I was just watching Dean's speech rebroadcast on C-SPAN

[UrbScotty]

...and you know what I did? I actually applauded and cheered for him like crazy, even though I was in my own home in chilly West Michigan, probably 1,500 miles away from Disney World, where nobody could hear me cheering for him. Yet, there I was, cheering for, quite possibly, the 44th President of the United States!

Am I a fool or what? Maybe Dean's just that good a candidate to get me cheering for him 1,500 miles away? :-)

[Military Brat]

1. You are not a fool. Dean inspires people.

That's one reason he is accused of inspiring cult-like reactions in his supporters. The Repubs, as they are generally incapable of true passion (except for power), are afraid of Dean.

[s8hanse1]

2. Dean is my hero

Maybe it's just the air here in W. Michigan, but I did the same thing sitting in my apartment in Portage. The speech was amazing, I sent the transcript to all my friends.

[slinkerwink]

5. welcome to DU!!!!!!

:hi:

[slinkerwink]

6. did you see the 30 minute ads that Dean started running?

[pruner]

7. it's only playing in Wisconsin so far

though I suppose some Wisconsin channels broadcast into Michigan.

[Nazgul35]

14. not if we can help it...

:evilgrin:

[pruner]

15. have you seen Dean's newest biography ad?

I posted links to it last night: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=842705

it's really good and from what I read on the blog today it's included in the 30 minute ad running in WI

[Endangered Specie]

18. 30 minutes?!?

im thinking seconds

go here to watch lots of Dean stuff:

www.howarddean.tv

[slinkerwink]

19. nope, there's a 30 minute informercial running in WI

as well as in Iowa.

[pruner]

21. the 30 minute Wisconsin ad is new

it's not the same one that was running Iowa… which was clips from an Iowa town hall.

Wisconsin State Senator Jon Erpenbach Holds Dean TV Watching Party

Wow!  Madison-area Dean supporters have overtaken my house!!!  I knew when I offered to have some supporters over that a good crowd would turn out…but this is amazing. 

We’ve all gathered here tonight, after a great Green Bay Packers game, to watch Governor Dean’s half-hour show on Madison television.  A 30-minute show about the governor’s experience and plans, coupled with interviews with supporters and a call to get involved….well, that’s our kind of TV.  There’s already been plenty of buzz (http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec03/190626.asp) about the show in newspapers and on the radio around Wisconsin….so we can’t wait to finally see the show.  This is a really great pilot program from the campaign, and we’re determined to make it a huge success. 

It’s quite the group that’s packed into my house.  Students from the University of Wisconsin.  AFSCME and SEIU members from around the area.  Dedicated volunteers who’ve been working tirelessly for the governor.  Everyone is here to learn a little more about Howard Dean and discuss what we can do to keep this movement going. 

I should go now….the show is about to start. The 30-minute TV program from Dean for America runs at 5:30 PM Central Time on WMSN-TV Fox 47 in Madison. We’ll give you a few updates about it as it goes.  We here in Middleton and throughout Wisconsin are proud to be joining all of you to take our country back. 

Wisconsin State Senator Jon Erpenbach

http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/002568.html

[slinkerwink]

27. I think that the interviews with supporters sounded awesome!

[Castilleja]

3. I saw it, thought it was

great! I was clapping in my kitchen.

[joefree1]

4. I feel like I'm getting the real deal from Dean.

My mom's wishes there was a more "charismatic" Democrat. Not sure what that means but after getting Aunald for Guv here Dean is a breath of fresh air, even when he screws up a little.

[sendero]

8. I saw him this morning...

.. on Fox News Sunday with Chris Matthews.

Matthews was a reasonably tough interviewer, but not completely unfair. He had Dean stammering a bit, in the middle part of the interview he was not totallly in control.

But near the end he tried to corner Dean about the issue of dividing Americans on "guns, abortion, gays" and other issues.

Dean's message here was SPOT ON. He said, paraphrasing, "Americans are never going to agree on these issues, let the states deal with them. But we need jobs, health care, and *** (something else, my memory fails) and that is ALL AMERICANS.

I felt he made a great point and that his analysis of the issues and concerns facing Americans is head and shoulders above any of the other candidates, and miles above Bush*. Go Mr. Dean!

