"Outrage" over Dean becomes clear - SEIU endorsement

[jburton]

No wonder the campaigns worked together over the whole Confed flag flap. They were thinking forward to this week.


http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-dean-labor,0,4751109.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

quote


The endorsement of SEIU means a potentially huge cadre of campaigners working on a candidate's behalf and possibly other union endorsements. Should Dean claim the prize next week, it would help him diversify his campaign, which largely has been Internet-driven and has attracted mostly younger, white middle- and upper-class voters.

SEIU is among the most racially and ethnically diverse labor union, representing janitors, health care workers and other service employees. With health care a priority of the SEIU political machine, an endorsement also would help shield Dean from criticism that he has not always supported Medicare.

unquote

[Cha]

1. Well, I knew it wasn't about the freakin'

flag!

[billbuckhead]

8. It is about the flag. Come down here to the ATL and wave that GD flag

inside the city limits and see the great reception you get from people of all colors. And just remember how Karl Rove will expertly use the soundbite of Dean saying he still wants to be the candidate of white guys in pickup trucks with Confederate flag bumperstickers on it." This moronic soundbite defacto disqualifies the spinDoctor from Vermont from winning the POTUS as a Democratic candidate. Dean tried to shoot himself in the foot for effect but shot his balls off by accident. The true believers haven't figured it out yet, but this idiotic comment has doomed his campaign. And throwing good money after bad won't save it.

[Cha]

9. THis is from bartcop.com....

Govenor Dean.."I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks," he said.
"We can't beat George Bush unless we appeal to a broad cross-section of Democrats."

http://www.Bartcop.com .."I think the second sentence explains the first one.
Remember, Mondale and Dukakis were anti-gun, but in 1992, we saw pictures of Clinton hunting.
Dean is a liberal from the Northeast, where the smart people live. He's got to reach out to the toothless idiots
in the South if he's going to beat the never-elected moron. He's also got to counter those, "I'm from the liberal
wing of the Democratic party," statements to get those uneducated, backwards southerners to vote for him."

"Just one man's opinion..."

And I've heard from Jesse Jackson Jr on this, too, and slor(An African American Male DUer and they are both cool with it! So I'll will take their opinions over your's.

Edit~For Clairity on who was saying what!

[Demobrat]

11. Toothless idiots? Excuse me.

Somehow I don't think that's Dean's opinion of Southerners.

[Cha]

13. No...that is bartcop's take on it!

[Forkboy]

12. Your love of Dean is kind of cute

you big softie!

[stickdog]

32. Yeah, Dean just lost the black vote by talking about trying to get

back the votes of poor Southern whites.

[mbali]

38. The Dems lost the poor white Southern vote

precisely because they reached out to blacks and fought for civil rights. The only way to get them back is to convince them that these principles no longer are no longer priorities.

Yes, I understand that Dean probably believes that he can attract these folks by the sheer force of his ideas and personality - only someone with his monumental ego would believe that his ideas and personality are such that he can do what Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Lyndon Johnson, Mario Cuomo, Jesse Jackson and many other more talented and charismatic politicans could not do.

[lastliberalintexas]

42. Umm, no

"The only way to get them back is to convince them that these principles no longer are no longer priorities."

Wrong, wrong, wrong! The way to win them back is to educate and convince the poor white Southerners that their interests really are *THE SAME* as those of poor Black Southerners!!!! Corporate America and the repubs are the only ones who gain anything by having these groups divided!


BTW- that's the import of what Dean said, and has said for many months. Most Blacks with whom I've spoken about this aren't upset, because they understood what he meant (not a representatie sample, I agree). And they agree that we've got to bring the white union/working class men and women back to the Dems if we are going to start winning elections again in the South. It isn't a matter of changing the Dem platform or ideals. It's a matter of explaining to the poor white Southerners that the Dem platform is what's good for them.

[mbali]

44. Do you realize how patronizing that sounds?

"Wrong, wrong, wrong! The way to win them back is to educate and convince the poor white Southerners that their interests really are *THE SAME* as those of poor Black Southerners!!!! Corporate America and the repubs are the only ones who gain anything by having these groups divided! . . . It's a matter of explaining to the poor white Southerners that the Dem platform is what's good for them."

First of all, Dean wasn't speaking about "poor white Southerners" - your assumption that he was perpetuates the same stereotype that Dean is probably harboring.

Second, believe it or not, poor white southerners aren't stupid, but apparently Dean thinks they are. These folks KNOW their economic interests are the same poor black Southerners. The point is that many of them don't care because that's not what they're voting on. A significant portion of white people - poor, rich, Southern, Yankee - vote Republican because they think Republicans will protect the priorities that they think are important. They vote Republican because they want to be sure that their economic interests are NOT the same as those of black folks. They vote Republican because Republicans guarantee performance of the centuries-old social compact that tells white folks that no matter how poor or downtrodden or miserable you are, you can ALWAYS feel superior to someone else.

This has been true for decades, it's been discussed for decades, it's been grappled with decades by minds and hearts much deeper than Howard Dean.

