"The GMD Interview with Howard Dean"

Green Mountain Daily:

At last weekend's DemocracyFest, I had the opportunity for an exclusive ten-minute sit-down with former Vermont Governor and current DNC Chair Howard Dean. I had the chance to ask him a few brief questions just before he went on to deliver the conference keynote, and took the opportunity to ask a few general questions about the electoral challenges ahead, as well as get his perspective on some Vermont happenings.

A note to hopeful readers looking for some sort of Mike Wallace-style grilling: fuggedaboutit. Number one, I aint a reporter, I'm just a guy who splays his opinions on a piece of software for the world to see. But number two, Dean is head of the Democratic National Committee, and the DNC head is simply not a policy position. Sure, if I was talking to Reid or Pelosi, it'd be all about issues, but Dean's job is to build Party infrastructure, propogate the message and support his candidates - in other words, to win elections.

Having said that, Dean was clearly promoted to his position, not simply to structurally reform the Party, but to do so from a progressive policy position, so it's a fine line he walks, and IMO he generally walks it well (click here to read an account of his speech before the conference, as an example).

I was wondering if the job had aged the Governor, given it's demands as well as the grief he has received from friend and foe alike, but Dean looked fit, rested, healthy and relaxed, which suggests to me that the job is a good fit.

A note - I made a tape recording of the conversation, but as we got into it and became more casual and relaxed, the audio tended to drop from the recording because our tones dropped and were swallowed by the room (I denote the drops in the text). Ah well. I'd never even tried to interview anyone before that day (and probably won't again anytime soon), so it's live and learn I guess.

Interview on the flip...
odum :: The GMD Interview with Howard Dean
odum: With the Presidential campaign kicking off so much earlier, and with the rollback of the primary calendar, how do you deal with the danger of, sort of, elections burnout/campaign fatigue driving down turnout?

Dean: For the average person, that's not gonna happen at all. I mean, there may be some burnout among the cognescenti who follow this thing religiously, but Americans have a way of tuning politics out until they really want to focus on it. So I dont think youre going to see an intense focus despte the coverage in the media and everything else, despite what's going on until after the conventions.

Democratic primary voters are different, of course, but in terms of the average American voter, thats when they usually focus is after the conventions.

odum: With all the constant Bush scandals, do you feel that the need to be responsive to them and reactive against them, crowds out room for the Party and candidates to really be proactive with their message?

Dean: I don't really think so. I think the constant misdoings of the administration are actually very helpful to us because it reimnds people why they shoulddn't vote Republican. Eventually the message is going to be a positive, uplifting message about what were going to do and not how awful Bush is, but, look- as long as the press wants to carry all the mistakes and misdoings of the Bush administration, it gets people in the frame of mind of "we really need a change". And its easier for them to do than for us to do it, and thats great.

Tha campaigns themselves for the most part are actually pretty positive. Mostly, The debates are not all about how terrible Bush is. A lot of them are about what we oughta do about health insurance, and what we want to do is very, very positive.

odum: But is it difficult to manage the tension between the base which wants that reactivity versus the less engaged voters that want something proactive?

Dean: well there's plenty of reactivity, you know I think there's a balance you have to have. But again, every day we see something new in the press about the malfeasence of the administration. But I do think even the hardcore Democratic base wants a positive message.

odum: Have your critics warmed up to the 50 state strategy yet?

Dean: Oh yeah, I think it's pretty much been absorbed. It's now called the (looks at aide) what's it called? The "enhanced field" or something like that. Because of course they would never call it the 50 state strategy...

odum: (chuckle) That's great.

Of course your presidential campaign has obviously created - they're out there (referring to the convention floor) - the rise and empowerment of the "netroots" as a force in the Party. How do you think - and obviously this is a question that could go on forever - how do you think, both negatively and positively, that sort of decentralization, that netroots effect....

Dean: I think its the best thing since sliced bread.

