owowowohandshurtmusttypebeenclappingyes

[melannen]

Oops, should have said Dean-For-America in last entry not Dean-for-President. How could I make such a mistake.

So I first heard about this rally the last week in August when the guy who rented canoes at the campground was a rabid Dean groupie. Then the man in the Democratic booth when Mom went to the fair made sure we knew about it. Then I heard two girls in the dining hall planning to go ('Yeah, I'm a hard-line conservative, but I want to, like, get an open mind.' That anyone can associate 'hard-line conservative' with 'open mind' boggles, but anyway.) Then stellar_dustordered me to go and report. So. I had to go.

First impression: Wow. I'm here an hour early and big crowd. They're making us all sign info forms before we go into the ampitheatre. This I disapprove of, as violation of right to privacy of politics. I've been to local Democratic Party functions and they didn't require any ID. Then again, that *was* the Maryland Democratic Party. So . . . that's all right.

The music is something that sounds like it wants to be Dylan, but very clearly isn't, so I get out my book of Mexican poetry and struggle through a few of them untranslated. The next time I listen, it's Blue Canary. So. That's all right.

They're selling badges and T-shirts. I was raised to believe that free buttons and T-shirts are a fundamental American right. On the other hand, can't fault them for turning the tables and exploiting capitalism. And I do snag a free poster. Dad can put it in the attic with his McGovern poster, and proudly display two generations' worth of unrepentant liberalism. So that's all right.

(--and dreamsquirrel comes and takes away all his yummy Sandman comics, and I weep, and then I finish writing this --)

The organization is so-so. Dr. Dean himself and three of the speakers are late, due to being caught in traffic. But, of course, that's just the candidate showing he's in touch with the people by experiencing the joy that is driving in College Park, of course. So that's all right.

It starts out with five "citizen speakers" none of whom are particularly impressive, but I suppose you don't want erudite orators for your citizen speakers. And it is neat seeing the crowd spontaneously switch to clapping in sign language for the lady from Gallaudet. So-- that's all right.

Dean himself is a pretty good speaker, by contrast, although he ends by quoting Lincoln, which I think is pretty cheap. He does bring up the kinship of the W generation and the Vietnam generation. And he handles the chanting of the small but scrappy band of Bushies by asking for a moment of silence for the GOP. So; that's all right.

Oh. You wanted actual politics. Um. He talked a lot about health care (of which I'm of the opinion that, while I cringe at socializing it, anything's better than what we've got); he talked about education (of which business I think the federal guv'ment should get out of); he talked about balancing the budget and improving the economy (of which I think the only solution is to convince the people you can make it better, and, well, he's got that); and he talked about foreign policy(of which, while I'm not convinced there's any way to fix the mess in Iraq, anything's better than what we've got) and he talked a lot a community, and mobilization, and grassroots, and pride. Making being an Democrat, and being an American, something one can speak of with pride. For which I am all for. And he made token mentions of civil liberties, and gay rights and women's rights and minority rights and handicap rights and abortion rights and labor unions and clean energy and so on and so forth. Oh, and he mentioned that, frankly, in terms of presidents, anything's better than what we've got.

With which I cannot agree too much.