Meet The Press: Dean On Healing The Party
By Nicole Belle Saturday Apr 26, 2008 1:00pm
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean appeared on Meet The Press to address the issues of party unity and whether we will go to the convention without a nominee decided. Dean has been vocal that he wants the issue resolved by June before, but as the thread yesterday over a possible way to resolve seating Michigan's delegates proves, it's a highly fractious issue that will leave many Democrats upset, no matter how it's handled. Therefore, Dean charges that the key to healing the party will be the actions of the person who does not get the nomination, not him.
Download | play 
Download | play (h/t Bill W)
Russert: When you look at all that, how and when is this nomination fight going to end?
Dean: Well, I’m hoping it will be over by the end of the month of June. We’ve made great progress in the last few weeks in that I think about 50-60 unpledged delegates have said who they’re going to be for. And it would be a lot of fun for you if we had a divided convention with 104 ballots and break the record. But the truth is we need to figure this out before the convention. We need time to heal. And actually, I’m not the most important person in terms of bringing the party together. The most important person is the person who doesn’t win the nomination. Because I can remember when I lost to John Kerry, I had to go out and convince my supporters, it took me about 3 months, that they needed to support Sen. Kerry. I endorsed him, I campaigned for him, I went to all the college campuses and that’s what the person who doesn’t win this with 49% of the delegate is going to have to do keep the party together.
And the likelihood of Hillary Clinton doing that is...?
Holy cow--first!
I think it's time for Bill Clinton to give up on the third term he so desperately wants.
The party doesn't need to be healed. Most of them are unaware of the rancor on blog sites. They like both candidates. There are those who are only here to support their candidate and will leave if they don't get their way, and to them I say good-riddance.
Spare me the healing crap and get it together.
These guys have been yapping on TV for 7 years now.
We're gonna do this, were gonna do that.
With all this healing crap talk I can picture the entire party cramming onto some idiotic touchy-feely talk show like Oprah or Dr. Phil(ibuster).
And the one who doesn't get the nomination is...the envelope please! Hillary!
But you know, we all know, she won't be in the healing mode. She could care less about the party as evidenced by her actions during this campaign. And she has Bill prodding her to put him back in the White House. Does he have some unfinished business there or what?
If anything, I see the Clintons subtlety supporting McCain if she loses the nomination. I hope I'm wrong. Judging by how Bill has campaigned for his wife, it would probably be better if he stepped back and didn't go all out for Obama. Obama's campaign doesn't need to have to worry about what Bill would say next.
I thought Bill Clinton was wonderful up and until Hillary's campaign began.
L.A. Confidential @ 6:
And what do we get?
Gas approaching $4. Airlines going bankrupt. Food prices soaring. Layoffs increasing. Outsourcing continuing. Pensions going down the tubes. Market crisis. Wasting our money on nation building despite the fact the record shows the U.S. has never succeeded at it. Bush Co bankrupting the treasury.
L.A. Confidential @ 10:
Americans aren't asleep. Obviously they are in a coma to permit this kind of crap to be going down.
What we have had is eight long years of the bush administration. He signed more signing statements than any previous president and has used the veto more in the last couple of years than he did in his whole first term. Kind of hard to work around that.
Yeah, the Democrats are going to tell Hillary it is all over in June. And the Democrats will begin impeachment proceedings against Bush/Cheney in July. LOL
11 L.A. Confidential
Americans aren’t asleep. Obviously they are in a coma to permit this kind of crap to be going down.
Fecalphilia?
Not surprisingly the first comment to appear to fault one of the candidates for this "breach" came from an aparent Obama supporter.
Ed Rendell is a Hillary backer, so naturally he is going to talk up the "But she's ahead on the popular vote!!" bullshit coming out of her camp. What worries me is the "Superdelegates" and their fixation with "electability". If Obama wins the Democratic nomination with the most delegates and the superdelegates give the nomination to Hillary, then our Democracy is finished. No one will believe in the system any longer.
