The Tea Party is not the significant force that Tea Partiers think it is, Democratic politician Howard Dean told a class of Vanderbilt students Tuesday.
The former Vermont governor and Democratic National Committee Chairman called into “Political Campaigns and the Electoral Process” to discuss the effects of the Tea Party on the 2012 presidential election.
“I think in addition to a bad economy, the Tea Party arose out of a discomfort with the demographic shift going on in this country,” Dean said.
According the Dean, the country is shifting to a group of ethnic and social minorities and this bothers members of the Tea Party, which he said consists mostly of white people 55 years and older.
“Obama was elected overwhelmingly by voters under 35 years of age,” Dean said. “Obama has not lost any voters to the Tea Party.”
The advantage that President Obama and Democrats have in general, according to Dean, is a younger generation with views more in-line with the Democratic Party.
“The problem with Republicans in general is that they offend the younger generation with their attacks on gays and immigrants,” Dean said. “I don’t have much advice for Republican (presidential contenders) other than to abandon their right-wing social agenda.”
Dean also offered his opinions of Sarah Palin and her potential candidacy in 2012.
“Sarah Palin stands for the middle class of the 1950s, when things were much more black and white,” Dean said. “It is interesting that she is a turn off to most women, but attractive to older Republican men.”
Despite this, Dean said he cautions most Democrats who write Palin off as a weak contender.
“If she can win a major party’s nomination, she could win the race.” Dean said.
Sophomore Matthew Meinel disagreed with Dean’s outlook on Palin’s potential campaign.
“I don’t think she could win the party’s nomination or the general election, but it will be interesting to see how everything plays out,” Meinel said.
As for how the President should proceed in the light of a Republican majority in the House of Representatives, Dean said that Obama should not compromise with Republican leadership.
“How do you compromise with Mitch McConnell, who has said that his sole goal is to get rid of Obama after one term?” Dean asked.
Junior Matthew Taylor said he agreed with Dean’s advice for the President.
“I don’t think the President should compromise with Republicans, because I don’t think it will benefit him in 2012,” Taylor said.
Professor John Greer, a co-teacher of the course, said it was useful to hear the candid opinions of someone with no active stake in the race.
“Students got to hear a different take on the Tea Party and whether they agree with it or not is up to them,” Greer said. “But for them to be exposed to a different viewpoint is what this course is all about.”
Kyle Blaine is the news editor of the Vanderbilt Hustler. He is a member of the Student Free Press Association.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Dean couldn’t blister his left foot let alone the entire Tea Party Movement. The man is fading into obscurity and will say any outrageous thing he can to get another 15 minutes, its really kind of sad.
All Progressives have a loose grip of reality.
I see the “Fox Nation”-tards have arrived…
A person who calls herself “Nordstrom” thinks we’re “tards”?
Yeah… OK.
The Tea Party is a mixture of Americans, not just white people over 55. I am sick and tired of the progressive liberals trying to downgrade americans who think differently than they do, Americans who believe in hard work, sacrifice and freedom. And the reason that liberals can’t stand Sara Palin is because she did not get to where she is because she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but because she worked hard to get there. Liberal women can’t stand her because she is attractive and she CHOSE to give birth to handicapped child. If she had an abortion when she found out Trigg had Downs Syndrome, she would be the toast of NOW.
While Sarah kinda annoys me because I think her head is a little too big, I LOVE the fact that she gets under the skin of both liberal hags and “conservative” blue bloods. And as a PROUD MEMBER OF THE DALLAS TEA PARTY, I challenge all liberals to come to one of our rallies and tell me it is all white men over 55!! You are all full of steer manure!! Dean is just another liberal windbag. He was irrelevant when he ran for president and is even more so now.
As a Tea Party activist in New Jersey, I would be glad to talk to this class about what the Tea Party really is. Dean doesn’t have a clue.
No charge.
My question is, what the HECK was Howard Dean doing at Vanderbilt?? I’m surprised they didn’t run him out of town. Too bad they didn’t–maybe I should reconsider going to this school.
Howard Dean is a loser. Desparate to gain any attention he attacks the Tea party groups. I guess its more attractive to him than sitting alone in his room. Dean spews total nonsense.
Dean is just another Democratic hustler. He wants to sell socialism and the need for Big Government to the younger generation. Keep us in power and we will give you free stuff ! Don’t work hard and don’t worry about having initiative. We will take good care of you ! Don’t mind our terrible track record on the economy. Pretty soon they will see through the pack of lies. Pretty soon they will notice that in countries like Venezuela most people are poor and they have a dictator. Pretty soon they will see that the Demacrooks are offering a trade-off: lose your individual rights for their bankrupt promises…..
I agree, compromising with the GOP won’t help Obama in the least in 2012. We’ve seen through him.
It doesn’t surprise me that college kids slup up this kind of drivel. To quote a truly brilliant man, “Any person under the age of 20 who is not a Liberal has no heart. Any person OVER the age of 20 who is not a Conservative has no head.”
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