2008: Some Thoughts

Dean 2008

Headquarters

I think it should be in Jackson Heights, New York City. I understand Vermont is Dean's home state, but New York City has many advantages. It is the progressive capital. DFNYC is the largest DFA group in the country. Jackson Heights is the most diverse place inside New York City, and the rentals there would be much cheaper than somewhere in Manhattan. If the headquarters are in the city, it would be possible to rally hundreds upon hundreds of volunteers for most of the work to be done by the campaign headquarters. That volunteer part might be the most important. Also since many old media houses are in the city, we might also get more free air time. It would be easier to fly Dean around the country from here. A lot of political money gets raised in the city. He was born here, he grew up here. This is Dean hometurf.

DFNYC In The News
Tracey Denton Of DFNYC
DFNYC Research And Advocacy Group

Running Mate

People talk about balancing physical geography. I disagree. I think the emphasis should be on human geography. I think Hillary is the obvious choice. Also, the campaign should make it clear it is gunning for Obama for Secretary of State. Both Hillary and Obama are talented superstars who can not run for the top job itself and that is to do with human geography. So we need to flesh it out on the progressive ticket.

Dean-Hillary-Obama Ticket

Strong On Defense

The War on Terror is the same magnitude as the Cold War. That has to be the starting point of the discussion. And that war has to be won. Is there a progressive way of fighting that war? There is. A total spread of democracy is the only real, long term solution. The military option is always on the table as the weapon of last resort, but the conservative militarist ways are self-defeating and wasteful. Instead extending moral and logistical support to indigenous grassroots movements for democracy might be the better way.

Democracy For Nepal, DFN
What's Going On In Nepal
To: DFNYC

The South

The strategy should be to win at least half the states in the South. You have to run a 50-state campaign if you are seriously looking at the White House.

To: The Good White People In The South

Blogalaxy

The Dean 2004 effort was organized around a blog. Next time it will have to be something much more sophisticated, and media rich: a blogalaxy. A superblog.

Core Vision

There has to be a core vision.

The Three Pillars