The DLC helped Bill Clinton get elected. As everyone knows, Bill Clinton pursued the Third Way. Al Gore veered from the Third Way and now Howard Dean is doing the same. This does not mean that Howard Dean is against Bill Clinton. From where I sit, both are moderately liberal.
Dean says that times today are different from the times of Clinton. They are. George W. Bush has dragged the country to the far, far right. We need a strong left-leaning program merely to bring the country back to what used to be the center.
Besides, Dean is planning, if elected, to appoint Bill Clinton as the Middle East peace emissary. Doesn't that prove anything about their relationship?
DLC people, especially Joe Lieberman, are in favor of much of the Republican agenda. Sure, they disagree with that statement. But the fact remains that Lieberman and other DLC members agree with most of what Bush has done with regard to security. They are conservative. They are against what they call "populism." But "populism" has defined the Democratic Party for as long as I can remember. We want to help the little fellow in his battle to survive economically against the machinations of the powerful elite and the huge multinational corporations.
The DLC claims that a liberal candidate cannot win. I say a conservative candidate cannot win. Why would anyone vote for a "me-too" candidate when he can get the real thing - George W. Bush?
The Democratic Party needs to run a candidate that is thoroughly against Bush's policies and is not afraid to say so. Someone like Dean. If you remember, a few months back Bush had approval ratings in the 80s and 90s. They have fallen precipitously. One big reason for this is Dean's criticisms.
The DLC is concerned that the majority of Americans were in favor of the Iraq War and are in favor of strong security. Dean was against the war, but he is in favor of strong security and for the war on terrorism. Should he get the nomination - I hope he does - he will, I believe, pick as his running mate, a popular military person like Wesley Clark.
The DLC should desist from finding fault with Howard Dean. All the Democratic candidates should desist from criticizing each other and spend their time telling the electorate why citizens should vote for them.
Eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive - in the Democratic Party. Save all negativism to help depose King George.
