“I’ll be in Washington on January 20, 2005 when President Dean is inaugurated. This is a must do for me. It’s not a nice to do, it is a must do!” Harry Heidelberg

Harry Heidelberg is a Webdiary columnist and regularly reports to Webdiary on the Howard Dean campaign for US president.

 

TUESDAY, YANKS TIME:

Hi Margo

It sure sounds like you and some of the Web Diarists have been having fun. Great to hear from Polly Bush and Don Arthur in Strange encounters.

It’s pre dawn here in California and I’m drinking coffee as I will every morning this week. My body clock will return to normal just as I am catching the flight back to Europe. Can’t say American dripolator coffee (yeah, they have one in the rooom) is as good as a European espresso. Oh well, better than nothing.

I just watched Al Gore and Howard Dean speaking live from Harlem. Of course New York is three hours ahead of here so it’s looking a lot more like breakfast time on the East Coast.

Al Gore was introduced as the “elected President of the United States” and the crowd cheered. Every single time I see him I think of what may have been. I suspect I am not alone.

Today Al Gore officially endorsed Howard Dean as the Democratic candidate for President. Both Gore and Dean spoke in clear and impressive terms.

There is no waffling at the centre for them. They are in the mode of firing up the core of the Democratic Party. The true believers if you like. Some call the tactic risky, to be so strident and to be so clearly anti-Bush. I think it makes perfect sense.

I think electorates in more than one or two countries are tired of risk free politics. It becomes boring. We want to see politicians take clear non-waffling positions. We want to see them lead and we want to be inspired. A positive, hopeful agenda.

As I’ve said before, I’ll be in Washington on January 20, 2005 when President Dean is inaugurated. This is a must do for me. It’s not a nice to do, it is a must do!

Gore and Dean are clear on the war. Dean is the only Democratic candidate who was clearly against the war in Iraq from the beginning. The others waffled. Gore called it a “quagmire” and I think we will be hearing that word more often.

The election campaign is under way. Later today both Dean and Gore will be flying to Iowa. The famous Iowa caucus, states like Iowa and New Hampshire. States of political history.

George Bush is now to pump record funds into Medicare (focusing on a prescription drug benefit) but it seems this decision has made no change to his popularity. The latest poll shows the country divided with slightly more being against Bush than for him.

PS: WOW

Just saw a dynamite TV ad. It was a Santa Claus. The voiceover was saying “Yes big contributors, this is a very special Christmas for you”. Then the Santa started ticking off things that he would deliver, that interestingly included “more power to big media corporations”. At the end the cheery music stops and you notice the Santa is wearing texas style cowboy boots. Then the voice says, “You see big contributors, your dreams will come true because your Santa is in the White House”. Then a black and white picture of Bush comes up and there is silence.

I know US political ads are often dramatic but I thought that one was incredible.

No punches will be pulled in this campaign.