Dean is right, this is what Hillary will have to do.
A bit OT. Elizabeth Edwards just wrote a piece in the NYT trashing MSM's trivial coverage of policy in presidential race. I wish she were running for president.
Ed Rendell, Maria Cantwell, Charlie Rangel, a lot of high profile Clinton supporters have let it be known that they will give their full support to the nominee, no matter who it turns out to be. If the Clintons try to sit this one out, they'll find themselves pretty isolated, and Hillary's career might just sputter out.
If this were a perfect world, we'd be following Dean's re-election campaign right now instead of watching two Democrats beat up on each other with the only benefactor beingthe Republicans. :(
In case anyone hasn't noticed, the corporate plan is not to get Hillary elected, but to assist in causing as much chaos as possible on the Dem side while "re-inventing" John McCain as a pragmatic maverick straight-talker instead of the hot-headed pandering flip-flopper that he really is. This will include doctoring the polls and manipulating the debates. The result will be the ILLUSION that the race in November is "too close to call" as the last two elections were, which allows Diebold to work it's magic without appearing too obvious.
Mugsy @ 19:
I said almost those exact words this morning.
Tom Hayden:
It is abundantly clear that the Clintons, working with FOX News and manipulating old Clinton staffers like George Stephanopoulos, are trying, at least unconsciously, to so damage Barack Obama that he will be perceived as "unelectable" to Democratic superdelegates. It is also clear that the campaign of defamation against Obama has resulted in higher negative ratings for Hillary Clinton. She therefore is threatening the Democratic Party's chances for the White House, whether or not she is the nominee.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080505/hayden
Neither candidate is winning or losing since neither is going to reach the magic number of 2025 delegates.
There is no proviso for a simple majority vote.
This has been an odd nominating year, starting in January, states pushing to be first in their primaries and caucuses, record setting amounts of dollars raised and spent.
There is no precedent for deciding this.
So no matter what happens it's going to be a precedent setting year to decide this, so one side or other is going to be pissed.
And if the nominee "screws" up the National election blame will be pointing in every direction. If they win the office, you'll have people standing by keenly observant with sharpened knives like the demon hordes of Ammut for the first sign of weakness.
And that will be just this party.
Tom Hayden:
It is abundantly clear that the Clintons, working with FOX News and manipulating old Clinton staffers like George Stephanopoulos, are trying, at least unconsciously, to so damage Barack Obama that he will be perceived as "unelectable" to Democratic superdelegates. It is also clear that the campaign of defamation against Obama has resulted in higher negative ratings for Hillary Clinton. She therefore is threatening the Democratic Party's chances for the White House, whether or not she is the nominee.
Funny how great minds think alike. I agree with everything he said, especially what he didn't say.
No. 44 @ 23:
Does Hayden have actual proof of this. Or are we just being played for suckers by another former 60's "Hippie Radical" who thinks his opinion still carries weight?
This election is three Senators serving at the time our country has gone down hill.
Expecting much to change is ridiculous.
The Senate is corrupt folks so the blind trust in these Senators is ridiculous too.
We need to get real on this change bs.
pissed off patricia @ 9:
I doubt seriously Bill will go "all out" for Obama. If Obama gets the nod, only then will Bill shut up.
Geesus F-ing Crist !!
With Hillary the expected loser, we are so , so, so, ( They won't let me say.. So Forked !)
Have you noticed that the pundits try to manipulate their guests with a question that is purely hipatheticle. Russert tried it with Dean and Dean said that his question had a lot of ifs. The pundits also ask question in ways that the uninformed may think is legit but has been answered a hundred times.
getalife @ 26:
Solution?
getalife @ 26:
We won't get real change until people realize that rather then being made safe and secure the politicians are in reality producing exactly the opposite conditions.
The elephant in the room that people dont want to talk about is the Clinton political machine - the DLC. The Clintons destroyed the democratic party and replaced it with a personal machine. It was under clinton that the republicans got nearly everything they wanted AND got congress. What was left of the democratic party wasnt the party that I had known my entire life - if was the clinton political machine.
