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ellisonz

(27,737 posts)
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:11 PM Mar 2013

Howard Dean Launches Campaign To Flip State Legislatures

The Huffington Post | By John Celock Posted: 03/26/2013 1:38 pm EDT

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) announced Tuesday that the political action committee he founded would launch a campaign to flip state legislatures around the country.

In a conference call, Dean said that Democracy for America's "Purple to Blue Project" would work to swing state legislatures from Republican to Democrat, starting in Virginia, then adding three states in 2014. DFA plans to spend $750,000 on behalf of five candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates this year, said Nick Passanante, who will head the program for DFA.

Dean, former Democratic National Committee chairman and presidential candidate, stressed the importance of stopping what he described as extreme ideas being generated by lawmakers in state Capitols around the country. He focused on Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor, as well as lawmakers in Richmond but cited other examples, including the abortion bill signed Tuesday by North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R).

“What DFA’s effort to do here is stop the right-wing extremists," Dean said. "This is about sane normal Americans taking on these extreme people with bizarre ideas.”

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/26/howard-dean-state-legislatures_n_2956633.html


14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Howard Dean Launches Campaign To Flip State Legislatures (Original Post) ellisonz Mar 2013 OP
Howard Dean actually "gets it." RandySF Mar 2013 #1
YESSSSS!!!! LiberalLoner Mar 2013 #2
Those poor Pubbies. Kurovski Mar 2013 #3
Go Howard Dean! sheshe2 Mar 2013 #4
Excellent! The Blue Flower Mar 2013 #5
I hope PA is on his list. n/t Lugnut Mar 2013 #6
We really need Dean back as DNC chair. (nt) jeff47 Mar 2013 #7
Why isnt the Democratic Party thinking along these lines? Why do we need to rhett o rick Mar 2013 #8
I think we allowed some backsliders into the mix... ellisonz Mar 2013 #14
Yay, DFA. Time to get relevant again. nt HomeboyHombre Mar 2013 #9
The DOCTOR is In the House!!! bvar22 Mar 2013 #10
Please help us in Florida. The FL Dem Party is inept but turning our legislature blue Orlandodem Mar 2013 #11
Please help NC! n/t Duval Mar 2013 #12
I second this. Thank god for Howard Dean! nt octoberlib Mar 2013 #13
 

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)
8. Why isnt the Democratic Party thinking along these lines? Why do we need to
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:04 PM
Mar 2013

rely on organizations like moveon, DFA, PDA and PCCC? Sorry, a rhetorical question.

ellisonz

(27,737 posts)
14. I think we allowed some backsliders into the mix...
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 01:43 PM
Mar 2013

...who wanted to go back to the same failing political approach that precipitated the Howard Dean People Powered movement (looking at you Rahm Emanuel, David Plouffe and Jim Messina). Let's not forget that the massive grassroots based approach that the Obama campaign so effectively campaigned on was pioneered by anti-establishment Deaniacs.

We need a 50 state strategy, anything less is accepting that there are places we just can't win over in America.

bvar22

(39,909 posts)
10. The DOCTOR is In the House!!!
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:53 PM
Mar 2013

The Arkansas State legislature recently flipped from Blue to Red for the first time in over 130 years.
With a little money & help from the Democratic Party,
we could flip it back.


Orlandodem

(1,115 posts)
11. Please help us in Florida. The FL Dem Party is inept but turning our legislature blue
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 05:06 PM
Mar 2013

will go a long way to turning Congress blue and keeping the White House. Florida is nowhere as red as our legislature would indicate.

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