Fear Factor--Dean Style
Democratic voters seem to want him, the SEIU and AFSCME want him, Jesse Jackson Jr. wants him and even Al Gore wants him to win. So why are Republicans and the DLC so afraid of Howard Dean.
Let me start that I'm probably close to what the corporate media paints as a [stereo]typical Dean supporter. I'm young(28 years, 11 months and 8 days), anti-war(you're looking at it), and technically savvy(once again this page). I'll admit I haven't been as active as I'd like to be, but that will hopefully change.
I don't think it's Dean that the GOP and DLC fear, but the movement that has vaulted him to the top of the Democratic heap. This movement, with MoveOn as its best example, is based not with moneyed elites, but with a grassroots.
Now the GOP's fear of this movement may be why they are concerned, even if Bush does win in 2004, they may realize that this will not have the same result of Nixon's win in '72. As I don't see this movement folding into itself like the movement that spawned McGovern did. Instead I see them simply trying to move on; putting thier efforts into locating and supporting progressive Democrats for '06, as well as continuing to keep heat on Bush and congressional Republicans.
They may have to simply out of a need to defend. As Bush and his allies will obviously continue thier attacks on the New Deal and the ever-weakening safety net. Under the guise of the "War On Terror", America will likely continue down a path towards becoming an imperial power. If this movement were to fall apart, I fear that the power of corporations will grow to the point that people may turn towards revolution.
Now the DLC's fear of Dean is a bit more complex. I think this has to do a lot with the fact that the DLC has grown dependent on the same corporate donors that the GOP relies on. In the process, they've gotten away from thier roots. The fact that very few Democrats are members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and that there is considerable overlap between the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, seems to show me that the principles of social and economic justice, environmental protections, international co-operation and religious liberty through the separation of church and state that drive so much of the grassroots of the party aren't the principles of the leadership.
This gulf is one thing that even I must admit that the GOP lacks. The GOP's leadership of religious and free-market fundamentalists, unilateralists, Cold Warriors, and Second Ammendment absolutionists, seems to be on the same page as so much of the AM-Radio and FOX News crowd that make up their grassroots.
When a football team needs to rebuild, they go back to basics. Howard Dean seems to have rallied those who represent the base of the Democratic Party, whether the leadership seems willing to follow is to be determined.
I'd be remiss if I didn't devote a bit of time to how Hussien's capture may affect the Dean movement. I don't think it's so negative in the long-term. Even the US Leadership says that the mission in Iraq is not over, and I don't see Iraq as the end of the "War on Terror", but as only the beginning.
Daily Report
-
Not What Bush And Co Want To Hear -
According to Yahoo.com, Saddam Hussein has denied that Iraq posessed any Weapons of Mass Destruction. -
It's Not Over -
The following article from Intervention magazine presents the idea the Hussein's capture may actually cause guerilla attacks to increase. The attacks would come from nationalists and Islamic Fundamentalists. -
Looking To The Past To See The Future -
The following article from CommonDreams reports that Afghanistan is seeing a rise in Iraqi-style guerilla attacks and a resurgent Taliban.