Save the party?
Lets start by destroying the clintons and the DLC.
Someone needs to find a pair of hind legs and stand up - make a statement of principle that revalidated FDR and his policies and condemns the Clintons.
It will be muddied until that is done. At this point in time - democracy be damned - you cant seperate the clinton machine from left wing republicanism.
Its time that the Liebermans of politics are forced into the republican camp. This line needs to be drawn.
L.A. Confidential @ 26:
No idea! He was for Hillary but seems to be changing his mind.
anon @ 33:
People (non republicons) need to find a pair of hind legs and stand up and demand their representatives allow them to have a place and a voice at the table. If the Evangelicals can take over Government whats their excuse?
All the statements in the galaxy aren't going to produce anything except, "Gee, he's right. Good guy. Glad someone is taking a stand".
The problem is that Hillary's tactics are getting so filthy that her "help" might not help after she finally bows out.
L.A. Confidential @ 26:
Hayden was a bold individual in tumultuous times. His political work since then has been consistently progressive. I doubt he is attempting to play anyone for a sucker, as he has much more respect for the electorate than many of his peers. As to being "another 60's hippie radical", that's something I would expect to hear from Fox.
L.A. Confidential @ 26:
What kind of bigotry is this?
I cried a tear, you wiped it dry
I was confused, you cleared my mind
I sold my soul, you bought it back for me
And held me up and gave me dignity
Somehow you needed me
You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
And I can't believe it's you,
I can't believe it's true
I needed you and you were there
And I'll never leave
why should I leave, I'd be a fool
'Cause I've finally found someone who really cares
You held my hand when it was cold
When I was lost you took me home
You gave me hope when I was at the end
And turned my lies back into truth again
You even called me friend
You needed me, you needed me
Bottom line, Obambi has already been painted as a loser "girlie man" by Hillary -- while there's no way the Super Delegates can take away the nomination from this black man (would destroy the Dem party for generations -- which needs very high black support). The only hope now is trying to limit the Obama drag on Congressional races (GOP is already doing this vis a vis tying Reverand Wright and Obama to other Dem candidates).
How did this happen????
No. 44 @ 34:
Hayden was one of The Chicago Seven.
Maybe he's trying to relive the good old days but without going to jail.
The Chicago Seven were seven (originally eight, when they were known as the Chicago Eight) defendants charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot and other charges related to protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois on the occasion of the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
L.A. Confidential @ 35:
People are puposeless at the moment. It's the gee he's right responses that focus peoples attention. The republicans have known this for decades - and have convinced the people of a country that has overwhelmingly embraced socialist programs that it is conservative. As long as those protected by socialized police, fire and more THINK they are what they are told - you had better be the ones doing the telling.
As I said in another thread: get ya'll's act together, do you think it'll be easy going up against a fully-prepped RWNM?
anon @ 38:
It's not bigotry. Times change, people become irrelevant, they become burdened down by all the things they we're fighting against when they were young. Money, status, property, assets, materialism, isolation from those people they claim to be champions for.
I'm not being mean why is Hayden excused from scrutiny?
One of the men on Matthews show this morning, can't remember his name (might have been Howard Fineman) said this was the first time ever he had ever seen a candidate say something nice about the other party's candidate over their own party opponent. I'm guessing he was talking about Hillary saying she and McCain had a life time of experience.
He could add to that Bill's comments about Hillary and McCain loving their country and being patriotic Americans.
33 anon Says: The elephant in the room...
The republicans?
L.A. Confidential
Good point. The Clintons don't deserve a pass either.
Back in the 60's Hayden and others were as pissed as many of you are now. They did the things many who visit here talk about doing and threaten to do, they raised hell. They protested their war of their time, Vietnam, for many of the same reasons people protest today. I'm not going to bat for them, just trying to explain a whole lot of people were pissed about a war we should have never entered into and they made themselves heard. Did they go about it the right way? I don't have an answer for that.
