A letter to my friends and family

After last night’s primary in NH, where it’s clear that the Dean campaign can come back from stumbles to go the distance, but that the media are still confusing the issues, I decided I needed to take the chance of writing to my family and friends, not simply posting notes here. So here’s what I wrote to them:

Dear friends and family members,Never before have I sat down and tried to write to you all, collectively, about a political campaign. I do so in some fear and trembling, because I don’t know how you will respond. But this year I have to do something. I have been so excited and energized by Howard Dean, and lately I am so frustrated and concerned by the media coverage of his campaign, that I finally decided the least I could do would be to write to people I care about and ask them to take just a moment to read this letter.I remember, back in the ‘80’s, when I was working in Ohio state government, how we used to say that when the media came after us, we knew were making a difference. I suspect something similar is happening to Howard Dean. He’s making a real difference — and the power elites know it, and worry about it. But this year, this time, there’s actually something we can do about it — we can talk to each other via the Net, sharing what we know without relying on the mass media to do it for us. Let me start by telling you why I’m excited by Dean, and then I’ll share some media analysis. First off, his campaign is unlike any other we’ve ever seen because it takes full advantage of the decentralized, grassroots organizing tools available via the Internet. You can log into his website and easily find his own ideas there without waiting for the media. Better yet, you can log into his weblog , click on the comments to any post there, and discover what people all over the country are saying and doing on his behalf. This kind of connection is unprecedented, and is the reason his campaign is managing to raise so much money in small amounts — enough to refuse public financing, and thus enough to take on President Bush for real.Second, he has very real, long term experience in managing government. During his watch in Vermont — where he was reelected numerous times — he focused strategically on issues that matter to families, to women, to poor people. He made health care coverage possible for the vast majority of people in his state — and did it in a fiscally responsible, health-conscious way. I suspect being a doctor made that more possible than it otherwise would have been.He has made a real difference on women’s issues. One woman who left a situation of domestic violence there has written very movingly about how policies Dean put in place helped her escape the situation, and develop her own business. You can find her letter here . While he was governor child abuse rates went down by 50%, child sexual abuse by 70% (more here). As someone with religious convictions who also cares about women and children, I strongly oppose abortion, but think the most effective way to cut down on that practice is by making it unnecessary — as Dean did in Vermont by cutting its teen pregnancy rates dramatically.Third, he has shown remarkable courage in holding policy positions that have moral grounds, but that aren’t politically very “opportune.” He is the only mainstream candidate in my memory who has consistently spoken out against institutionalized racism — not simply personal racism (great info here). I suspect this is one reason that Jesse Jackson, Jr. is supporting him. He supports civil union laws. He is deeply in favor of developing sustainable and renewable energy sources for this country, and of dealing with issues of global warming in tangible ways.I also believe that preemptive war is morally indefensible, and Howard Dean — along with Dennis Kucinich — stands nearly alone in opposing Bush’s rush to war in Iraq from the beginning. Now that we are mired in conflict there, I believe that Dean has the best plan thus far offered to stabilize the situation and eventually — when it’s responsible to do so — move us out.Finally, when it comes to the question of electability, I think all we have to do is be able to get beyond the media hype to recognize that he has the funding, the organization, and the policy stands to win against Bush. Frankly, half of what has helped both Kerry and Edwards has been their move towards Dean’s rhetoric and issue stances.And that brings me to the media analysis. Back last summer, the Republican National Committee decided that the only way to defeat a Dean candidacy was to attack him personally, rather than on policy grounds. They chose to try and characterize him as too angry and out of control to be presidential. As numerous media watch organizations have pointed out, their strategy was quickly picked up by various mass media outlets. (My favorite analysis of this is at Salon.com: (you’ll have to register for the day to read it for free, but it’s worth doing)).They had problems with this strategy, however, because there just wasn’t any evidence for it. No matter how hard they pushed it, it just wasn’t working. Not until Iowa, that is. The evening of the Iowa caucuses, when Dean came in third, he returned to a roomful of young people who campaigned their heart out for him in the weeks preceding — he faced literally thousands of tired, but still energized young people cheering for him. The so-called “scream” the mass media broadcast, seen from a different angle, was in fact him trying to be heard over the massive cheering. The best way I have to show you this, is to ask you to watch the videotape of the same event that was filmed by an amateur in the crowd. You can find that film here (it starts loading as soon as you get there). The point, however, is simply that “framed” in a different way, and with the background crowd noise edited, he looked like a lunatic, and that episode “proved” the RNC claims. Various journalism organizations have called their own to task on this, but my favorite is an essay at the Columbia Journalism Review (click in the lefthand column on “echo chamber”). Even last night in NH, the exit polls asked a question about Dean — “regardless of how you voted today, do you think Howard Dean has the temperament to serve effectively as president?” — that they did not ask about any of the other candidates. (Again, good analysis of why this is problematic can be found here , then click on “distortion”).What recourse do ordinary Americans have to this kind of stuff? And why would the media do this, anyway? In answer to the latter question, I think a couple of reasons — they need a “horse race” if they are going to be profitable in covering the campaigns, their corporate owners aren’t too thrilled about a candidate picking up steam who is isn’t beholden to them, etc. Unlike in years past, however, we can actually do something about this. Yes, the airwaves are primarily owned by a very small number of corporate elites, but — at least so far — the Net is not. And we can communicate with each other quickly, easily, and cheaply, using the Net.I’m writing to you, today, to ask that you consider taking a careful look at Howard Dean. I will continue to post interesting tidbits and analysis at my weblog, and there is commenting space there where you can freely disagree with me and add your own analysis. This election is more important than any I can remember. Our country is on the brink of sinking into some really dangerous currents, and we really need to take it back. I’m convinced Howard Dean gives us the best chance to do that — but we need to do it together. Even if you ultimately decide to support a different candidate, by taking a look at Dean you will be digging more deeply into the democratic process.Thanks for being willing to read this very long message! I look forward to continued conversation with anyone who would like to talk about this.Blessings,
Mary