>Meanwhile George W. will probably be busy relaxing on
> >>his ranch in Crawford, Texas, surrounded by Secret
> >>Service and trying very hard to avoid the media.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>__________________________________
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
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> >
>
>
>


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