Yes, the elections pretty much over, and it looks like the superdelegates are edging toward doing the right thing, but you missed the thing that irritates me the most. Dean says whenever asked that the superdelegates are no problem, it's all very democratic, because most of them are congressmen, state legislators and people who were in some way elected. That's crap, if Howard is under the impression that, when I elected a Democratic governor and state Atty General, I was trying to say "please, pick a president for me", he's mistaken.
I'm all for my hard working state legislators getting to wear funny hats and having a week of booze and strippers, but why is their preference 35,000 times as important as mine? Howard's wrong, there's nothing remotely democratic about that.
geneHUSSEIN214 @ 15:
This worries me, too. I think it would also GUARANTEE the election of John McCain to the presidency. Most Obama voters would vote for Hillary if they saw she won the nomination fair and square. But if they see that the super delegates went against the "will of the majority of primary voters", they'll leave the Democrats to die on the vine, even if Barack valiantly tried to convince them to vote for Hillary. That would mean the loss of most African American voters, most young voters, and most Independents, who would otherwise vote for the fairly-chosen Democratic candidate. The Democratic nominee doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell without these groups.
Such a breakdown of the Democratic party process could mean a real change in politics, too. I think there's already a slow movement toward formulating a strong party that is truly progressive in principle, not bound by the Washington morass. Millions of Americans don't vote at all, yet they're all potential voters if their needs are addressed.
We cannot know how the nomination process will end, but there are clear warning signs. It had better be fair, or say goodbye to a Democratic president the next four years and the end of the Democratic party as we know it.
The Republicans are toast, and whoever wins will trounce McCain. The larger danger is the same interests who had the Republicans bought and payed for are just moving on over to the Democrats and the Dems are taking their money and "distancing " themselves from the "radical" left.
anon @ 42:
Your correct there is no purpose right now. Survival, drudgery, keeping and or protecting what you have. Don't take risks, don't venture forth, because the Republicans are going to stonewall your effort anyway. Be it start. There is nothing inspiring or motivating about it.
pissed off patricia @ 48:
He was also a Freedom Rider.
He organized the Campaign for Economic Democracy in California.
He sponsored Proposition 65 - labels on cancer-causing products.
He sponsored Proposition 99 - tobacco taxes.
He authored animal rights legislation - the Hayden Act.
and he gave us the the Port Huron Statement.
All around, an amazing guy.
fiver @ 51:
I don't know every single attempt to level the playing field in one form or another hasn't worked. The Neocons obviously haven't wasted any time in being fully and completely prepared to defend their territory. And at any cost up to and including ignoring the constitution, our domestic laws, international laws, you name it.
How bout Scalia the other day on Gore 2000. His reply. "Get over it".
I don't know about you but every time they say something like that I just get madder, and more determined to NOT GET OVER IT.
There's limits to patience.
L.A. Confidential @ 44:
You said ...
another former 60’s “Hippie Radical” who thinks his opinion still carries weight?
... that isnt scrutiny. I'm guessing Hayden's credentials are better than 90% that visit C&L.
I smell generational ennui.
Hillary voted for the war and that was irreversable. You live by the chimp, you die by the chimp.
No. 44 @ 53:
Perhaps they don't make them like they used to continues to apply.
Elections are won in the middle. We all saw Kerry lose because he couldn't get the woman in Peoria who was concerned about security. Gore, Kerry and Obama are the same candidate - none of them connected to the middle and all are perceived as elitist. Yes, Hillary has defined Obama as a "girly man". Maureen Dowd, the woman who hasn't been the same since that house fell on her, said this morning Hillary has defined him as Bambi - Barack O'bambi. The Republicans will define him further.
Our strongest ticket is still Clinton/Barack. The Dean 25 will decide at the end May what to do with Michigan/Florida. At that time we'll have enough information to see which candidate is strongest for the general - I just don't see it being O'bambi.
