(Host) According to Middlebury College political science professor Eric Davis, there’s no question that former governor Howard Dean can play an important role for the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry during the fall election. Speaking Tuesday night on VPR’s Switchboard program, Davis said Dean could help Kerry attract younger voters to his campaign:
(Davis) “There was the Generation Dean group that was very active in the fall and winter mobilizing college students and there are large campuses in some of the key states that will be important in the electoral vote this fall. States like Ohio and Michigan and Wisconsin – I could see Howard Dean going up to places like Columbus, Ohio or Madison, Wisconsin and giving speeches before college audiences and getting a good response.”
(Host) Davis also thinks Dean can be effective in blunting the impact of Ralph Nader’s presidential campaign on the Democratic ticket:
(Davis) “Nader has been relying on Republicans to get the signatures he needs to get on the ballot. Indeed in some states there seems to have been quite an unholy alliance between the organized Nader campaign and the Republican Party to get Nader on the ballot just to make things more difficult for John Kerry. And my guess is that Howard Dean may help rebut some of the claims that Ralph Nader has been making.”
(Host) Dean said last week that he plans to actively campaign for John Kerry this fall and that he’ll go wherever the Kerry campaign feels he can be the most help.