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Politics : HOWARD DEAN -THE NEXT PRESIDENT? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Raymond Duray who wrote (351)	11/5/2003 10:25:40 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 3079

Dean feels the heat from other Democrats for his flag remark By John Wagner Herald Washington Bureau (Published November 5‚ 2003) BOSTON -- A Democratic presidential forum focused on the concerns of young voters broke out into a brawl Tuesday night over whether former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean understands the cultural significance of the Confederate flag and is sensitive to black Americans. The back-and-forth started early in the 90-minute "Rock the Vote" forum when a 25-year-old black man in the audience at Faneuil Hall asked Dean about his assertion in a newspaper report Saturday that he wants "to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pick-up trucks." The questioner, Sekou Diday, said he was "extremely offended" and wanted to know whether Dean would be sensitive to blacks as president. Dean called the flag "a racist symbol" but argued that Democrats must bring more Southern whites into the party to succeed. Many whites in the South lack health insurance and good schools and are not being well served by Republicans, he said. "I think we need to talk to white Southern workers about how they vote," Dean said. "They need to come back to the Democratic Party." That prompted a rebuke from the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil-rights activist from New York, who said Dean hadn't answered Diday's question and should apologize for what he had said. "You are not a bigot," Sharpton said, "but you appear to be too arrogant to say, 'I'm wrong' and go on." Sharpton added that most Southern whites do not display Confederate flags. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina then stood up and posed a direct question to Dean: "Were you wrong, Howard, were you wrong to say that?" Dean said he was not. That prompted a stinging rebuke from Edwards, who said that people too often talk down to Southerners: "The last thing we need in the South is somebody like you coming down and telling us what we need to do." Other candidates, including retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, also later criticized Dean, the candidate most analysts believe is now the front-runner in the Democratic field. "He was wrong when he refused to condemn the Confederate flag," Clark said in a statement. The focus on the flag underscored an open question about Dean's candidacy that some of his rivals are working to exploit: Can he compete in the South? President Bush swept the region in 2000 against Al Gore, and many strategists believe Democrats will have a hard time winning back the White House without making inroads. Candidates are also well aware that after early nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire -- states with miniscule black populations --they will have to compete in primaries in Southern states. In South Carolina, which holds a primary just a week after New Hampshire, party leaders expect that as much as half the Democratic turnout could be black voters. The display of the Confederate flag on state Capitol grounds has also been a significant issue in that state. The balance of the forum, which was broadcast nationally by CNN, focused on a wide range of issues important to younger voters, including jobs, gay rights and the draft. The Democrats were appealing to a sizable constituency -- those under age 30 account for about one-quarter of the voting-age population -- but one that is less inclined to participate than their elders. In 2000, about 36 percent of those ages 18 to 29 voted, compared to about 67 percent of those ages 65 to 74. The fast-paced forum included several features unique to the targeted audience. In addition to fielding questions from the audience, candidates took questions that had been sent in by via email and text messaging. CNN also aired 30-second videos produced by each of the campaigns. In his, Clark included a humorous reference to the hip-hop band Outkast in an effort to connect. Edwards' ad featured an appearance by Ashley Bell, the president of the College Democrats of America, who has endorsed him. Several of the audience questions were new to the candidates as well. A college student, for example, asked if they prefer Macintosh computers or PCs (personal computers). "Hand-held wireless," responded Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. Candidates were also asked if they had ever used marijuana. Several who acknowledged they had received applause from the audience. Both Sen. Joe Lieberman and Clark said they had not used the drug. The forum also included Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois. The only of the nine Democrats who did not attend was Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri, who spent the day campaigning in Iowa, a must-win state for him. Whichever candidate gets the party's nomination could have a tough fight ahead for the youth vote against President Bush. A Gallup poll from late October found that younger Americans are more supportive of Bush than their older counterparts. The poll showed 62 percent of those ages 18 to 29 approved of Bush's job performance, compared to 53 percent of those 30 and older. heraldonline.com