Original Article: http://dartreview.com/archives/2004/11/24/howard_dean_the_comedian.php
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean made a campaign stop at his place of summer employment to preach the Good News of Democracy—albeit now with "godly values." Dean returned to Dartmouth on November 7th for the final installment of his term as the Class of 1930 Distinguished Fellow, delivering a rousing farewell speech at Alumni Hall. In something of a misnomer of a lecture, 'The Long Term Implications of the 2004 Presidential Election,' Dean stumped in the spirit of his 'Democracy For America' group, primarily addressing a Democratic Party that saw losses in both its Presidential bid and in Congress. Dr. Dean's solution should surprise no one—he insists that Democrats still must seduce those pickup-truck drivers with Confederate flags, and that the Party must return to its "core values" in order to do so.
The Rockefeller Center opened the night with a slideshow that contained pictures of the former Governor interacting with Dartmouth students. Student Dean-iacs and Upper Valley senior citizens cooed as the text of the slideshow lauded the former Governor for having "inspired political activism…again and again." The slideshow was accompanied by the music of Enya, a suitably-soothing counterpoint to the weeping, gnashing of teeth, growling, etc. Dean would emit later when he channeled his post-Iowa-caucus self and roared, "We are not going back! Not today, not tomorrow, not the next day; we are never going back! We have come too far!"
Dean's words recalled the typical mantras of his party, talking about the importance of public schooling and healthcare. His portrayal of President Bush as feeding on the fears, anxieties, and hate of conservative voters was standard as well. Dean also reminded his audience that the country has not tipped as far Republican as it may seem, and that Bush won only fifty-one percent of the vote. He insisted that Bush has no legislative mandate, and assured the crowd, "There will not be retreat on the behalf of the Democratic Party." Rather, as the inevitable Democratic recriminations and infighting begin in the aftermath of the election, Dean made it clear that he thinks the party should move further to the left; he would fight any effort to shift the Party closer to the political center. In an interesting mixed metaphor, Dr. Dean said that if the party "moved any further to the middle, we'd fall off the face of the flat earth," to which the audience responded with wild cheers and applause.
However, the former Governor strayed from these routine talking points by insisting that the Democratic Party can and should become the party of moral values. "Moral values" has become the buzzword of the hour in the aftermath of the election, as Democrats ruminate on an inability to connect with evangelical Christian voters in the red states of the South. Dean felt it was absolutely essential to do so, and he supported any kind of progress towards this goal. How, one may ask? Dr. Dean suggested that the Democratic Party should build a coalition in the manner that F.D.R. once did, which he characterized as employing the language of morality.
So, what platform changes does Dean think are necessary for the Democrats to sufficiently address morality? None.
The Democratic Party already is the party of moral values, he said, because it the highest moral responsibility is to shelter the poor and downtrodden. The Democrats already do "[what] Jesus himself did, reaching out to the weakest." After all, Dean reminded us, evangelical Christians need healthcare too. And since the Democrats are already evangelical, Dean believes that the only real problem is that "we need to learn to express what we believe in moral tones."
Continuing on the theme of higher morality, Dr. Dean styled Republicans as being morally inferior. According to Dean, although the agenda of "guns, God, gays, and abortion" resonates with Southern evangelicals, it is not truly moral—and the Democratic agenda, whatever that may be, is more in touch with their beliefs. "Where are the works of the Republican Party?" Dean asked, accusing the Republicans of not adequately aiding the unfortunate.
Yet, the former Governor was enthusiastic about elections to come. Let us hope that with his newfound "moral tones," the governor is able to attract those pickup truck drivers he desires.
Students in the overflow seating at Dartmouth Hall were treated to even more Dean after his speech when he arrived there to take questions. Praising Dartmouth students as "smart, thoughtful, and liberal," he claimed that Dartmouth is a great college "despite The Dartmouth Review." He then whimsically speculated that perhaps if Democrats can elect a liberal president to office, "We can tax all their income away." He quickly recomposed himself from a fit of laughter and exclaimed "Joke! Joke!" Yes, Dr. Dean—just like your presidential campaign.