Do you think Howard Dean can inspire Kansas Democrats to increase their influence? / LJWorld.com

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Asked at Hastings, 1900 W. 23rd St. on February 18, 2005

“Well, he has a lot of experience in fund raising and organizing events as well as very strong leadership skills. I think that alone will raise some excitement.”

— Eddie Kennington, Kansas University junior, Lawrence

“I think he can be an inspirational speaker and his voice is well-heard by Democrats. I believe he will be well-received, at least in Lawrence.”

— Lance Meneley, graphic designer, Lawrence

“He can probably inspire them, because he is loud and boisterous, but I don’t think the Democrats will increase their influence in Kansas.”

— Erin Foley, student teacher, Lawrence

“Yeah, I think so. They would be pretty fired up. Of course, I don’t know how long that would last. I thought he was a good motivational speaker the last time I watched him.”

— Sonya Hamilton, clerk, Lawrence

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merrill (anonymous) says…

I like a person who is real and not afraid to display his excitement no matter how uncool.
February 18, 2005 at 5:16 a.m.
Larry (anonymous) says…

yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
hhhhhhhhhhhhh!
February 18, 2005 at 6:11 a.m.
Larry (anonymous) says…

I can just see it. He'll come to Lawrence and the first thing out of his mouth will be a nice big long, "yyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa". If George W. did something like that, the media and liberals would never stop ripping him for it.
February 18, 2005 at 6:13 a.m.
jonas (anonymous) says…

Larry: Do you mean in the same way they (you) never stopped ripping Dean?
Ask yourself if you really want to get into a conversation about what comes out of George W Bush's mouth.

http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/boo...
February 18, 2005 at 7:16 a.m.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…

I think his remarks would be especially effective if he wore a big red nose and green hair. and maybe some of those size 38 floppy shoes.
February 18, 2005 at 7:46 a.m.
lunacydetector (anonymous) says…

so this is the way the democrats think they will be more appealing? they pick howard dean as their leader? during the primary campaign last year, the former vermont governor repeatedly told audiences that he wanted to be the candidate of "white folks in the South who drive pick-up trucks with Confederate flag decals."

during a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus last Friday, Dean joked: "You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here."

he never had a single black in a senior position on his gubernatorial staff.

dean doesn't want to change the democratic pro-abortion stance, just the vocabulary. it's the blind leading the blind. the democrats who keep up their pro-abortion banter will ultimately do their party in because they are slowly but surely losing members through attrition - they kill off future democrats before they leave the womb. the democrats would've won 2000 and 2004 if their missing voters would've been alive to vote. but, that's what they get since Roe V. Wade.

as a recently former democrat, that's why i switched parties. the democrats just don't get it. lost touch with reality might explain why dean is coming to kansas. a clueless maneuver.
February 18, 2005 at 7:55 a.m.
mr_daniels (anonymous) says…

Do you think Howard Dean can inspire Kansas Democrats to increase their influence? bwhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!
Stop please! You are intentionally trying to kill me...bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!
February 18, 2005 at 8:09 a.m.
Bad_Brad (anonymous) says…

yyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh
hhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 18, 2005 at 8:29 a.m.
italianprincess (anonymous) says…

I don't know much about Dean, but hes really loud.

He comes off as being so loud, and its kinda weird. I suppose I will have to read more about him to see what he stands for.

Hes just so %@*& loud.
February 18, 2005 at 8:43 a.m.
wichita_reader (anonymous) says…

Let's not forget, Kansans voted a democrat governor. But on the other hand, we elected a republican attorney general who allowed his license to practice law expire. Go figure.
February 18, 2005 at 9:10 a.m.
kskris (anonymous) says…

"Defense is a lot broader than swaggering around saying you're going to kick Saddam's butt," Dean said Thursday, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Perle said the war in Iraq was justified based on the intelligence available at the time. "Sometimes the things we have to do are objectionable to others," he said.

Dean also said the Bush administration has ignored the mounting threat in Iran and North Korea. "We picked the low hanging fruit in Iraq and did nothing" about the other, more dangerous regimes, he said.

cnn.com 2-18-05
February 18, 2005 at 9:47 a.m.
mrcairo (anonymous) says…

The Democratic Party is trying to be everything to everybody and include every little group of people into their flock and by doing so they weaken their position.