[lastliberalintexas]

45. Do you even know any of the Southerners of whom you speak?

I do. I was born and reared in Texas- Southeast Texas, which is farrrr more Southern than the rest of the state. I am from a county that is about 40% African American, poor to middle class, currently Democratic, union, and- wait for it- TRENDING REPUBLICAN. Some of these people *have* bought into the Shrub rhetoric about tax cuts, welfare, etc., and have started supporting repubs. And they ain't the Black folks.

Obviously they do need to be re-educated (reminded at the very least) which party supports their interests and which party pays lip service to their issues. Some of them actually DON'T realize that their interests are the same as the poor to middle class minorities. They have been convinced that the evil Black man is coming to take their jobs. Or that those evil welfare queens (which we know are of course all Black) are taking their hard earned tax dollars.

You are very wrong- far too many poor to middle class whites (not just in the south) think that they have different goals and interests than minorities. And they DO need to be convinced otherwise, or else they will continue to vote repub. Believe it or not, not every white Southerner who votes repub does so because of abortion or prayer in school, and those are the ones we can reach.


And you are correct- Dean did not target his remarks at the poor- what he said was directed at those people without health insurance. And I'm so very certain that those people are extremely wealthy and *that's* why they are going without coverage. Now I get it. :eyes:

[drfemoe]

41. Cry me a freaking river

He might try .. but only if he thinks no one remembers that gwb supported the very same gd flag during the republican primaries ..
doh . duh . doy .

[MrSoundAndVision]

2. young white, middle and upper class voters huh

Where there's a representative group huh. Rich white, young professionals...hm. Think they will free the 1/12 black men in prison right now? Or do you think they will support a candidate who will allow them to be rich, white professionals? Well I know who I support, http://www.kucinich.us

[tsipple]

4. That Seems to Be Press Spin

There's actually some good polling data on Dean supporters' demographics out of New Hampshire in Zogby's latest poll.

Dean leads every demographic group in that state, and it's all very even. For example, Dean's supporters in New Hampshire are exactly 50-50 split between men and women.

Check it out. You'll be pleasantly surprised. (I must admit I was.)

[dsc]

5. Yeah people like social workers

and other such public workers are the very first people I think of when I hear rich.

[Kanola]

40. I am a Social Worker and belong SEIU

And will be calling them to keep endorsing Dean.

[tsipple]

3. SEIU Vote This Thursday, November 6th

"Dean or no one" for the national SEIU. It's conceivable several big SEIU locals could endorse on their own, but the national vote is this Thursday.

Very interesting. I hope they do: it's a win-win for both the SEIU and the Dean campaign. There's a lot of synergy there.

[Demobrat]

6. I really don't want to believe that there's a connection.

Kerry, Gep and Edwards didn't play the race card. They didn't.

[tsipple]

7. We're Beginning to Wonder

I hope they didn't, but it is suspicious. Dean says the same thing for months (to loud applause at each venue), his opponents have a strategy conference call last week, and then on Saturday they spring a coordinated press release attack using the out-of-context quote.

And it's on a Saturday, the day nobody -- except maybe SEIU leadership -- pays attention. Sure enough nobody did, because the story then ran smack into news of 20 new American soldiers dead in Iraq. (The three mouseketeers didn't plan that part. Talk about bad luck -- and a terrible human tragedy.)

Not too many dots to connect here, though.

[Demobrat]

10. Clark jumped in too, didn't he?

Well, I'm sure the union leaders are smart enough to know a desperate move when they see it. I wonder how the press found out about the conference call.

[Rowdyboy]

15. Link on Clark?

If you want to make an accusation like this, a link would be appreciated. I really hope my candidate will rise above this "Anybody But Dean" strategy. It is TERRIBLE and has never has a positive effect when used in the past. Lets have an honest, open, discussion, vote and let the best candidate win!

[w13rd0]

16. No, he did make a statement...

...but he gracefully avoided actually condemning Dean, but instead commented on the history of the confederate flag. Someone tried tossing him into the mix, but after reading his statement, I am fairly confident he's not involved in this coordinated attack.

[Demobrat]

17. Here it is.

He calls it a statement on Dean's statement but it isn't really. It's about something else entirely. So he gets to pile on...but not really... as to his actual opinion...I guess he'll have to get back to us on that.

Press Room
For Immediate Release
Date: November 1, 2003
Statement From General Wesley Clark on Howard Dean's Confederate Flag Statement

"I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks," Howard Dean said Friday in a telephone interview from New Hampshire.


"The Confederate flag flies in the face of our most deeply-held American values - diversity, equality and inclusion. As someone who led men and women of all backgrounds in the United States military, I believe that the only flag we should fly is the one that brings us together - the stars and stripes - and that the Confederate flag should never, ever be flown on public buildings."

[Cha]

18. Like that has anything to do with what Dean said!

Go Dean!

"I intend to talk about race in this election in the south because the Republicans have been talking about it since 1968 in order to divide us. And I'm going to bring us together, because you know what? White folks in the south who drive pickups trucks with confederate flags decals in the back ought to be voting with us and not them, because their kids don't have health insurance either and their kids need better schools too.(big applause)"

[He loved Big Brother]

23. Well, America stand for liberty and freedom of speech too.

So if people want to fly a Confederate flag, that's their right, stupid as it may be.

