When Howard Dean ran for chair of the DNC, he said that he would not ignore the deep red states so that we could turn them blue nor would he ignore the blue states so that we wouldn't lose them in the future. As far as I'm concerned, Howard Dean kept his word tonight at least in regards to Maryland.Tonight he did to fundraisers for the state party, one for the big donors and one for the ordinary folks like us (my student ticket cost only $25!).
Everyone at the rally was really fired up. Doug Duncan spoke (Mayor O'Malley couldn't make it but sent campaign workers) as well as senate candidates Mfume and Cardin and potential candidate Chris Van Hollen. What was really nice was that all of the candidates praised each other and pledged to keep themselves focused on defeating our right-wing Governor and keeping Paul Sarbanes' Senate seat rather than bashing each other. Senator Sarbanes, Congresman Wynn, Congressman Hoyer, several state senators and delegates, and our own DNC Vice-Chair and fellow kossack Susie Turnbull were there as well. Everyone gave great speeches talking about why we need to take back our state in 2006.
Then State chairman Terry Lierman introduced Howard Dean, who entered like the rockstar he truly is. He really fired up the crowd. Some of his most memorable lines were that Americans don't want the nuclear options because this country doesn't believe in one-party rule that ignores the beliefs and values of half of America. He also talked at length about moral values and said that we are the party of moral values because we believe that its not moral to be ok with children going to bed hungry in this country. He also joked that last time he checked the Republican Party Platform for all its false moral posturing did not include the quote "It is less difficult for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than a rich man to enter into heaven." He also complimented Chairman John Kane of the Maryland Republican Party, who actually paid $150 to attend and spy on our cool rally, saying that if he had a true conversion to the party of fiscal responsibility he was more than willing to join us and help fix the mess his party had made of our nation's finances. He really excited the crowd of 600+ that I guess was there. Overall, it was great kickoff to our campaign to sweep the Governor's race, Senate race, and local races in Maryland in 2006.
And oh, I got shake Governor Dean's hand. Very cool.