Dean: This Race Is About America's Future, Not The Candidates
WASHINGTON -- DNC Chairman Howard Dean, the 2004 presidential candidate who saw his campaign stall after a disappointing Iowa caucuses defeat, told a personal story this morning to the RBC -- and the nation -- to punctuate his call for party unity moving forward.
After his White House bid fizzled, Dean received a middle-of-the-night call from Al Gore. Dean recalled ranting and raving to the former vice president, pacing his house and asking Gore repeatedly what he owed the Democratic Party after its treatment of him.
"Finally, Al said to me, 'Howard, this is not about you, it's about your country,'" Dean said. "At the time, nobody could have said that to me, even my wife, except for Al Gore."
Dean noted that Gore, after all, had seen the presidency "snatched" from him by "five intellectually bankrupt Supreme Court justices."
"This is not about Barack Obama, this is not about Hillary Clinton," Dean said of the 2008 fight. "This is about our country. This is about restoring America to its greatness."
The Democratic primary process has included "ugly moments," Dean said, including "blantant sexist comments" and "blatantly racist remarks" from the media.
"Those comments have no place in our society and certainly no place in our party," Dean said to applause.
Dean also urged the committee, as it revisits its decision to strip MI and FL of its delegates, to remember the 48 states that did not violate the rules.
"The person that we nominate will become the next president of the United States in January," Dean assured his party faithful this morning. "This has been a very long and hard-fought race. Throughout the course of this campaign, these two candidates have helped transform our party. They have proved that when we show up everywhere and talk about our values, Democrats can win everywhere."
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
I will not vote in November if Clinton is the candidate. She obviosly knew the rules and clarly shows her willingness to change her story to whatever suits her needs. It's dishonest and shows her true character.
It is sad and a disgrace. Hillary I can stomach but now that the truth about Obama is out what can any thinking person do. There is no way I can vote for such a racist, bigoted farce. He hates America and you know that he despises white people with a passion only his wife can start to show. The USA would become a laughingstock. I see it now Obamamma with the hood over conspiring with the nation of islam. Please God save us from this farce and hate filled man and family.
Here is what Al Gore needs to hear: America is great. It can't be returned to greatness. If Al Gore believes that he ought to return America to greatness, then he isn't an American. He may be a citizen of America, but he isn't an American. He is a RadLib Utopian. Just as Alinsky and Harris were not Americans, just as Obama, their student, is not an American, Gore isn't an American either.
Ronald Reagan and James Madison, for instance, understood what an American is. So does Rush Limbaugh.
And so I say to the RadLibs: If you don't think America is great, go somewhere else that is. Canada or France or Sweden or New Zealand, for instance. But, don't complain when the day comes, as it always does, when your adopted country that you thought was so great has to ask America TO BAIL THEM OUT!