Value Judgment: Dean, Dean, Dean

Value Judgment is a daily weblog written by two independent voters on the eastern seaboard of the United States. VJ will focus on the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaigns, including strategy, tactics, and substance. The authors supported Howard Dean in the Democratic primary. Accordingly, his activities will be a prominent topic on this site.

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J at valuejudgment.org

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June 11, 2004

Dean, Dean, Dean

NYCO has (as usual) another great Dean report up at her site, including some pullquotes from an article that doesn't seem to be up on the net yet.

One of Howard Dean's most poignant memories of his presidential campaign is of a woman in a wheelchair who gave him $50 in quarters at a breakfast meeting in Iowa last summer. The money came from her federal supplemental income check. "Even now I can hardly tell that story," says Dean, his voice choking in a rare display of emotion. "She said she had been saving the quarters for two years, when she could, for something that was really important - and this was really important to her."

Dean is in awe of his rise. He is accepting of his fall. He readily concedes he made mistakes. He has difficulty, though, coming to grips with the sacrifices and trust of his legions of devoted supporters. "I am pretty overwhelmed," he says and pauses as his eyes brim with tears. "I don't really feel I let them down, I must say, but I am pretty shocked by not just how supportive they were, but what they were willing to do."

My latest Dean/DFA story: I got an email several days ago inviting me to participate in a conference call with the Governor on Thursday (yesterday) to talk about an upcoming trip he's making to my area. I figured it was about fundraising (since I'm one of those high-dollar donors -- to Dean if to no one else). I responded and said sure and gave them my full name as requested. Then I heard nothing. Finally, I mailed the address the message had come from yesterday morning and asked for the call-in information and it was sent. I listened in on the call and it is about a fundraiser in this area next month. They want 'hosts' who will contribute (or raise) a certain amount. All well and good. I'm mildly interested. So I email the address given on the call immediately after the call asking to be put on whatever mailing list they're creating and to let me know 'what next?' Haven't heard a peep yet. Sigh. Organizational kinks or dismissal because they didn't immediately recognize my name? I dunno...

If I decide to do it, I'll post about it here.

Posted by J at June 11, 2004 08:22 AM

Comments

Interestingly, there is an alternate AP Dean story out there which is very different from the one that I quoted - no reminiscences about his loyal supporters, for example. Most papers are picking up this other story. The Boston Globe is running the story that has Dean talking about the lady with the quarters.

I guess the story I quoted is too soft, too human-interest, for most of those papers. Whatever.

Posted by: NYCO at June 12, 2004 05:00 PM

NYCO, for some reason I was unable to post this on your blog. The comment box came up all right. But, it was just a green background.

Anyway... I opened both story links and I don't see any attribute on the second one. Given the stark contrast between the two, I suspect the second one wasn't written by Christopher LaGraff.

Posted by: Kevin at June 12, 2004 10:25 PM