The internet has created an opportunity for redemocratizing america after one of the least democratic-with-a-small-d administrations, [that believes whats good for them] is more important than what is good for America. [The internet] empowers ordinary americans, which is what our campaign was all about, and its a good thing.

You know, there is some venom in the discussions, but I actually find that the internet builds consensus in a debates that go on on the blogs and the chats, and all that. It's interesting to see that there's agreement. I mean, I read those things sometimes, and you know there's a real dialogue. Sometimes people flame, and they need to be... escorted off, but a lot of it's real discussion; "yeah, maybe you're right about this" and such. I think thats very positive because you get people from all over the country talking to each other, and I think thats very positive.

odum: Here's an impossible question to answer, but I wanna ask it anyway. You've worn so many hats and had so many adventures ove last decades, where do you see Howard Dean ten years from now?

Dean: I have absolutely no idea (laughs).

odum: Let me throw out real quick, because I know we dont have a lot of time, some Vermont questions. Democrats obviously made a lot gains in Vermont last year, but theres still a Republican governor. In your opinion, what's Jim Douglas's secret?

Is it just incumbency?

Dean: He's a very good politician, there's no question about that.

odum: He's just got the skills...

Dean: I think so... [audio drop]

odum: Now you've campaigned for Dems in the state, and Douglas has campaigned for Republicans, but looking at the various results, you get the sense that there just isn't such a thing as political coattails in the state. Why do you think that is?

That seems to be uniquely Vermont.

Dean: Well, Vermonters are very independent minded. New Englanders in general are independently minded, but particularly Vermonters, although I think based on last campaign, I think we're going to win some... you know, we've got a pretty good record. I will predict flat out that we're going to pick up the Lieutenant Governor's race. You know, depending on who runs I think we have a shot at the Governor.

odum: The "common-law marriage" between Bernie and the Democratic Party seems to be holding and very strong...

Dean: I think it's working very well - you know Bernie is essentially a liberal or progressive Democrat. I know he prefers to call himself a social Democrat... [audio drops]

odum: Recently - I dont know if you've been engaged in Vermont, but, the Vermont Legislature has received a lot of criticism from all sides on its priorities and product. I'm wondering What sort of general advice you would give to legislative leaders to retake control of the debate...?

Dean: I think the legislature's done a great job. What they need is a really aggressive message program. Jim Douglas has, what, fourteen people on the media staff? I had one! You know, they're being out-spun, but their work product is terrific. I mean, I think this is a great Legislature that they've got. There hasn't actually been much that's come out of the Governor's office in terms of intitiatives that've gotten passed. The Legislature's passed most of the stuff, and the Legislature's driving the boat. On the environment for example, even though their environmental thing got vetoed - and we'll see if that stays - but the Legislature's setting the agenda, here, in terms of stuff that gets passed. What they don't have is a press strategy, and it's not all the legislature's fault. The Governor - any Governor - that's any good at his job...[audio drops]...in fact, the legislature's setting the agenda [audio drops].

odum: You gonna be in Burlington on July 15th? You oughta come to the blogger's barbeque on North Beach.

Dean: I'd absolutely want to do it - (double takes to consider what he's just heard) - the bloggers are having - this is Burlington - Vermont bloggers - are having a barbeque?

odum: Yes, Neil Jensen, Philip Baruth and I - Philip has Vermont Daily Briefing -

Dean: Sure.

odum: And last year was the first one, and we turned out a crowd of people - most of our major candidates. An off-election year won't be quite as star-studded, but you could certainly change that if you were in town.

Dean: What time is it?

odum: 1 to 5.

Dean: (to aide) 1 to 5, North Beach - write that down. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do right now, but, you know - that'd be a fun thing for me to do.

odum: Bring the family! I'm bringing mine!

Well thank you so much, I really appreciate this.

Dean: My great pleasure...(descends to cross chatter)

Howie P.S.: YOU can see Howard in Seattle on June 26. Go here to sign up and help us get ready for the '08 campaign. Hear the latest from The Chairman! Please tell 'em Howie in Seattle sent you when sign up!