So far, Washington Democratic candidates have managed to agree on two things: George Bush and Howard Dean are bad men. They claim that Dean is only a reincarnation of McGovern and Dukakis, and that his nomination will ensure George Bush's re-election. The media has gotten into the act too, with newsmagazines shouting on their covers, "Who can stop Howard Dean?" as if he were an invading army or a reincarnation of Ghengis Khan. Personally, I'm a little scared anytime so many powerful people line up together.
The last time these candidates agreed on anything was in October of 2002. Then, the "lunatic McGovernite" warned of the disastrous consequences a war on Iraq would have for our international credibility as a moral leader and the real war on terrorism. Nevertheless, every candidate in Congress (Kucinich, of course, excepted), voted for the resolution that made "shock and awe" a household phrase. That vote was an action; but the words used to backpedal from it have been nothing short of comical. Kerry claimed in an interview with Rolling Stone that, when he voted for the Iraq war, he "didn't know Bush would f- -k it up so badly." Well, I have news for Mr. Kerry: Howard Dean knew.
Howard Dean has found something that the Democratic Party has been missing for a long time: its base. The 2000 election should have been Al Gore's to lose. And he lost it -- not because of Florida theatrics but because 5 million Americans voted for Ralph Nader. A large number of Democrats who voted for Gore were not particularly thrilled with him, but with George Bush as the opponent, they voted for Gore still. What these people didn't do was go door-to-door, contribute or become involved with Gore's campaign.
That is the crucial difference between the two competing visions of the Democratic Party. Departing Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., would have us believe that the Democratic Party is consigned to a future of regional power, rather than national competition. Howard Dean shows us that an energized Democratic base can and will defeat special interests and corporate lobbyists. In two successive quarters, he has shattered Democratic fund-raising records (with an average contribution of $112), established a list of over 500,000 supporters and mobilized those supporters to host house parties, and, yes, dorm parties.
More than anything, Democrats want victory, and Dean is the candidate who can deliver. He has already started to work on efforts to take our Congress back, sponsoring Democratic challengers in vital House races. He has succeeded where Al Gore failed in 2000. The Democratic base has been re-discovered and, though all the candidates are aiming to claim it, there is only one who can claim credit for energizing it: Howard Dean. There will be no entertaining of Ralph Nader, no sketches of the Gush-Bore candidate, and no underestimating the stakes of this election.
Dean's campaign has shown how Democrats can find the road back to victory. His use of the Internet as both an organizing and fund-raising tool will be studied for decades to come. If we unite behind the man who has proved himself an unlikely victor, we can study his 2004 Presidential victory as well.
Through his grassroots organization, he has been, and will continue to be, "People-Powered Howard." If you are one of the people powering him, or if you are sick of hearing a traditional self-defeating message from the Democratic Party, you owe it to yourself and to the nation to go to the polls right now. Tomorrow, we won't matter in the grand sphere of national politics. Today, we do.
