Thank you, Howard Dean

I loved Howard Dean and his grassroots message. I could taste what a doctor in the White House could do for health care in this country. I was shocked at how the press took the bait and laughed Dean out of the race in 2004. I was sure that Kerry would have a much harder race than Dean.

What I didn’t see back then was that Dean would win, in the end. Folks laughed again when Dean took over the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Who would want a post like that? But those of us who had supported Dean and become precinct chairs and party activists with the goal of transforming the party and wrenching it from Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) clutches saw this as a storming of the gates! Dean as DNC chair could help us transform the party. And he has.

A post today at Daily Kos describes how Deans support of a 50 state strategy has not only laid the groundwork for the kind of turnout and success we see in Obama’s candidacy, but also a whole slew of competitive races across the country that could help strengthen Democrats who want to make a difference in congress. Howard Dean paid attention to the whole country, he gave the Democratic party the medicine it needed four years ago. I imagine he’s a bit weary of this task, but I, for one, hope he stays at it a while longer.