Howard Dean lectures on generational differences

In his speech, Dean reflected on the political strategy that helped Democrats capture the White House and large majorities in both houses of Congress in 2008, when he was chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He also predicted that today’s youth will drive the country toward more inclusive policy and politics as they replace older demographics in voting booths.

When Dean assumed his party’s top political position in 2005, Democrats were reeling from President George W. Bush’s reelection the previous year. Dean decided that Democrats needed to adopt a “50-State Strategy,” reaching out to voters in conservative areas that had largely been ignored by John Kerry, the Massachusetts senator who was the party’s presidential nominee in 2004.

“By avoiding half the states in the country for all those years, we were basically letting Rush Limbaugh speak for the Democratic Party,” he said, adding, “If you really wanted to unify the country, you had to give people the courtesy to ask for their vote.”

Dean cited evangelical Christians as one example of a group that Democrats sought to court. He also said that Democrats needed to explain their policy positions in a more compelling way.

“No matter how smart and well-educated [voters] are, they make their decisions based on values and emotions.”

Dean contrasted his party’s strategy with a pattern of Republicans attempting to incite anger among the electorate. “You point the finger at some group and blame them for everything, and that’s the way you get people to vote,” he said of his opponents.

But Dean did not take personal credit for President Barack Obama’s victory in 2008.

“I do think Obama won primarily because he ran the best campaign,” said.

Though the talk was titled “Obama, The President of a New Generation of Americans,” Dean spoke sparingly about the president. When he did discuss presidential leadership, he spoke in general terms.

“I don’t think leadership is about saying which direction we’re going — I think it’s about the recognition of where people want to go.” Hope, he said, “isn’t something that started with Obama,” but is a reflection of the aspirations of today’s young generation, whom he credited for their increased turnout between 2004 and 2008 elections.

Dean also tasked today’s youth with staying involved in the political process.

“Having just elected your first president at a tender age, don’t blow it ... It’s not a matter of [Obama’s] own will, it’s yours,” he said.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

While his own generation was “confrontational” when coming of age, fighting for civil rights and protesting the Vietnam War, Dean called today’s young people a “relatively nonconfrontational generation.”

Instead of fighting political battles through marches and demonstrations, today’s youth prefers to affect change through service and voting, he said.

Dean said that the most important attributes of young voters are their sense of inclusiveness and rejection of the “hate vote,’” explaining that “they are never going to vote for people who demean immigrants or gay people because those are the friends that you grew up with.”

He also said he looked forward to young people today becoming future politicians who will shift policy toward inclusiveness.

But, he added, Democrats should not count on young voters staying in the party. “Your generation is not a generation of Democrats ... Why aren’t you a generation of Democrats? Because you are socially liberal and fiscally conservative,” he asserted.

The audience was generally receptive throughout the speech, laughing and clapping frequently.

Taman Narayan ’13 said that he has “always admired Howard Dean ever since his 2004 presidential run,” adding that Dean’s politics are “realistic and progressive instead of purely cynical.”

Wilson School major Mike Wang ’10 added that he “liked how [Dean] spoke very directly. I think it’s a luxury that a lot of people who are currently in office don’t have.”

Dean came to campus on Monday and is staying through today. In addition to his speech, Dean is speaking in class lectures, meeting with Wilson School policy task forces and holding office hours.