It's a shame new leadership is hard to
merge through the ranks to make
policy changes that would allow better
management of the Democratic Infrastructure.
Unfortunately it appears that the Democratic
Party is once becoming the gate keeper of
controlled opposition to the warning of
January 17, 1961.
Joe @ 56:
What do you mean it's irreversible? First of all it was Bush Co that sold Congress on the Neocon cakewalk and flowers and candy thing.
Your saying it's not possible for a person to eat crow and admit they were taken?
jmac @ 58:
The Dems biggest problem is their lack of ability to "connect" with the values of the common man.
Good riddance. Especially over these last couple of years, after they sort of accidentally won both houses, they have shown themselves to be willing tools of the GOP. I am glad to see them exposed. If they blow this one, and they might, that will be the end of them. And not an election too soon.
I don't understand the Obama supporters thinking he is somehow a new, different candidate. I think he's center right on the economy. He has Reagan economic advisers and uses Republican talking points when he says social security is in "crisis". Two of his advisors have been caught on tape saying we should ignore what he says on the campaign trail.
Didn't Code Pink drop him this week on a statement he made on the war? He has an insurance-based Republican-type health care plan.
Even if his anti-war supporters can get him in, they are probably going to be very disappointed once they see he's not who they thought he was.
Governor Dean's advice is excellent. He also practiced what he preaches. Not only did he campaign for Kerry, but he has dedicated the last 4 years to building the party as he thinks it should be, with the 50 State Strategy. I think he has made an invaluable contribution to the potential for change in the party. Senator Obama is not perfect, but I think he represents a chance to break up the "Old Guard" and usher in the next generation of Democrats. Hopefully, they will give rise to a new progressive movement.
Lynn - will you still be as kind to Dean if he seats Michigan and Florida?
anon @ 55:
Well, hippies never did wash their feet.
sativa @ 47:
What about McCain?
Doesn't he deserve a senior citizen's bus pass?
Obama Dean :a winner
Dan @ 49:
It's not democratic. Not entirely at least, and it's that way by design.
Think of it this way:
Delegates = House of Commons, from which ideas originate
Superdelegates = House of Lords, who have an advisory function, and a veto power
DNC Chair = Supreme Court enforcing rules dispassionately without regard either to candidate preference or whether the rules are fair to begin with
jmac @ 65:
I largely agree with Lynn about Dean, and I will be as kind to him if he seats Michigan and Florida in accordance with the rules as written rather than be strong-armed by either candidate's supporters into breaking them.
I still remember watching an early debate on PBS with Tavis Smiley and thinking how lucky we were to have such great candidates. My first choice was Edwards and my favorite, based on platform, was Kucinich. I would prefer that we follow the rules, but will wholeheartedly support the Democratic candidate, whether it is Senator Clinton or Obama. We must all remember the Supreme Court.
Lynn @ 71:
Agreed, especially on the Court, though my first choice was Dodd.
After this election, though, I'll probably concentrate all my political efforts on electoral reform rather than helping Democratic candidates.
I also agree that Senator Obama is probably more centrist that people recognize, but he is also campaigning to the middle. He is also registering huge numbers of new voters and helping progressive democrats to get elected in state and national offices. Cenk Uygur at TYT talks about the coming of a tsunami. It took a generation to get into this mess, but I see signs that a progressive tsunami is coming. It may pull Senator Obama to the left.
Well at least the republicans would never have to worry about healing their party.
They have so many faith-healers.
What? Hath the fat lady sung?
Considering that Obama went on Fox News this morning, the fat lady has not only not sung, she has forced him to sing center (which is where is was all along).
jmac @ 76:
It wasn't Let the Eagle Soar was it?
Neither one of them will go that far!
