Blog4kerry - He's the Real Deal

Blog4Kerry has no problem with former Dean supporters trumpeting their guy for VP. We all have our favorites and have a right to make it known. However, I am outraged at the AP article that I just read. A group of Howard Dean supporters has gone beyond just supporting their guy to VP, to saying if they don’t get their way the Democratic Convention will have a floor fight on their hands.

Dean has shown up on few, if any, lists of serious contenders for the vice presidential nomination. Members of the draft committee say they believe their efforts to persuade Kerry through petitions to choose Dean will prove futile.

So they came up with the idea of forcing a vote at the convention. "We're gearing up for and we're resigned to a floor fight," Meurer said.



I’m hoping Howard Dean will quickly come out and say this is counterproductive and ask them to “cease and desist immediately.” If so, the goodwill that has been building up toward the Dean and the DFA among grassroots supporters of other candidates will remain intact. All the grassroots organizers I knew like Dean’s campaigns focus and methods even if we did not believe he was the right man to lead the ticket.

The supporters of Dean as VP make two contradictory arguments. First, they argue he will appeal to the progressive side of Democratic Party and neutralize Nadar. I find this the least plausible of their arguments since under any measure Kerry is to the left of the NRA endorsed Dean. Second, they argue Dean would also bring appeal to centrist voters. Maybe there is some truth there, but he didn’t seem to draw the independents near as well as Edwards in the primary. But really now, if Dean appealed to independents, Republicans and the Democratic Party base how could he have lost the primaries winning only his home state?

Their web site turns around and link to every poll they can find that shows Kerry losing in the battleground states ignoring most of the major polls showing Kerry ahead. Then rather than compare “apples and oranges” they cherry-pick certain demographics in a Zogby poll that show Dean helping the ticket more than Gephardt in a national poll. Unbelievably and intentionally misleading...

Listen to some of these classic quotes from their website:

Because I don't think Kerry can win without him and he would be the most intelligent Vice President this country has ever known. – Maggie in Oklahoma

If Kerry wants my vote, he BETTER pick Dean. – TT in Mississippi

I won't vote for Kerry otherwise. – Ian in Gainesville, FL

Kerry will not otherwise get my vote. – Pat in Long Beach, CA

Invigorate the party with honesty and intelligence. Appeal to the party base. Dean's centrist appeal plays well to independents and Republicans. His debating skills are second to none. As a governor, he has an exemplary record on health care and knows how to balance a budget. – Teri in Oregon

Howard brings a gut level intensity Kerry is lacking, in addition to his large pool of grassroots supporters. Most Dean supporters I know are voting for Nader now. Kerry/Dean can't lose! – George in Saxapahaw, NC

Kerry's campaign has been uninteresting and lackluster. Howard Dean would be able to ignite the Democratic progressives and spark interest. As a vice-presidential candidate, he could say things that Kerry perceives are controversial. – SD, Olympia, WA

Would I donate? I'd give my life's savings. So would hundreds of thousands of others. Dean stands for something -- he'd give a little integrity to Kerry. He needs it. – Michael in Washington, DC

I donated $300 to the Dean campaign and will not donate $$$ to Kerry, unless Dean is his VP. – Colleen in W. Des Moines, Iowa


And the best for last...

Dean would be a stabilizing force. – PG, Harper Woods, MI


Dean needs to repudiate these people now. This is counter-productive to the cause. Floor fight? Eyes on the prize folks, eyes on the prize...