Related:  Why conservatives fear John Howard

There seems to be a growing crazy feeling out there that Howard could defeat Bush! Not John Howard but Democrat, Howard Dean.

If this happens, America will be taking the next exit to the left. Off the Bush track and down a different highway.

It has been a big weekend for Howard Dean. All the Sunday US talk shows are talking about him and he’s on the cover of Time and Newsweek.

He’s even started a TV ad campaign in Texas. It opens with “I’m Howard Dean, I’m running for president and I approve this message because I want to change George Bush’s reckless foreign policy…. “. He goes on to ask the question “has anybody really stood up against George Bush and his policies? Don’t you think it’s time somebody did? Visit my web site, join my campaign because it’s time to take our country back”.

Many think Dean is a typical flash in the pan before the primaries start. Maybe so but then again maybe not. Last decade there was a southern Governor by the name of Clinton who many wrote off far too early. The comeback kid.

Dean’s certainly being talked about. He’s in contention and it’s worth considering not only his agenda but his methods. The agenda is very liberal and quite the opposite of the Bush path. He continues to be against the Iraq War:

” It only becomes more and more clear every day what a mistake this administration made in launching a pre-emptive war in Iraq. The evidence mounts that not only did the Administration mislead the American people and the world in making its case for war but that it failed to plan adequately for the peace.”

He maintains an Iraq Truth Center at:

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_foreign_iraq

The 16 questions for George Bush are quite good:

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7000&news_iv_ct

Remember, this man could be the next President. He’s also in favour of gay marriage. As governor of Vermont he was early to pass the appropriate legislation allowing it. He outlines huge changes in health and education. He’s liberal all around and presents a clear choice for Americans.

Not a snow balls chance in hell of this guy getting up? I’m not so sure. Those who seek to belittle America more often than not simply don’t understand it. They don’t understand the demographics. I was there in June when it was announced that Hispanics now outnumber Blacks as being America’s largest minority. The point is not that every candidate should speak Spanish, although Howard Dean and George Bush do, the point is that the ever lasting cliche that “America is constantly re-inventing itself” is more true today than ever. America dumbfounds you as it confirms every stereotype and stops you in your tracks as you realise you dont know a damn thing about it at all. The wonderous diversity and complexity! You’ve gotta love it!

Al Gore won the popular vote at the last election. He was supported by both coasts and chunks of the middle. Call it the culture wars, call it what ever you like but America is far from being of one voice on any topic. Its critics too easily fall into the trap of charactarising in the most hideous way they would like it to be rather than the way it really is.

Last night I was stuck in an air conditioned hotel at Frankfurt International Airport in some of the worst heatwave conditions the city can remember. I saw some stupid program on BBC World “What the World thinks of America”. No point in regurgitating it because you’ve heard it all before. They did a run-around of world correspondents and Tony Jones of Australia’s ABC explained to the world why Australians consider themselves to be more “cultured” than Americans. Hhahahahhah yeah really. He made some passing references to the fact that Australians see cheap US talk shows and draw their own conclusions about the American society. I think he even looked down his nose and later sniffed a little. It seems the ABC still takes it’s cues from the BBC! It was superficial crap and once again I felt insulted “by proxy”. Being a friend of America is tough, you need to develop a really tough hide.

The point is that people go on and on about America’s conservatism, conveniently ignoring the coasts and conveniently ignoring that Al Gore won the popular vote in the last elections. To sum up America as illliberal is simply not true. Its all about cognitive economy. People can’t figure out something as big and complex as America so they just resort to lines they learned down pat over the years.

If you don’t like the conservative parts of America then go and live in a liberal part. If you dont like Kingaroy, go and live in Surry Hills. Do we say Australia is Kingaroy or Australia is Surry Hills? Of course not. It’s neither. Just as America is not only defined by San Francisco, California or Omaha, Nebraska.

I actually think the lack lustre economy, ongoing questions about the human and financial cost of Iraq and a bunch of other things will have conservative George Bush in trouble next year. Someone like Howard Dean may just be the man the Democrats have been looking for. He’s engaging, he uses the net, he seems different. Perhaps next year it will seem like time.

He’s raising bucketloads of money and he’s using the internet like no other candidate has before. He has a Blog of his own. He organises “meet-ups” online and all the rest of it.

All gimmicks? Perhaps, but then perhaps not. It depends who wants to engage. So far hundreds of thousands have.

America constantly re-invents itself. Just watch.

***

Clarification: American reader Matt Cezar in Maryland writes:

Harry wrote: “Remember, this man could be the next President. He’s also in favour of gay marriage. As governor of Vermont he was early to pass the appropriate legislation allowing it.”

Governor Dean does not support gay marrianges, he supports civil unions. There is a difference. If he is elected, Gov. Dean will promote civil unions, however the ultimate decision will be left up to the states. Governor Dean never passed legislation legalizing gay marriages. He passed legislation legalizing civil unions for homosexuals.