Yep, Howard Dean Takes the Subway
Let's just state the obvious: New Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is no Terry McAuliffe . Where the flashy former Clinton fundraiser was a gregarious ringmaster accustomed to the bling-bling of the highest non-publicly elected Democratic job around, Dean is almost a seminarian in his approach to the post. And, oddly, his style seems to fit with the party's bid to build its blue-collar base--just as McAuliffe's meshed with the DNC's need to raise gobs of money and go high tech.
What's so different? McAuliffe would limo around town, dropping in at the Palm to huddle with Washington big shots. The 2004 presidential hopeful, by contrast, takes the bus or subway, buying his own $1.35 ticket. Sometimes he bums rides from staffers or walks the four blocks to the Capitol for meetings. "Please Call Me Howard" never flies first class and always carries his own bags.
Other signs of the ex-guv's modest style: He eats at his desk, stays in a cheap D.C. hotel, and likes oxford shirts and penny loafers. Affectionately dubbed a "geek" by pals, he's often glued to his cellphone and loves E-mail. "His expertise is grass roots and his lifestyle is no different," says an associate. So far, Washington likes what it sees, surprised he's not the oddball that newsies pegged him as last year. Says an aide, smiling: "They're giving him a shot." Quoted from U.S. News and World Reports (2/5/05)
Now, I realize I am biased, but this sounds like a guy I could get along with.
"You know, the biggest lie people like me, tell people like you at election time, is that if you vote for me, I'll solve all your problems. The truth is, the power to change this country is in YOUR hands...you have the power. You have the power to take back your country." -Former Governor of Vermont Howard Dean, M.D.
"We need a Democratic party that in the face of the rising gap beween the wealthy and the ordinary, working people will stand up for a livable wage, for a trade policy which saves American jobs, and for a society in which people who work hard and play by the rules are able to live a lifestyle where their children have hope of advancement...So that we, as a nation, can say once again, that no American shall be left behind." -Former Governor of Vermont Howard Dean, M.D.
Comments