To the Editor:

The defeat of John Kerry surprised the nation and the world. Against a man who started an illegal war, ordered crimes against humanity, raped and pillaged the United States, and declared war on fairness, justice, and equality, Kerry lost. His fate was sealed when his campaign listened to pro-choice Republicans like Mary Beth Cahill, Robert Shrum, and James Carville. These people are stuck in 1992 and have shown an inability to win campaigns through denial of things blatantly obvious. George Bush is not President because of Republican victories, but because of Democratic incompetence. Kerry never once attacked the President’s surreality bubble, even though that would have demonstrated a palpable difference between him and Bush. He never put the lie to Bush’s wild claims. He never embraced and championed reality to stand against Bush and his army of the ignorant. Most damningly, Kerry worshipped at the altar of the tin gods known as “swing voters.” Men like Kerry, Carville, and Shrum are the reason why Ralph Nader had such a following in the 2000 election. They are the reason why Democrats still struggle to rationalize their party affiliation, and Republicans gleefully cackle at the liberal train of fools.

If the Democratic party is truly the people’s party, then we must take back our party from those who usurp its name. We must purge our ranks of the “lite Republicans” who control our party. We must throw out Terry McAullife. We must dispose of Carville. We must eject Shrum. In order to recognize our identity, our image as a “party of Clinton” must be discarded.

The Republican barbarians are at the gates. We must draw upon the man who became the face of the true fighters in this party. Howard Dean’s presidential bid was not a campaign, and that is why he was beaten. It is important to understand, though, that he started a movement. He tapped into the energy that drives the Democratic party. He holds our ideals, and says what he believes. He does not ape our views, he does not tell us what he thinks we want to hear. He speaks with the genuine voice of the Democratic party in a way that few men can.

By harnessing the internet, Dean’s campaign raised a bumper crop of funds. Money was not an issue. These were funds that came from the grassroots of the party, not from large corporate donors. For a party that needs to cast off its history of corporate control, this is notable and important. His donors do not expect political favors in return. If you want a party free from corporate domination, you want Dean’s Democratic party.

Because of his ability to reach out and broadcast his message through legions of loyal supporters, none of them party hacks, Dean became an icon. He embodied the ideal of the American presidential candidate. He was a man that disaffected Republicans could stand to vote for. He said what needed to be said, and did what needed to be done. To have Dean as chief Democrat will not be to worship at the altar of the false swing-voter gods, but to return to the Democratic party a human face. He has the forceful personality that some Republicans admire. And he has the strength of will to support the Democratic party in the coming years, not only to maintain our party’s core, but to expand the appeal of the Democratic party to all those Republicans who admire his character.

After winning by an extremely slim margin, Bush has shown he will use his apparent majority amongst voters to push for ever more right wing foreign and domestic policy. He has declared war on America and will use his corrosive influence to destroy Americans’ way of life. The Democratic party has signaled its consent to Bush’s agenda by installing the anti-choice Harry Reid as Minority Leader in the Senate. Reid will roll over and assent to many, if not most of Bush’s demands. This is the latest move by Democratic Leadership Council types that threatens not only what it means to be a Democrat, but what it means to be an American.

We can only fight Bush’s boldness with boldness of our own. Dean is a bold choice necessitated by our circumstances. He must speak for the Democratic party, he must speak for every one of us, he must fight with us against the Republican menace. He must be the next Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Dean needs you. The Democratic party needs you. America and the world need you.

Jesse Kempf

ELEC ’06