It's time for the Democratic Party to lean a bit more to the Right, and abandon the most liberal positions, ie: 3rd trimester abortions, gay marriage, etc. They need to stick to the issues that matter, Fiscal Responsibility, telling the Truth about Weapons of Mass Deception, etc.

The Republicans call the Democrats the Tax and Spend party yet they themselves are spending money we don't have. The Republican Party has become a hard-core right-wing religious group as dangerous as the Taliban.

I believe both parties need to be reigned in.

Can Dean do it? I think he's easily swayed by opinions and like most Politicians, is not connected to main stream America.
February 18, 2005 at 12:43 p.m.
crohan1978 (anonymous) says…

watch out, I guess 51% of america is dangerous!! Give me a break mrcairo!! This country was built and developed on religious values, and it has lost a big portion of that these days, and now that we want to got back just a lil bit, and built up moral values again in this country, we are now dangerous?? Have you seen kids these days?? Its a far cry from how I acted when I was in grade school. It is a sick display of not being able to take no as a answer and no discipline whatsoever. We have become so politically correct and unwilling to hurt a kids feelings by saying no to them, or marking their papers in red ink, because it somehow will damage their mind. It is disgusting what we have become as a society.
February 18, 2005 at 1:01 p.m.
Jay_Z (anonymous) says…

Well said crohan!
February 18, 2005 at 1:37 p.m.
jonas (anonymous) says…

The question I have, then, is why it would be necessary to consider religion and moral values as the same thing, or even necessary in producing each other.

I guess the problem that I see, Crohan, is that none of those problems you listed (none of which I disagree exist) are really the job of a government to fix. I don't say that as because I have an instinctual fear of governments and societal controls (though I admit that I do) but simply because it cannot possibly do a good job in fixing moral problems. To rely on a government, or a religion, for that matter, to produce individual responsability seems almost paradoxical.
February 18, 2005 at 2:36 p.m.
Huckleberry (anonymous) says…

I agree that it is not all the government's job to fix those problems, but that is where everything starts. The laws of this country were based on religious ideals from the very beginning. Maybe the problem is that we are trying to stray from that approach so much. Does that make me a 'bible thumper?' No, but I do not have any problem with a religious or moral base for our laws.

I think that the biggest problem is that the democratic and republican parties are in such a heated feud. We need to find some common ground; give a little, take a little, and bring this country together again. How all of the sudden are all democrats hippies and republicans bible thumping rednecks? Just my opinion.
February 18, 2005 at 3:22 p.m.
jonas (anonymous) says…

Seriously, what laws are you referring to? The laws of our society, at least the ones set up by our constitution when our union was formed, deal almost exclusively with individual liberty and the protection of property rights, and other secular functions, not from religious dogma. The only law I recall off the top of my head that deals with religion is the one that says we can't establish a state religion.

I have no problem with moral behavior, but I believe that both religion and government spring from that moral behavior, not the other way around.
February 18, 2005 at 3:37 p.m.
italianprincess (anonymous) says…

I say no to my kids when I feel its right.

Saying no and being honest is the best parenting you can do. Kids need to know when things are possible and not possible. They can't have their way all the time, and as far as hurting their feelings........they will survive.

I'm a tough love mom with my boys, and teach them right from wrong. I teach from the heart and they know it. My kids have the things they need always, but they don't always have the things they want.

Thats the way it goes.

As far as Dean goes.........I still think hes very loud, but interested in what hes about.
February 18, 2005 at 4:08 p.m.
gbulldog (anonymous) says…

It appears the Democrats are becomming more liberal with the selection of Howard Dean. If the Republicans become more conservative, then the moderates may need to consider forming a third party. Both parties are not addressing the needs in Kansas. The Education system is a joke because it is being turned into a "polictical correct" learning system and not a learning system that develops skills that can improve the quality of life in Kansas. As I consider advancement in my career field, the economic situation in Kansas forces me to consider other States for relocation. Even though the State is beautiful and the weather and the ocean can be beautiful, California is one State not under consideration. So if you like Howard Dean, move to California.
February 18, 2005 at 4:27 p.m.
Curious (anonymous) says…

Howard Dean will easily inspire Democrats in Lawrence, Kansas. They are easily inspired to raise a placard (or claim someone stole theirs). The vocal Democrats like "in your face" politics. Dean will say what they want to hear, the way they want to hear it.

