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Dean's Big Decision
Thursday, January 25, 2007(The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation)
Richard C. Harwood
Recently, Governor
Howard Dean re-launched his new organization,
Democracy for America. He said that he is
"building a movement in the common interest" by
"confidently advancing an agenda rooted in hope
and real American values."
The skeptics
will argue that it is not possible to create a
new grassroots organization, that people are
too apathetic or fickle. Those of us who have
traveled the nation listening to Americans know
otherwise. There is a yearning within people to
discover their individual potential in public
life and to connect with one another. People
want to make a difference.
At issue for
Governor Dean is what will he make of this
opportunity? Will his organization go the route
of Ross Perot's, crumbling after a fast start?
Will it simply become another interest group
that dots the political landscape, adding to
the dominant noise that now drowns out people's
aspirations?
Or, it could become a new
civic force in America, one that taps into
people's hopes. For this to happen, Governor
Dean must decide to embrace a civic sensibility
that is at odds with modern-day political
campaigns and maneuverings in public
life.
Behind the rhetoric of Democracy
for America lurks a genuine danger for Governor
Dean. By committing himself and his
organization to fight the acrimonious policies
and tactics of "the far right wing," he risks
breeding even more ugly divisiveness. In his
thirst to shake-up politics, he might,
ironically, end up mimicking the very
Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organizations
he so abhors. Democracy for America says all
the right things about hope and community; but
only giving lip service to these ideas will not
move the country forward.
Surely, this
is not the path to redeeming hope in public
life.
Governor Dean begins his journey
with a set of assets that many civic endeavors
long for - a large brigade of citizens; the
proven ability to raise funds; a strong public
identity; and a true common experience among
core supporters.
For Governor Dean to
seize the power of his recent campaign and
transform it into a new civic endeavor that
makes a difference, he must:
- Build a platform of ongoing engagement for
people that ties the power of the Internet to
community-based strategies where people live.
Simply getting thousands of people on-line is
not enough;
- Tap the aspirations that unite people - as
opposed to exploiting people's differences, as
so many political leaders, news media, and
various groups seek to do;
- Give people a genuine opportunity to forge
their own ideas and agendas, rather than asking
them to tow the organization
line;
- Strive to produce results for all of
America, not just for those who join the
organization or want to pursue a partisan
agenda;
- Challenge people to reach out across
political lines, rather than putting their
energies into building a new fortress from
which they will do battle with
others.
Governor Dean's mission to encourage his supporters to enter public life is admirable. But if people's involvement is based only in their frustrations, or if this is simply a partisan endeavor called by another name, then people may change the outcome of a single election, but they may further poison public life and dash the hope they seek to renew.
My own work across the nation suggests that people have retreated from public life and are now looking for ways to step forward. Governor Dean can turn his recent campaign into something permanent that taps into people's hopes. But to succeed he must decide to move beyond the rancor of politics and embrace a new civic sensibility.
Richard C. Harwood is founder and president of the non-profit, non-partisan organization The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, a catalyst for charting a new course for public life.
© 2004 The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation.