On the campaign trail with Howard Dean

I just spent six days -- two of which were class days --in New Hampshire campaigning with Howard Dean. I woke up at 4 or 5a.m., jumped into a rented fifteen-passenger van and drove reporters, staffers and celebrities around the back roads of New Hampshire. I heard the Governor speak in front of overflowing crowds. At times, there were as many as 1,500 people inside and another 400 waiting outside -- all having come out in the freezing cold to hear what Dean had to say. I saw people energized about politics, sparked by the issues, drawn by his intellect and surprised by his honesty.

I was transformed in those days, partially due to the measly three hours of sleep I was getting nightly, but mostly by the spirit of his campaign. I met a couple who drove up from North Carolina to sleep on a hardwood floor and volunteer their time for the campaign. People who had been stationed in Iowa for a week then hitched a ride to New Hampshire to help out where they could in the Granite State. These were not career political junkies but regular people. There were thousands and thousands of regular people standing up for Howard Dean.

I first heard about Governor Dean over a year ago. I read about his plan to insure everyone in America by expanding current programs and getting people medical care now. While politicians can argue about the perfect system, Dr. Dean wants to get the 43 million uninsured people in this country covered. His theory is that we should first get everyone into the system, get them primary care physicians, and then decide how to best reform the system. While we have spent years arguing, there are people who are forced to forego medical attention from primary care and instead wait for last-minute treatment in emergency rooms after letting their illnesses get too severe.

Governor Dean also has great plans for higher education. He wants to provide additional loans and grants to college students, and then make them pay only ten percent of their income for ten years after graduation. After the ten-year period, the rest of their debt will be forgiven. If they go into public service occupations like nursing, fire fighting or teaching, they'll pay only seven percent of their income. This is a real plan. It keeps real people in mind.

So my interest in the Governor began. My intrigue was piqued; I went to hear him speak to see if the guy had any energy, any charisma. He passed that test with flying colors. Every person I know who has seen Governor Dean speak in person has become a supporter. Dean has a way of empowering his audience and convincing them that they can be a part of something bigger than they are, bigger than him.

Dean emphasizes the importance for people to vote. He often refers to the 50 percent of Americans who do not vote, who do not care about politics and have never supported a political candidate in their lives.

The mass of people in front of me were much bigger and more powerful than they could have been on their own. These are the people that show up to "Dean Meet-ups": informal monthly meetings set up online and run by locals. These are the people that contribute twenty dollars and join 25,000 others to raise millions for the Governor's campaign. This is what makes me feel like a part of something when I proudly wear my Dean for America pin around campus.

I know people that don't care about politics. They don't watch Crossfire, religiously read the Washington Post or vote. But now they're involved. Some friends of mine entered the 10k San Francisco AIDS Walk last summer with me carrying Dean signs. My two sisters sat with me around our kitchen table over winter vacation and handwrote 30 letters to undecided voters in Iowa. My best friend has contributed money to Dean's campaign, twice! And I know (mostly because I'm addicted to reading the campaign's web log: www.blogforamerica.com) that they are not alone. People all over the country are seeing politics as something positive, all because of Howard Dean.

In the true spirit of political empowerment, I am going to end this with a call to action. Next Wednesday, February 11th, is the last day to register to vote in Massachusetts for the primary in March.

Register.

Vote.

Every Tufts student who is eligible to vote can register and vote in Massachusetts -- you don't have to go through the hassle of registering at home and mailing in an absentee form. All you do is fill out one simple form (which you can get at the post office next to Brown and Brew or in Dowling -- just ask!) and mail it on or before Tuesday. Even if you aren't going to vote for Howard Dean, even if you're not a Democrat, take this chance to register to vote.

For those of you who are completely turned off from politics, I encourage you to give Dean a chance. You might just find out that Howard Dean is a real person, someone you could see yourself hanging out with and talking about what matters to you. Given the recent history of politicians being less-than-wholesome and less-than honest, you never know when someone this real, this energetic and this inspiring is going to come around again. Take this chance to support someone who supports you.