[Upfront]

26. Im With You Rowdy

Let the best man win. Forgods sake I thought the goal was to beat Bush*. Seems like some of our candidates haven't got that massage.

[Andromeda]

36. Massage???

Sounds good. Your place or mine---JUST KIDDING!

Just making the most out of a funny typo. Lol!

[w13rd0]

14. yes...

...they did, and evidence is mounting that several of the campaigns are collaborating to "stop dean". I find it interesting that it's Kerry, Edwards and Geps campaigns that are mentioned.

But not the other candidates. Why are the others being excluded?

<snicker>

Ok, yeah, as I said several months ago, it's gonna be an interesting primary.

[tsipple]

27. Kerry, Gephardt, and Edwards Coordination

I think we just heard from the "Axis of Feeble" with that coordinated attack against a fellow Democrat.

[roguewolf5]

19. mixed feelings

smart move by the big 3 i think. if your not careful tho we could see a trend, and with only 2 months left to go, things could get ugly.

then again Dean may have deserved this after what he said, i mean come on "Confederate Flag Candidate". What is this the 1960's?

[FluxRostrum]

20. Any UNION WORKER who votes for Dean

clearly has their head up their ass... or glued to the TV... same difference.

Personally I didn't think the racist flag comment wasn't all that bad IN CONTEXT. I think he was trying to say that the redneck and the black neighbors they hate should be working together because neither of them have health insurance. Of course if they vote for Dean THEY STILL won't have health insurance. Only Kucinich is willing to make that happen for everyone.

Also, I think Dean welcomed the flag DISTRACTION because it has pulled focus from the fact that DEAN is NOW a Confirmed LIAR. His TV ads proclaiming that he wished his anti-war opponents in congress would have said something before the war started instead of after it was too late, are so incredibly disrespectful of Dennis Kucinich, who actually DID things to stop the war NOT just TALK about it; that if I was a Dean supporter I sure wouldn't be now. We've already got a liar in the White House... and we all can see how well that's working out for U.S.

[robbedvoter]

21. Ah!A conspiracy! But did it start now. or 100 years before? When the KKK

were flying the starts and bars , were they thinking how to screw Dean of his SEIU endorsement? :tinfoilhat:

[Skwmom]

22. Maybe why people are outraged over Dean

is the same reason they are outraged over George Bush. They can't stand lying, phony, arrogant, hypocritical politicians who only care about their own desire for power.

[tridim]

24. Well great.. My head just exploded.

I hope you're happy.

[He loved Big Brother]

25. Dean is a doctor

So I think he does care about people and not power, since he decided saving lives would be a better job than working on Wall Street, which he could have made a far more lucrative living. But he quit, and went to medical school. He has a right to have self-confidence. The man is brilliant. And I don't think his anger at Bush is phony at all. If anything the man is more than candid.

[billbuckhead]

28. He's a doctor all right!

He's a spinDoctor! He won't win the southern white vote on the cheap as easily as he did the anti-war voters.

[LuminousX]

39. He couldn't hack it on Wall Street so he took the cushy life

of studying to being a doctor, the man is such a slacker.

[Andromeda]

37. Is it just a coincidence that you...

always refer to Dean and Bush in the same sentence?

There are big differences between Dean and Bush but then you know that. Dean has spent his life in public service---first being a doctor and after that entering politics. You can't be a dummy and be a doctor; it just isn't possible.

Bush has never done a friggin' thing for anybody but himself---and he isn't too smart either.

There is NO comparison between Dean and Bush. None, zilch, nada, zip, nil, so put that in your pipe and smoke it!

[snoochie]

29. Do workers have to support the candidate the union picks?

Something tells me the actual union members might think differently than the bosses.

I don't see why a union's endorsement should be expected to override or wash out Dean's history on healthcare policy one way or another. He did some good things, and had some bad ideas. But then again people are so easily distracted and misled.

I certainly don't think keeping private profit in our healthcare system is going to be good for anyone, except the insurance industry and those that carry water for them. Single payer is the only way to fix it.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

35. Yes, they do, in a way

If the national group endorses Dean, the locals have to commit some resources to help his campaign.

If they decide not to endorse a candidate at this time, they will likely allow the locals to endorse whomever they choose. In this case, many will probably go to Dean, some to Gep, and some to others.

Any way you slice it, this is going to be a victory for Dean.

[genius]

30. SEIU members are still angry over that one.

There was a closed door meeting and the only ones invited to speak were Clinton and Dean. It really helps to be able to buy endorsements. This is the New York branch.

[FluxRostrum]

31. OOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

:wtf:

[LuminousX]

43. Link?

[DrFunkenstein]

33. About Time! We Need American Labor Standards All Over The World!

It's about time someone told us what we want to hear!

[snoochie]

34. Heh yeah... NAFTA will do just the trick!

With just a few modifications, of course. He'll make it work right. :)