On Thursday, Howard Dean walked in to the Woodbury Campus Center to a standing ovation. Over 130 people crowded into the amphitheatre to listen to the former presidential candidate speak. His address was the climax of a three-hour program hosted by the League of Pissed Off Voters. The focus of the program was how to get young people involved in politics.
After speeches and a question and answer session held by the League, Dean spoke.
Other speakers included writer Piper Anderson and the Director of the New England chapter of the League of Pissed of Voters Justin Alfond. They spoke about how to increase political activism in people from the ages of 18 to 35 and methods of getting progressive candidates elected. Following their presentation was an ice cream social and then the crowd gathered in anticipation of Dean’s arrival.
Dean talked about the current state of political affairs in Washington, D.C. He emphasized two of the central points of his new book, “You Have the Power.” Dean said, “One is the failure of the Democratic Party to stand up against radical extremism when [it] took over the White House,” he said. “And the other, which is even more important, is our failure as a people to invest our efforts and time in democracy.”
Dean told stories of young progressive candidates running for office, affecting elections, and changing politics.
“Anybody here think they couldn’t do a better job than George Bush as President of the United States?” he asked. “In my view now, voting gets you a ‘D.’ That is barely passing; that’s what you get for voting. You’ve got to run for office,” said Dean. Dean said local elections are the best way for citizens to start controlling their country.
Dean said that citizens must displace career politicians in whatever venues possible. “We need ordinary Americans to be on school boards and the city councils; the wisdom and thoughtfulness of people who work for a living every single day, not people who grow up hoping to pad their resumes so one day they’ll be President of the United States, but people who simply want to serve, to make sure their children have a better life than they do.”
Dean’s visit was brief, at about 30 minutes. According to Alfond, this was the “fourth or fifth” stop in Dean’s day and he had another stop immediately following the program. Dean came in, spoke to the packed room and immediately left. While the visit was brief, the crowd followed him to the parking lot, individuals sharing stories and trying to shake his hand.
Alfond said he knew Dean’s appearance would be crowded. “I said there would be people hanging from the rafters.”
The League held the program to raise awareness on the USM campus about the progressive movement, Alfond said, and show that young people can facilitate change. The League was promoting the new book, “How to get Stupid White Men out of Office,” to which Anderson had contributed one of the chapters. Anderson said that the book outlined success stories of young progressives. She said it was a chance for people to see that young people and ordinary individuals can make a difference.
She and Alfond spoke about the book, the League and the problems of the current system. They outlined the five points that the Portland League holds as their most important issues: the environment, a woman’s right to choose, media reform, affordable housing and a living wage.
Alfond described the League as a fluid organization, capable of changing direction and tactics as the issues changed. They said that voter blocs were their primary strategy for influencing politics. By showing politicians that they represent a large part of the constituency, the League plans to use that advantage to push their issues, said Alfond.
With 1600 members in the Portland chapter and 70 organizations nationwide, Alfond and Anderson said they were optimistic the League could affect politics nationwide.