One presidential candidate soared ahead of the other Democratic candidates early on, attracting the support of young people across the nation. One candidate vowed he was the one who stood up to George Bush, and he was the one who would take on Washington and change America. That candidate was Howard Dean. Just as fast as his campaign rose, it began to lag behind and crash. What happened to the man who was the front-runner in the Democratic primaries for so many months?Howard Dean’s campaign ran on an anti-war statement. He spoke out early against the war in Iraq, critiquing Bush’s arrogant and foolish foreign policy in Iraq. Dean’s message struck at the right time, when the new peace movement was beginning to grow in large numbers in 2003. Dean attracted many people who were very critical of the Iraq war. Besides Kucinich, Dean’s campaign thrived on an anti-war statement.
Dean’s campaign also ran on the idea that he was going to take the country back. He always mentioned how he wasn’t from Washington, and he could usher in change. He tried to paint himself as a clear alternative to Bush for those who were tired of corrupt politics in Washington, where special interests rule over actual people. Dean was going to go after those special interests and break them apart. He also created a working class image for himself. He often did interviews with his sleeves rolled up and no tie. He didn’t want to look like a slick politician; instead, he wanted to seem like the average working American.
Because of the alternative messages Dean was sending, he attracted the attention and support of many young people. He made it clear many times that a lot of his donations were from people who were under thirty. He was the most successful in sparking a grassroots movement in the party, especially among young people. Dean may not have been as much as an alternative as Kucinich would have been, but Dean did show that many people wanted someone who would offer change. Many Democratic voters don’t want another Bush in the White House.
There were many aspects that led to Dean’s downfall. Since the Democratic debates began, the candidates did their best to rip apart the former Vermont governor. Instead of focusing their criticism on Bush, those who desired the Democratic ticket focused on Dean. If Dean made a verbal mistake in a speech, like the confederate flag comment, they destroyed him. Perhaps, the Democrats wanted Dean to lose his position as front-runner because they believed he was unelectable. However, he was the only candidate to spark such a massive grassroots movement. Dean’s campaign revolutionized campaign tactics. He showed how powerful the Internet has become, using it to his advantage early on by building momentum and raising money.
The media also tainted Howard Dean’s image. The former front-runner was painted as angry and unelectable. After Dean’s post-Iowa caucus speech, the media began to shred his image and campaign. How many times was his Iowa speech shown? Dean was only trying to get his supporters rallied up, but the media labeled his speech as “I have a scream.” The media took the passion that Dean had and used it to make him seem unstable and angry. It was unfair to show his post-Iowa speech over and over.
Despite Dean’s downfalls, he deserves credit. If it wasn’t for the early criticism of Bush’s unjust, immoral, and bloody war in Iraq coming from Kucinich and Dean, then the other candi-dates probably wouldn’t have started standing up to George Bush. The image that Dean created for himself as the anti-Bush candidate gave the Democrats the backbone they needed to offer a contrast to Bush. However, what are all the young people who stood behind Dean going to think? They may feel hopeless. For the first time in years, there was a large grass-roots effort to usher in change. Hopefully, that passion won’t be crushed, even though Dean’s campaign has crashed. The Democratic Party needs to keep that passion, drive, and dissent going that Dean and Kucinich helped to create. Voters want a change in Washington, where corporate interests don’t rule over people