Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has now dropped
out of the race for president, but the issues he raised and the
strategies he used should not be dropped in the same way.
Dean was typical of a major party candidate in many ways:
Educated at Yale, he had a white-collar background and managed to
avoid the Vietnam War. Yet he was far from typical in the way he
was able to raise millions of dollars from donors under the age of
30.
For a while, he led the pack of Democrats and seemed almost sure
to win the nomination. But he didn’t.
Was it the scream? The unfortunate comments about Saddam
Hussein? The borderline over-the-top stump speeches?
Political scientists will argue for years about exactly why Dean
fell apart, but one thing is clear: He was successful in mobilizing
voters historically apathetic toward the political process. In a
time when big business and special interest groups seem to have a
stranglehold on the political process, Dean offered a simple
message, promising to “take back” the country.
He opposed the war more clearly than any other leading candidate
and helped focus the Democratic debate on important issues like
health care and the creation of jobs.
He also used the Internet in a way no presidential candidate has
before. He used it to organize his supporters with a
“blog” and an online fundraising Web site, which helped
generate an immense grassroots support base that made the election
actually seem democratic.
But at times, some felt he appeared too fiery to lead a nation.
For others, Dean’s vague defense of his comment that the most
interesting theory about Sept. 11, 2001 ““ that the president
was warned by the Saudis of impending terrorist action ““
appeared to be an unfair accusation of conspiracy. Slip-ups like
this undoubtedly distanced Dean from mainstream and swing voters
““ people who ultimately are needed to win elections.
A recent poll by the Washington Times showed 70 percent of Dean
supporters voted for him because they liked his platform. But Dean
simultaneously was alienating large segments of the electorate and
increasingly looking like he couldn’t beat President Bush in
a general election. Now, that’s known for sure.
But what will happen to the infrastructure and community Dean
built?
The capacity for young voters to be politically active
isn’t erased by the departure of Dean. If anything, the
unexpected success of his campaign should be seen as a testament to
the power of individual action. Students and young people in
general must remember they can influence the political process if
they organize.
Along with his supporters, Dean has changed the course of this
political struggle. Bush has been exposed on the issues of Iraq,
health care, the environment and more. It will be up to the voters
to decide in November whom they ultimately trust.
In his conciliation speech, Dean said, “The biggest lie
that people like me tell people like you at election time is that
if you vote for me, I’ll solve your problems. The truth is,
the power is in your hands, not mine.”
Let’s all hope he is right.