[pruner]

10. Fox News Sunday's host is Chris Wallace… not Chris Matthews

:)

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

25. jobs, health care, and education

N/T

[Egnever]

9. I must be a fool too

I do it all the time. The man says some great stuff!

[opihimoimoi]

11. Deans gives that rare and wonderful feeling to American Dems who

care about this great Nation and its people. He gonna do it, he gonna get this country back where it should be. He is holding a pair of aces and is ALL IN

GO DEAN

[Demobrat]

12. If you're a fool, I must be a freaking psycho.

I do that practically every time he opens his mouth.

[caledesi]

13. I am in Tampa and I was clapping too. Don't feel embarrassed.

I actually saw some people from the Dean meetups. Unfortunately, I couldn't go to Orlando and am still smarting about it.

Dean was wonderful!

[virtualobserver]

16. I never cheer or clap when I watch Dean at my house.......

It frightens my cats.

[demodewd]

17. Fire

The man has the fire...he makes me angry in a positive uplifting way.

[slinkerwink]

20. nope, you're not.....

I also cheered for him during the Florida convention speech!

[TLM]

22. That is exactly why he's going to win....

[Fleshdancer]

23. We need a support group

Me: Hi. My name is Gloria and I cheer Dean when he's on my television.

You: Hello Gloria.

lol, I've been doing it so long now, my husband no longer gives me "the look" and my 3 yr. old daughter stops what she's doing and starts cheering with me. If I accomplish anything as a mother, it will be making politics fun for my child(ren?). Of course, I could be wrong and I'm just giving her a traumatic memory to tell her future therapist...who knows. :)

[UrbScotty]

28. LOL! That is so funny!

Oh my goodness!

[milkyway]

24. I taped it yesterday and rewatched it 3 times already.

I watched C-Span all day yesterday. All of the other candidates were fine, but there was never much electricity in the building until Howard Dean began his entrance. The place was absolutely raucous, with a great choice for an entrance song with "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves (very suitable for Florida). I had goosebumps as he made his way to the stage, and I spent half the speech trying to hold back tears. Dean knew he was speaking to angry Florida Dems, and he gave them his hottest speech yet.

The repugs are a little slow sometimes, but I think in the last few weeks it's beginning to dawn on them what's going on with the Dean campaign, and they are scared shitless. They've sent out their attack dogs after Dean a month before the first Dem primary! They have gotten used to dealing with traditional Dems, and thought they would be a walkover next November. But Dean has inspired a movement that is about much more than just the candidate. It has a chance to evolve into one of the most important popular uprisings in American history. Dean didn't create the emotions driving this, but he was the first to tap into it and he has become its voice.

For Dean to beat Bush, I think two things need to happen. First, he must seal up the nomination early, and the other candidates must selflessly quit the race when the time is appropriate. With lots of time between wrapping up the nomination and the general election, the party will have the time it needs to coalesce around Dean. His nontraditional campaign will need time to merge with the traditional Dem party. A new Dem party will evolve that will not be of a top-down, hierarchical structure. Instead, like the Dean campaign, it will be much more grassroots and innovative, with less centralized control. But the transformation of the traditional party culture will take time. If it has that, the new Dem party will be a massive populist movement with an inspiring, energetic candidate.

Al Gore's 2000 campaign was doing very poorly until he changed his message and style to that of a populist fighting against special interests. Then his campaign took off and he won the election. He was a sitting Vice President running as a populist outsider, and it still was effective. Howard Dean has tapped into the same thing Gore had begun to at the end of his campaign. But this time conditions are even more favorable: it is after Florida 2000 and 4 years of Bush; the Internet developed to its present state; and it has an inspiring candidate in Howard Dean that radiates positive energy and hope.

The other thing I would like to see happen is Dean select Bob Graham for VP. It will be difficult for the repugs to win without Florida, and the combination of the popular Graham, angry Florida Dems (especially blacks, who were denied their right to vote), and an inspiring candidate will create a record voter turnout for the Dems. Also, Graham counterbalances all of Dean's perceived negatives: he's Southern, experienced, and as former chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has a great knowledge of fighting terrorism (the real ones, not the imaginary ones in Iraq).

[pruner]

26. kick

it's on again right now.

:)