Week after week poor Tim-mae has the challenging task of researching for obscure facts or material that can be painted to fit his obvious agenda,why does he even pretend to be unbiased? He sure was in a sweat to air his point loud and clear that dems are split and no hope blah, blah...The gop and msm(think weapons manufacturers) must be worried for Tim-mae to be in such a dither. We all know that he did not get those flat knees from praying nor his one crossed eye from looking through keyholes. CEO
Karen @ 72:
I agree with the electoral reform. That seriously needs to change if we are to get real choices besides republic and republic sans religion.
[Deleted. Off topic. Your comments won't automatically post anymore. I got tired of cleaning up your off topic flame baiting. If you'd like to discuss the 'debate' 'issue,' head to the open thread. It's at the top of the home page-Sitemonitor]
[Deleted. Off topic-Sitemonitor]
... I believe i will look elsewhere for my news...
[That'll save us cleaning up after someone who thinks he's exempt from posting on topic in the threads. Thank you-Sitemonitor]
Brealistic @ 81:
I believe I will and thank you for the heads up..
Maybe Obama can figure out how to appease the “typical white person” he felt the need to differentiate from himself. A house divided of his own mouth.
It is more than reprehensible that Dean has been trying to steer this primary election. He gives the ball a big nudge in a preferred direction, then ostensibly backs off with the pretense of fairness dripping down his chin. He claims we must hurry with this decision. Does that mean the DNC schedule was faulty? Does that mean more states should have held earlier primaries (ironic, isn't it)? Obamaniacs can probably count on Howard 'Reach Around' Dean to have some more crap up his sleeve, and they can get this primary rigged once and for all.
Let's see, the Obama campaign came out and called the Clintons and their supporters racists. Obama has been comparing Bill Clinton's time in office to Bush's every chance he gets. The Obama campaign sent out Clyburn to threaten the Democratic party if Obama doesn't get the nomination. Obamabots have been running around the country calling Hillary a whore. Go on this blog any day of the week and you will here the Clintons called every name in the book. So, obviously, it's the Clintons who are the problem here. Wow, the air must be really thin on planet Obama.
Old91A10 @ 85:
What exactly has Dean done? What are you talking about? How is Dean working for Obama? do you have anything besides accusations?
Johnny @ 86:
Full disclosure: I prefer Obama to Clinton, but have announced on many occasions that I'll vote for the Democrat no matter what. Neither was my first, second, third or even fourth choice in the primaries.
Frankly, I'm sick of both campaigns. I'm sick of both of their supporters. I'm sick of each campaign claiming the high ground, and positing the other as a demon.
I'm sick of political naifs who see bias in every statement against their preferred candidate. I'm sick of living in a country in which all political sides view their opposition as their evil enemy.
I'm a life-long political junkie, and I'm sick of this fucking election.
liberAL @ 8:
Wrong, and naively so.
Seriously, is this the first Presidential campaign some of you guys have ever followed? Let me play Amazing Kreskin here and make a wild prediction: Hillary Clinton is gonna be standing up there on the podium in Denver, arm in arm with Barack Obama, urging her supporters to get behind him. She'll even have a big smile on her face, and it will look absolutely sincere. Guaranteed, just like virtually every other defeated primary candidate has done in the past. That's how the game works.
Then it's going to be up to all the overly-zealous supporters on either side to stop ripping each other to shreds, offer apologies all around and dig in together to defeat the Republican criminals who are destroying this country.
lewisnclark @ 89:
That's exactly my impression of so many. This is the first election for a lot of people. On the one hand, that's encouraging. I'm glad people are getting out to vote, and to be passionate on the campaign trails.
But they've come of political age in an era where the universal response to a negative charge is "Bias! Unfair! Rigging! Cultist for the other side!"
And they're not used to losing either. With everything that's happened since 2000, it's now too easy if we lose an election simply to decide that it was rigged against us.
Kreskin, huh? I take it this is not your first election. ;)
If Clinton loses, she'll support Obama. If Obama loses, he'll support Clinton.
What happens in November will depend on what's going on around that time (unpredictable), and the campaign that the winning Democratic candidate runs (history gives no reason for high hopes).