I love Howard Dean, and in 2004 his candidacy was like a breath of fresh air for me. For once I not only liked the Democratic candidate but was also excited about the possibility of changing the way we operated, to ignore the Republican smears and not be afraid of who we were and what our values were.
Even though I respected Howard Dean and all he'd done up to that point, in watching his speeches I always had the thought floating in the back of my mind that he came across as angry, and he somehow didn't seem presidential. I'd hoped that he would grow into the role and learn as he went, but he didn't seem to significantly change as time went on. His harsh partisan rhetoric played well among Dems but ended up turning off the general public.
He didn't end up being the candidate and we lost the election, but because of him my involvement in the Democratic party continues to this day. I'd never felt an investment in the Democratic Party until he became head of the DNC, where he was trying to break the corporate, DLC stranglehold on the party. His energy, skills and intellect seem a perfect fit for his current position as he is doing a wonderful job and has a chance to remake an organization that gets its direction from the bottom up rather than top down.
I became a Democracy Bond holder (with a .01 at the end of the amount to signify that I'm a Kossack). I've also given money through Act Blue for the 2006 congressional campaigns. I've done a couple of local precinct walks even though I've found that hanging out with political operatives (even Dems) gives me hives. Political campaigns always seem to attract opportunistic and machiavellian folk, leading to an environment that feels bruising and cliquish for me.
In mid 2007 I began to hear bits and pieces about the Democratic Presidential debates, but I hadn't watched any, and I had felt burned out after the 2006 congressional victories and the subsequent disappointment with what little the Democrat-led Congress had to show for it.
But as the primaries started, I began to watch the debates and speeches; of all the great and qualified candidates, Barack Obama stood out above all -- an exciting speaker, a great communicator with a flair for language, able to break down complicated issues to an easily understood (and strongly emotional) essence. I was skeptical and wanted to find out more about him, wondering if he was for real. I kept expecting him to falter, to be a flash in the pan, or to make some gaffe on national TV. Instead, he just kept getting stronger.
He won the Iowa caucus and capped it with one of the most moving victory speeches I've ever heard. I sent money to his campaign, hoping that his campaign would now steamroll to the nomination. Of course, it didn't happen that way, with the increasingly negative campaigning and smearing from the Clintons on their way to victory in New Hampshire. Obama also hurt his cause with his sneer about Hillary being "likeable enough"; ah, so he was human after all, the negative attacks may have gotten to him.
The interval between Iowa and New Hampshire was only a few days, but it seemed to go on for weeks; the Clintons would launch some charge distorting his record and his words, and the Obama camp would respond with some weak rebuttal. Surely this was the sign of an Achilles heel; when the road got dirty, they had no answer for it. He was hemmed in by having to play the high road, the foundation of his postpartisan approach. I was shocked and disappointed in the Clintons, and as I've been trained by expectations from the sewer politics of the '90s, I wanted Obama to have his own surrogates throw mud right back at the Clintons.
But then a funny thing happened. Obama somehow found a way to fight the Clinton's attacks by simply countering with the truth. At first it seemed that they had succeeded in framing the primary as being about his character; I was worried that Obama would spend too much energy defending himself rather staying on message. But like any master communicator, he somehow managed to find the right balance and deftly turned the media attention back onto the Clintons with questions about their veracity and negativity.
Here, I think Bill has finally met his match; someone who can work a crowd and the media in a way that is seamless, honest, and direct. That momentum continued through South Carolina where all the Clinton's attacks seemed to blow up in their faces like prank cigars, where Obama deftly sidestepped the volleys and redirected them back to the Clintons, while still appearing dignified and above the fray.
In a way, these attacks and allegations might be a good thing, where possible roadbumps like the Rezko connection can get a full airing out by the media and become old news by the time of the convention. I've been reading print and electronic articles about Obama for the past few months (and wading through the vitrol of the DK diaries; ain’t democracy great? Really, I think the vigorous debate is a sign of health.) and from all I've read, I'm not worried. The more I read about the man, the more I'm convinced that honesty and integrity have been hallmarks of his career. He’s no saint, for sure, just a human being, but someone with a strong moral compass.
I truly believe that Obama is our best candidate for President and will create a stronger Democratic majority. Just look at the enthusiasm that he is generating among young people and disaffected voters. People are excited about politics for the first time in a long while with the amazing doubling of Dem participation in a couple of states. These could be part of a motivated Dem voter base that will carry us for decades. The current dissatisfaction with the Bush regime may be part of it, but there is no question that Obama is helping generate a lot of this excitement; he’s not only talking about change, he’s making it happen right before our eyes.
Finally, here’s how I see the connection with two of my favorite Dems, Howard Dean and Barack Obama: both are changing the political landscape for Democrats and the nation. Howard Dean is remaking the DNC not only with his 50-state strategy, but also by diversifying the donor base beyond the lobbyists and monied interests in Washington; attracting greater of numbers of smaller contributions from ordinary folk like you and me. The Democratic Party is finally becoming the populist, democratic institution that it's always given lip service to.
And Barack Obama has the ability to bring new voters to fill out that infrastructure, to ensure that we have the momentum to enact the changes that we need in our country. A lot of hopes and dreams are riding on his coattails; I know mine are. From all these years of Repug browbeating and corruption, stolen elections, untold cost of lives and prestige in Iraq; it almost feels as if we don’t deserve to hope for anything anymore. Barack Obama says differently and he’s starting to make me believe in that too.