smCOLUMN EIGHTY-EIGHT, APRIL 1, 2003
(Copyright © 2003 The Blacklisted Journalist)
SECTION
NINETEEN
EMAIL PAGE THIRTEEN
sm
COLUMN
EIGHTY-EIGHT, APRIL
1, 2003
(Copyright © 2003 The Blacklisted Journalist)
FROM PORTSIDE
Portside
(the left side in nautical parlance) is a
news, discussion and debate service of the Committees
of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It
says it aims to provide varied material of interest to people
on the Left.
* * *
HOORAY FOR HOWARD DEAN!
Subject: California Demos Cheer, Jeer Candidates Over War
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2003 19:27:00 -0500
From: CBloice@netscape.net
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
San Francisco Chronicle
March 16, 2003
State Demos cheer, jeer presidential hopefuls Varied Iraq stances ignite
convention
Carla Marinucci, John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writers
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/03/16/MN125264.DTL
Sacramento -- Presidential hopeful Howard Dean electrified the state Democratic
convention here Saturday when he leveled a verbal barrage against the Bush
policies in support of the war in Iraq---fists raised, roaring, "We want
our country back!"
But North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, also a candidate for president, got a
different reception entirely from
the 1,800 delegates here when he raised the issue of Iraq. A resounding chorus
of boos and chants of "No war!" erupted with his statement: "I
believe Saddam Hussein is a serious threat and must be disarmed (with)
military force if necessary."
The contrasts were at times dramatic---and the talk sometimes divisive---as the
looming specter of a war in Iraq overshadowed the gathering of California
Democrats this weekend. Although their goal was to rally troops for the
political wars of 2004, Democratic presidential hopefuls were forced to address
the Iraq
situation even as they criticized Republicans and President Bush on issues of
the economy, education and
energy.
"The Democratic presidential candidates in town this weekend are telling
liberal activists what they want to
hear, but they're not offering a message that resonates with mainstream
voters," said Karen Hanretty, a
spokeswoman for the state GOP. "Their message appeals to only two
audiences---the most liberal base of the
Democratic Party and the French. And the majority of voters in America don't
identify with either one."
The state party convention this weekend, a must-visit for presidential
contenders coming barely a year before
the March 2, 2004, Democratic primary, underscored the delicate balancing act
that may be required for both
activists and Democratic candidates in the nation's most populous state.
While the liberal grassroots volunteers who dominate such party events
participated in an anti-war rally
Saturday at the Capitol and proudly sported "No War" buttons, the more
moderate party leaders and
strategists cautioned that Democrats cannot dismiss the national sentiment in
support of the president if they
are to win seats in Congress---and win back the White House.
Art Torres, the party chairman, set the tone in his opening remarks. "We're
Americans, but it's not unpatriotic to question the decisions of our
leaders," he said.
But Democratic strategist Garry South, a former senior adviser to Gov. Gray
Davis, cautioned that the loud
anti-war stand of Democrats in California could be bad news for the party
nationally in 2004.
"The Democrats in this room are not particularly representative of the
larger Democratic electorate," he
told reporters. "It's not helpful to electing a president if Democrats
become seen as not concerned enough with the defense of our country.
"I understand there's a lot of anti-war sentiment among people in this
room, " said South, "but there are plenty of grounds on which to
criticize this administration."
Katie Merrill, a Democratic activist and adviser in Silicon Valley, acknowledged
that the "war is a tough context for the top candidates. . . . They can't
sidestep it, and they can't dance around it."
Indeed, the level of anti-war fervor was evident in the reception for Dean, the
former Vermont governor and a
physician, who fired up partisans chanting "We want Dean, We want
Dean" almost as soon as he took the
stage.
From his opening shots, his ammunition was aimed not only at Bush---but also at
other Democrats whom he
suggested had waffled on the war.