The quiet Democrats don't say much. Don't know what would inspire them to come out into the fresh air.

The problem is, to inspire Democrats the opposite must happen and the Republicans must be ripped to shreds. That is really self defeating.

Seems to me the Democratic party should be working for the good of the country now - not worry about George Bush. If they can get a few people to believe they are like the average American for just three years, Hillary Clinton will have a shot at the Presidency. But can they remain civil for three lllllooooooooooooggggggg years? aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh doubt it!
February 18, 2005 at 5:56 p.m.
Central_Scrutinizer (anonymous) says…

Stouts and ales in tow, Dusty and Dave and I stopped the bus at the following website:

http://www.lawrencekansas.us

Once Dusty figured out where we were (almost recognizing the background colors), he let out the best Howeird Dean impression ever to travel, voyaging through space, as we recall; or maybe not:

"yyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

What a frolic!
February 18, 2005 at 9:11 p.m.
Larry (anonymous) says…

Jonas,

I doubt that you will see this but I can't believe that you don't understanding how moral values relate to religion or how political correctness has caused our society to erode. Let me try to explain. Moral values come from the Bible. Thou shall not kill, steal, etc. When a teacher can't discipline a children, the respect for the teacher erodes and the child's education suffers. When a police officer has to worry about losing his job for subduing a drugged out addict, because he used cruel and unusual force against a man who won't stay down when told to do so, plus would love to get a grip of the police officers 9mm - our society suffers. I mean, who is the criminal here? When we allow people to use abortion as a means of birth control, our respect for life and our society suffers. When we allow people to make the excuse of "mentally ill" as a reason for killing their family members or innocent people in a shopping mall, our society and respect for life again suffers. When we allow people to sue companies for not warning them that coffee is HOT, or that lawn mowers that are running can be dangerous if you get your feet/hands to close to the mower deck, our society suffers. We have ridiculous lawsuits resulting in huge monetary payouts to lawyers which you and I pay for through increased prices. When children can sue their parents or liberal politicians can take children away from parents who are simply trying to discipline their children - respect for the job of parenting suffers and so does our society. When people marry within a church then the government sticks their nose in and allows for quick divorces, our society suffers. The next thing you know, we'll have men wanting to marry men, woman wanting to marry women, men wanting to marry numerous woman and their horse (oops, I guess we already have some of that)- society suffers. Maybe conservative America has finally awaken to the lies of the liberal media and liberal politicians who have brainwashed us for so long with all this political correctness %$&^*(@. The government of past has created all of these moral problems by allowing liberal judges to make law rather than interpret law which should answer you question on why the government should get involved in moral law.

Secondly, go read a ligitament history book. Our laws were established to prevent a government from enforcing ONE religion, not to prevent people from practicing a religion. Have a good day.
February 19, 2005 at 8:54 a.m.
cjcurtis (anonymous) says…

Dean's campaign was actually about a host of issues most voters never heard about during the primary campaigns: a balanced budget, repealed federal mandates, and a new twist on states' rights. Whether by accident or design, Dean was taking a page from the Republicans' "new federalism" message of the 1970's and '80's. By advocating repeal of unfunded mandates, encouraging local participation, and allowing states to apply their own solutions, Dean could have more appeal than the GOP gives him credit for.

His instinct to reach out to frustrated voters tired of interference from a federal government that overreaches on social issues, but ignores pocketbook issues is on target. What Dean articulated was an approach that said, in essence: the federal government must be responsible for a few big ticket items like the social safety net and national defense. Beyond that, the states and individuals should have an important role in how to tackle local issues. It sounds positively Clintonesque.

With Republicans increasingly enamored of big, centralized government, it's up to the Democrats to harness the power of the fifty "laboratories of democracy" at their disposal. From budgets to ballot initiatives, a "new federalism" message could resonate with many voters in the heartland and beyond.

The appeal of getting the government off people's backs is hardly a liberal notion. But Bush has been more interested in pushing for big government solutions denying states initiatives on everything from "death with dignity" to "no child left behind" to "medical marijuana." Why not leave big brother behind and let the states decide?

A strong effort promoting self-determination could win broad support across the political spectrum. The appeal of allowing local voters to determine for themselves how best to solve their problems would be popular and smacks of a kind of common sense that seems to have eluded other Democrats on the national stage.
February 21, 2005 at 10:50 a.m.