Barackface

Monday, February 27, 2006

Take It Back: Film

Last night I went to this film event organized by DFNYC: Take It Back (take it back ::: the movement for democracy and howard dean ::: a ...)

Getting there was a minor logistical nightmare. I started out late from home. Then I realized the venue was not neatly off some train stop, and a train change was involved. I figured I will be late. But then it turned out the L train was not running. That added to the delay. So I was running from train to train, then I was running overground from Union Square to the venue.

I got in. First thing I did, I bought the DVD. $50 for Hillary a few days back, $20 for Dean, oh, what the heck. $4 for the train. $3 for the drink. Then $7 for dinner after the movie since there is a great Nepali restaurant not far on the 14th and 1st, and since I was in the area. Then $1.50 for pizza, since after dinner I noticed there was this shop next door that was selling pizza slices for $1.39. Not even Walmart does that. So I went in even though it was right after dinner. As you can see, this movie ended up costing me a small fortune.

I went in. Ordered my drink. And was disappointed that there was hardly anybody. I got fixated on the small screen in the front room. Then the bartender pointed out to me there was an inner room and a bigger screen. I went in. It was a huge crowd, no seats available. Maybe 40 people. Somebody grabbed my hand when my eyes were still trying to get accustomed to the dark. I was startled. It was Lewis Cohen. You find him in all sorts of odd places, in the restroom, in the dark.

I think it was nostalgia that had got the crowd gathered. These were believers. Muhammad came and went, but these people are going to start a religion.

The movie was well done. You mostly saw Iowa. I am so glad I got me a copy. But I drew some different conclusions. Mine was the first and last question during the 15 minute session afterwards.

"The media played the filtered version of the I Have A Scream speech over 700 times. But you had the unfiltered version where Dean is seen trying to get heard over a loud crowd. Why did you not push out that version?"

"Not that he is my hero, but Reagan ran in 1976 and lost early and bad. We all know what happened four years later. Why does everyone in the room think Dean is not running again?"

I am the odd ball out. Noone at DFNYC thinks Dean is running again either. It is because these are Deaniacs. Dean said he is not running, and so Deaniacs believe him.

I don't know. Besides this is a little early. Besides I am a total nobody. Howard Dean does not know me. Hillary Clinton does not know me. Barack Obama does not know me. Not Dean, not Hillary have said if they are running or not in a decisive way. A year is a long time in politics. Two years even longer. We will get a better feel in early 2007. If Dean is running, we will know in early 2007. If he is not, we will know right about then. If Dean announces in the affirmative in January 2007, and Hillary does the same in October 2007, I am on the Dean bandwagon. If Dean is not running, but Hillary is, I am pushing for a Hillary-Obama ticket. But these are heavyweights. They will decide. I am not a factor at all. For now I am just going to prepare. I have a lot of reading to do. I have my finances to get on track, on autopilot. I have a lot of work to do on the Nepal front. I will prepare and maybe my time will come, like Lincoln said.

Some places where I disagree with the Dean crowd.

Dean did not lose in Iowa. He did not lose in New Hampshire. Clinton skipped Iowa, and he lost in New Hampshire in 1992. Dean lost when he skipped the seven primaries after New Hampshire.
The media played the I Have A Scream speech over 700 times. That is not a problem. That certainly is no conspiracy. The media moguls did not invent the mic that cuts off the crowd just for this occasion. It was Dean 2004 that failed. When you get hit, you hit back. Why did the campaign not put out 30 second spots that showed the unfiltered version of the same event? The footage was available. This movie has it.
The primary reason for the Dean meltdown was the system melted. The grassroots heat was too much for the system. When you attempt big changes, you should expect it to be not too easy. First attempt failed, that's all.

Some reasons why I am still rooting for Dean 2008.

With Dean I am part of the in crowd starting out. With any other campaign, I will start out a nobody. How do you get involved?
Dean is the only one who has the democracy message.
Dean will authorize hitting hard the right wingers. Got to go after the fundies.
I want a $10 billion program to spread democracy the progressive way, the war with communications technology way, a project with a deadline, say 2020. Dean will go for this, I think. This is to be my pet project. For this I give Dean my political instincts that will cover all bases and all seasons.

If there is no Dean 2008, and there is a Hillary 2008, then I want Obama on the ticket, and I want to work the $10 billion project through Obama. Google became a verb, Barack is on its way. How would you like for me to barack your world? Besides, if Hillary does not break the glass ceiling in 2008, it will be a while before anyone does. And 2008 will be her last chance, I think.

Barack (verb): breaking the glass ceiling in a casual, surefooted way, such that both sides of the aisle fall in love with you.

Howard Dean for America: Home
Democracy For America
Blog for America
Howard Dean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New York Times > Howard Dean
WOAI: San Antonio News - Dean: US Won't Win in Iraq
Wired 12.01: How the Internet Invented Howard Dean
Howard Dean Scream Remixes
Dean Nation
Politics1 - P2004: Profile of Gov. Howard Dean (D-VT)

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator from New York
Biography of Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton For President
HillaryClinton.com - Hillary Rodham Clinton for Senate
Hillary Rodham Clinton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hillary Web
The "Unofficial" Hillary Rodham Clinton
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton: Constituent Email Form
Hillary Clinton: "We're Going to Take Things Away From You on ...
Sen. Hillary Clinton

Obama for Illinois
Barack Obama - US Senator for Illinois
Barack Obama - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BarackObama.com :: Coming Soon
The New Yorker: Fact
OBAMA, Barack - Biographical Information
BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Profile: Barack Obama
Transcript: Illinois Senate Candidate Barack Obama (washingtonpost ...

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25 February