Here's what Dean was thinking

In today's Gazette-Times, John T.L. Lee, a local Dem volunteer, asked "What was Howard Dean thinking?"  He's referring to Dean and the DNC's determination not to give up the religious vote, including that of evangelicals, to the radical Republican right.  Dean believes that on many issues, even fundamentalists have more in  common with the Democratic Party than the GOP. 

Lee takes exception, not to this campaign, but that Dean took his campaign to what he sees as the heart of enemy territory:

The initiative was kicked off by Howard Dean in
an appearance on Pat Robertson’s “700 Club.” Hold the phone! Pat
Robertson and his followers share my values?
The
same Pat Robertson who called for the assassination of a democratically
elected head of state? The right-wing nut-job who stated that Islam is
essentially a “Christian heresy?” The evangelical who said of feminism,
“The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a
socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to
leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy
capitalism and become lesbians”? That Pat Robertson?

What Lee misses, and it's not suprising because Dems across the country, including most of them within the Beltway, miss most of what Dean is doing, is that Howard Dean has never shied from working within "enemy territory."  The DLC and Congressional leadership (so-called) can't stand Dean because of his 50-state plan: his insistence that every state, no matter how red or blue, have permanent Democratic field staff to help build, or re-build as the case may be, local party structure.  Nancy Pelosi sees no value in working as hard in Mississippi as in blue California, but Howard Dean does.  He values every vote, every voter, every region.  As a doctor, and one of the smartest politicians in the country, he refuses to accept any person or place as hopeless.

So he went to the 700 Club and announce that the Democratic Party had room under its tent for evangelicals.  This meant, of course, sitting and talking with Pat Robertson.  I agree with John Lee:  Robertson's politics, and probably his religion, are loathesome.  The garbage that he spews is vile.  But either we decide we are a party for all Americans or we begin the process of becoming irrelevant by shutting out some. 

Dean knows Pat Robertson is unlikely to ever support the Democrats.  He knows choice and women's rights and gay rights will likely keep many people of faith from even considering the Democrats.  But this division already exists within the party.  Going to the 700 Club does not create a problem; it simply forces the party to accept and deal with something that has been below the surface for too long.  Dean held his nose and spoke with Robertson not to appease him but to appeal to decent evangelicals who may not be happy that their Jesus-lovin' President has become a war president surrounded by criminals.

I wrote about what I think is the right way for Democrats to become a legitimate political vehicle for people of faith at Blue Oregon the other day, and the comments have been very enlightening.  Being a Democrat makes public professions of faith difficult, for reasons covered in that post, but it's something we must do.  Howard Dean going on the 700 Club is one such step.  So is setting up shop in Mississippi and Alabama.  There may be some repugnant neighbors in both cases, but there are far more good people who need to hear our message and have a chance to expand their politics beyond a narrow window of fear and hate. 

No one will turn their back on Dr Dean tonight in Eugene; they will applaud his vision and courage.  He has earned, not contempt, but respect.