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Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean reacts to a gift he received last night at a fundraiser Culpeper Democrats held at the Culpeper Country Club.
DNC Chairman Howard Dean says change starts at the local level. |
BY CHELYEN DAVIS
National Democratic chairman Howard Dean last night assured Culpeper Democrats that Virginia matters in the November elections.
Speaking at a fundraiser at the Culpeper Country Club, Dean said the tight nominating contest between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has reinvigorated the party and ensured that every state's vote is important.
"This is the best thing that's happened to Democrats in 30, 40 years," Dean said. "When was the last time Virginia mattered (in a nominating contest)? Virginia will be in play in November's election. This is a target state. We will win Virginia in the fall."
He said Democrats can beat "wishy-washy" Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain through grass-roots organization.
Dean said Democrats are more organized than they've been in years, working off constantly updated voter lists, and that changes in national demographics are favoring Democrats as voters respond to what he said is a message of inclusion.
Voters under 35, Dean said, are increasingly voting Democratic in the primaries between Obama and Clinton.
Dean also said Democrats are targeting young evangelical Christians--a cue he said they took from Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.
With young Evangelicals, Dean said, "it is not all about gay marriage and abortion."
Instead, those voters care more about climate change, poverty and the conflict in Darfur.
Dean criticized McCain, saying that while voters respect McCain's military service as a POW in Vietnam, they think McCain has flip-flopped on more recent issues and supports corporations at the expense of regular people.
McCain's time as a POW "was 40 years ago, and Americans are deeply troubled about Sen. McCain's record," Dean said. "The American people believe he's wishy-washy."
The crowd of about 90 was smaller than the usual speaking engagement for Dean, a former Vermont governor, former presidential candidate, and chairman of the Democratic National Committee since 2005.
But, he said, it exemplifies the point he's trying to make to Democrats--that the local level is where the work of political change gets done.
"I don't do a lot of small dinners like this," Dean said. "This is really fun, because this is the guts of grass-roots politics."
Dean was invited to speak by local lawyer Richard Dulaney, a former law school roommate of Dean's.
Dulaney, introducing his old friend, praised Dean for coming into a Republican stronghold like Culpeper.
"It takes a certain chutzpah to come into the reddest of red districts," he said.
Local Democrats are hoping to turn the area blue not just for the presidential race, but for the congressional race as well.
County Democratic chairwoman Anita Hartke is running against Republican Rep. Eric Cantor for the 7th Congressional District.
Much of the money raised by the dinner will likely go to her, and to former Gov. Mark Warner's U.S. Senate campaign. The Culpeper Democrats set up a federal political action committee so that Dean could hold the fundraiser.
Not everyone there was from Culpeper. Sallie Kate Park and Donna Goings came from Charlottesville, with old Dean campaign stickers decorating their straw hats.
"I really appreciate all Howard Dean has done with his 50-state work," Park said. "He deserves a lot of credit for grass-roots work."
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