"What I want to know is what in the world so many Democrats are doing,
supporting the president's unilateral intervention in Iraq," he said, as
delegates got to their feet. "I'm Howard Dean, and I'm here to represent
the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party."
Although he is only in single digits in some national polls and is an unknown to
most voters, delegates jammed Dean's information booth, snapping up souvenir
prescription bottles and "The Doctor is In" signs.
"He's the only one who is a straight shooter, and called the Bush
administration on the war," said Corey Johnson, one enthusiastic Dean
delegate.
But Democrats also gave warm receptions to other presidential hopefuls,
beginning with Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, who charged that Bush had ignored
California, treating it like "foreign territory." The Massachusetts
senator concentrated largely on issues of energy and environment and skirted his
own Senate vote in support of authorizing military intervention in Iraq. Kerry
got cheers when he told delegates, "There
is a far simpler way of getting Saddam Hussein to his knees---just send over the
Bush economic team."
Kerry, who raised $900,000 in a San Francisco fund-raiser this week, also joked
that, "I'm running for president of the United States because I believe we
need a regime change at home."
Edwards' fresh face and personable style were also well received by the
convention delegates, who cheered a
speech that largely concentrated on economic and domestic issues, accusing Bush
of favoring wealthy
supporters and special interests over average Americans. And, spinning a
campaign line used to great effect by Ronald Reagan, Edwards drew cheers when he
asked Democrats, "Are you better off than you were two
years ago?"
But the North Carolina senator also confronted his own support of the Bush war
effort---and drew loud boos
when he attempted to explain his position. In a news conference later, he said
he knew raising the mere topic of the war before the grassroots crowd came with
risks.
"Some reacted the way they did because they're opposed to a war in Iraq
under any circumstances . . . and I
respect that view," he said. "But I think if . . . I'm going to be a
candidate for the president of the United States, I need to have the backbone to
say directly to the people of California what my position is, and why I believe
it."
Chris Lehane, a spokesman for Kerry, suggested that the enthusiastic response to
Dean's address says far more about the Democratic activists at the convention
than it does about the former Vermont governor's appeal to a national audience.
"In politics, you always have to speak to the crowd in the room, but you
also must address the crowd outside
the room," where that adamant anti-war message might not be so popular,
Lehane said.
The race for the presidency "is a marathon, not a sprint," Lehane
said. "There will be a lot of different issues developed in the months to
come."
Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley-Brown addressed more than 400 peace activists
in front of the Capitol and warned of the loss of civil liberties.
"I believe the voice of the American people against this war is all that
has saved us so far," she said.
The Rev. Al Sharpton also addressed the delegates and made it clear that his
opposition to the war is key to
his presidential bid.
"Make no mistake about it," he said. "This war is wrong."
E-mail the reporters at cmarinucci@sfchronicle.com
and jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com
.
©2003 San Francisco Chronicle ##
CLICK HERE TO GET TO INDEX OF COLUMN EIGHTY-EIGHT
CLICK HERE TO GET TO INDEX
OF COLUMNS
The
Blacklisted Journalist can be contacted at P.O.Box 964, Elizabeth, NJ 07208-0964
The Blacklisted Journalist's E-Mail Address:
info@blacklistedjournalist.com
THE BLACKLISTED JOURNALIST IS A SERVICE MARK OF AL ARONOWITZ
__________________________________________________________________
Try AOL and get 1045 hours FREE for 45 days!
http://free.aol.com/tryaolfree/index.adp?375380
Get AOL Instant Messenger 5.1 for FREE! Download Now!
http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp?promos=380455
portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is a
news, discussion and debate service of the Committees
of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It
aims to provide varied material of interest to people
on the left.
Post : mail to 'portside@yahoogroups.com'
Subscribe : mail to
'portside-subscribe@yahoogroups.com'
Unsubscribe : mail to
'portside-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com'
List owner : portside-owner@yahoogroups.com
Web address : <
http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/portside>
Digest mode : visit Web site
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/