Gore Endorses Dean

Ah, so rewarding to have finally picked a candidate that I can support enthusiastically and is leading. Al Gore endorsed Howard Dean in New York this morning, saying, "...Howard Dean really is the only candidate who has been able to inspire at the grassroots level all over this country the kind of passion and enthusiasm for democracy and change and transformation of America that we need in this country. We need to remake the Democratic Party; we need to remake America; we need to take it back on behalf of the people of this country. So I'm very proud and honored to endorse Howard Dean to be the next president of the United States of America."

Gore called for an end to the bloodletting between the Democratic candidates, invoking none other than Ronald Reagan: "Years ago, former president Ronald Reagan said in the Republican Party that there ought to be an 11th commandment, speak no ill of another Republican. We're Democrats and we may not find that kind of commandment as accessible, but to the extent that we can recognize the stakes in America today, I would urge all of the other candidates and campaigns to keep their eyes on the prize."

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So, why did Gore endorse a candidate at this juncture? And why did Gore endorse Dean over others, including fellow southerner Wesley Clark?

Well, for one, Clark is still reportedly pretty shaky on the campaign trail. For another, Clark has announced that the way to win back the south is to ban flag burning.:

"Students who attended the Kirkland event were surprised when—without prompting—Clark mentioned his support for a proposed constitutional amendment to ban flag-burning.

"Clark conceded that his position likely put him at odds with most audience members, but he insisted that the stance was necessary if the Democratic Party hopes to reverse its losses in Southern states.

"'It’s not about the Confederate flag down there. It’s about the American flag. And our party has to be smart enough to understand that,' he said."

I think that the biggest draw for Gore, and others in the party, frankly, is Dean's announcement that he will be targeting congressional races and directing his supporters to finance not just his campaign, but 20 or so legislative races. Rep. Leonard Boswell of Iowa raked in $50,000 in the first 24 hours after Dean announced his support, and there are rumors of a January special election race that Dean will be meddling in.

Why did Gore endorse Dean? Because Dean has the most potential to lead the Democratic party back to majority status. Dean could turn one house of congress in the 2004 election, even if he himself loses. His network, being constructed from the bottom up, could then be activated in 2006 to enlarge the gains and shrink Republican control in the second legislative house. Gore endorsed Dean because Dean has grabbed control of the helm of the Democratic Party and he's actually steering it, a very exciting advance in the modern history of the Democratic Party.