I'm a Dean supporter and I'll continue to support Dean for President until I hear from Dean why I should vote for Edwards -- and I'm in a Super Tuesday state so the time is soon when I need the case to be made.
Edwards lacks most of what I admire in Dean, but he certainly has some attributes when it comes to campaigning against Bush. And, of course, he isn't Kerry.
Anyway, I'd like to hear from fellow Dean supporters.
My strong belief is that Dean needs to give a coherent shape to what his supporters can do for the rest of this primary season to help elect someone to beat Bush, and to continue to be relevant in terms of pushing for reform of the Democratic Party now through the November election and afterwards.
Can this be done by supporting Edwards? What does Dean and his supporters get in return besides immediate relevance in tipping upcoming primaries from Kerry to Edwards? How can support for Edwards be reconciled with Dean's positions and intent to reform Washington?
I think it requires giving Edwards a great benefit of the doubt, which I'm ready to do.
But it needs to make sense to Dean supporters. It needs to be done en masse rather than through a slow trickle in order for Dean, as the leader of a movement, to play a role -- to be releveant to the question of who the nominee will be.
If Dean's 15%-20% moves to Edwards, that's worth something. This influence can't wait for a brokered convention by which time it will have eroded away. It needs to happen now, before Super Tuesday.
Can Dean and Edwards come to an understanding that satisfies Dean and his supporters so they would support Edwards with enthusiasm and in sufficient numbers to deliver him the nomination?
And will Edwards take the risk of dealing with Dean and alienating the powers that be? (I think so if he wants to be President as opposed to Vice President.)
BTW, I think Secretary of HHS is an extremely lame position and a waste of Dean -- talk about stowing someone safely away. I want to hear ideas other than promised positions...