Dean, Denver Dems to rally next week to start one-year countdown to convention.

[madfloridian]

A public rally is a good way to start the kick off.

One year to convention

Next week marks the one-year countdown to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and Democratic officials are hosting a public celebration here to mark the occasion.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean will greet the public at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Pepsi Center. He'll be joined by Gov. Bill Ritter and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

"This gives us an opportunity to rally around our principles," said Pat Waak, chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic party. "That's the real purpose of it. We're trying to build up enthusiasm for the convention."

Waak said several dozen officials from state parties around the country will be on hand.

Democrats aim to recruit 10,000 volunteers to work during the Aug. 25-28, 2008, gathering.

In a recent interview Howard Dean admitted Denver was a tough choice and a risky one. But he gave reasons why it was important to try.

On selecting Denver for the 2008 convention:

“I wanted to go if we could. I wanted to do the hard thing and not the easy thing. It is easy to go to someplace where everybody loves you and there are no problems. But if you want to expand the pie to get more votes you have to go to the places where people don’t know much about you or maybe they don’t love you because they have heard the wrong thing about you from the opposite party and you haven’t been there to defend yourself. And I knew enough from my own campaign that the Rocky Mountain West was ready to go our way.

“There is one thing about the Rocky Mountain West folks is they may tend historically to be a little bit Republican. But they are not conservative, they are libertarian. And Bush is a control freak. `Do as I say. Live the way we tell you to live. We don’t give a damn what you think. It’s my way or hit the highway.’ That doesn’t go well in Colorado or Arizona or Wyoming.

The Chairman

This part from another interview stuck in my mind and it fits with his new view of a changing party based more on local GOTV methods and less on splashy TV. He said it was one way to do our own reform if the media would not do it.

He says this is going to be a "transitional convention", that the days of the 60 million dollar conventions is just about over.

Dean says Denver is going to be "transitional" convention. .."more relevant to average people."

We've got to change the way we do conventions in this country. I'm looking to try to make this a transitional convention, in the sense that the day of the $50-$60 million convention is coming to a close. The day of one-way campaigns where we do everything on television, and we don't listen to people before, is coming to a close. We need to be knocking on doors, talking to them directly, asking their opinions," Dean said during an interview on the Aaron Harber show on KDBI-TV.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean jokes with supporters during a community celebration in the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on Thursday, April 12, 2007, to mark the 2008 Democratic National Convention being held in Denver in the summer of 2008. Dean was on hand with other dignitaries to kick off the effort to stage the political convention, which will be the first held in the Mile High City since 1908. Elbra Wedgeworth, back, the president of the Denver 2008 Host committee, looks on. (AP
Photo/David Zalubowski)

[napi21]

1. I think Dean is the BEST Chairman the DNC has ever had!

He's MY KIND of politician!

[madfloridian]

2. He is really trying some new concepts...

and seems like he likes it. Would like to see him on TV more, but guess he has to let the candidates take the stage now.

[napi21]

3. I'd like to see more of him too, but I think he's just too busy

trying to build the Party in many NEW areas, unlike McCauliff who spent most of HIS time BSing in front of a camera!

[madfloridian]

4. Here's what Dean said in April about appearing on TV. I tend to disagree with him.

I think he should not have to take a background role, and I feel it is probably something being pushed on him..like it was not pushed on McAuliffe. I think it affects enthusiasm and probably fundraising when he is not visible.

From an April interview.

OK Blue Notes

On sharing the role of party spokesman with the leaders of Congress:

“In the beginning I was pretty outspoken but now others have that role. When you have the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader you don’t need the chairman of the party being on the talk shows. But early on I was on a lot of those talk shows because I felt I was one of the leading spokesmen for the Democratic Party.

“You know, I am happy…but I am not as visible as I was…because we have the majority in Congress and the House. That is real power. We didn’t have that when I started and now we do. My object is not to make sure I am the center of power. My object is to make sure things get done. I am very satisfied with what is going on in Congress. I am very happy. I think Sen. Reid and Speaker Pelosi are both doing a great job and I wouldn’t say so if I didn’t think so, as you well know.

Now there appears not to be many being outspoken, so he is wrong on that point.

I wonder if he feels the same confidence after the last couple of weeks about Congress's actions? He said this in a phone interview with Helen Thomas. I guess it is to the point that he could not go on TV and say it. Thus there is really no one saying it in a public way. We need public right now. We need outrage on TV.

Dean says not to be over-confident

Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is warning Democrats not to be too overconfident about their election prospects in 2008. Dean expresses optimism that the Democrats will keep control of Congress and also win the White House but then he injects a note of caution.

"This election is far from over," Dean said. "Republicans are good at winning elections. They've got lots of money. They are very tough."

In fact to be even more blunt about how I feel....I think we need to get the soft-spoken, play-nice strategists off the air and put more outspoken on.

I fear the talk of bi-partisanship is winning the day.

[madfloridian]

5. He says the west is the road map to victories for the party. Video

Dean says the West is a road map for the party to win the White House.

"Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean was in Denver Thursday to promote the 2008 Democratic National Convention -- and talk to labor leaders protesting Denver as the convention site.

Dean told supporters this morning at a rally at the Colorado Convention Center that holding the Democratic National Convention in Denver next year will show that the West has a road map for the party to win the White House. Dean says recent Democratic gains in the West show that voters want politicians to focus on collaboration and values.

The party has picked up legislative and congressional seats in the Rockies and the governors from Montana to New Mexico are all Democrats."