I got home from teaching and coaching mock trail in time to see the last 20 minutes of the Town Meeting in Claremont NH, weiht Howad Dean pushing himself through a really raspy throat.
Too bad he didn't have a raspy throat for the last week before Monday. When not said with the intensity of his "stump" speech, the same points coonnect much more effectively. He used much of the stump matrial, but also worked in other things. it was, to put it mildly, a msterful performance.
The first time I saw him at a town meeting was in Merrimack, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It was the first of 5 or 6 evens that day. I remember saying to one of the major players in the NH campaing (whose name I have admittedly forgot) that what they ought to do is just buy time and show a tape of him at a town meeting. I've also come to the conclusion, about three weeks ago, that he shjould stop giving speeches, wherever he is, and just make a very few (5 minutes) of opening remarks, and then respond to people's questions. The "anger meme" disappears and exactly the same words come across as what they are - the output of an incisive mind, a penterating intelligence, which has thought through many of the issues that confront us.
Yes, this is Monday morning quarterbacking (on a Thursday, no less). Perhpas the weakenss in the Dean campaign effort to date, is that it was not willing to uncoventional enough. When you see in a loud stump speech that the problem isWashington insideres, it sounds like an attack., and they resent it, and want to strike back. When you say in a reasoned voice that poeple are good men, but they are trapped in an oingoing pattern that cannot be broken merely by elevating one to the oval office, even most of them might quietly acknowledge that he is right. And he is not being in their faces, which he does not have to be.
If this campaing is to go on, even after it leaves NH where retail politics is expected, it should continue to be town meeting based, and not stump speeches. Forget giving a stump speech. Either give a set piece formal address, as he did on foreing policy, or be in a situation such as a town meeting, where he is real and genuine.
And to hell with normal poltical advertising. Take clips - one minute, 2 minute, 5-minute -- of Dedan responding to people, unedited, and run those.
Remember - everyone thought Perot was nuts when he bought time and sat their with his charts. But remember the results
What is wrong iwht America is that we try to reduce everything to the 30 second (if we are lucky) soundbite and the gotcha film clip or quote. What if we respected the intelligence of tghe American people , foreswore 30 second ads, and only did pieces that gave a real opportunity to expalin issue to people, to dialog with people?
First, form a tactical standpoint - it wold be so different, that the press would have to talka bout it, maginifying whatever time we bought. second, if Dean really believe this election is about us taking back our party and our country, then be ture to that in how he campaigns. He CANNOT run a campaign that acts like traditional campaigns and say that he wants to change our politics.
I do not think I am uusal in wanting my intelligence to be respected. I think we have lost a great opportunity, but not fatally so as yet. Respect the American People - if we say they have the power, then empower them with more than slogans.
Am I a hopeless dreamer? If what I ask for is "impossilbe" opr "hopeless" then we have lost far moe than an election. We have abandoned our belief in "we the people of the United States" and I am wasting my time teaching Government to 9th graders, trying to persuade them that they can make a difference.
There is, in the Russian Orthodox tradition, of which I am fond (although I am now a Quaker), the tradition of the iurodivne, the "holy fool." People sometimes do not know that the fnatastic looking building in Red has the appelation of St Basil's aftger such a Holy Fool, the man who could chastise Ivan the Terrible on his behavior. The problem with being a holy fool is, of course, people may only see the fool and not realize the holy.
One way in which Howard could show that he is the Holy Fool is to outright say that it doesn't matter if he is the president, if they ideas he espouses would be fully followed by another candidate, that then his purpose would have been served, but that he fears that others wlil mouth the words only so long as it takes to achieve power, but then will be co-opted. Words without actions are empty,or worse- destructive.
Howard has been on the edge -- so why not take the risk -- outright tell the Amedrican people that they have a unique opportunity, but it requires a commitment on their part. It is not just deciding to vote for him, it is committing themselves to a major change in this country, to reaching out to those that have scorned, attacked and despised us, understanding that they are fearful. It means embracing the blows they reign upon this campaing, and then not striking back, but smiling and saying in almost a Clintonian way [ ala "I feel your pain"] now, since you've got that out of your system, can we talk about what's really important?
Flaming in return i s acceptab le - aas Dean remarks, rude remarks are an accepted part of the new England town meeting process. I claim no exclusive wisdom. I do agrfee that I like to provoke, because we learn more from conflict, providing we are willing to listen to the response of the other.