****Let me be the first Georgian on the Democratic Party of Georgia State Committee to endorse Howard Dean for DNC Chair****

Whenever I decide to join a group, club, or organization, one of the first questions that I like to ask is “What is the purpose of this organization?” For the Democratic Party, the answer to that question is to elect Democratic candidates to public office, and to further the ideals, principles, and values of the Democratic Party. So, the question that I’m asking myself now is who is the right choice to lead the Democratic Party towards achieving its purpose.

The right choice is clear. The right choice is Howard Dean.

Article Two, section one of the by-laws for the Democratic Party of the United States of America charges the Democratic National Committee with keeping several responsibilities. Those responsibilities include:

-Assisting state and local Democratic Party organizations in the election of their candidates and the education of their voters.

-Formulating and disseminating statements of Party policy and promoting programs for the systematic study of public policy issues.

-Promoting and encouraging Party activities at every level.

Ever since he ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Howard Dean has been more effective at fulfilling the responsibilities of the DNC outlined in the Party by-laws. Howard Dean has been tireless in his work to further the ideals, principles, and values of the Democratic Party, encourage more public participation in Democratic Party activities at all levels, and elect Democratic candidates to public office.

With the “Dean Dozen”, Gov. Dean has assisted state and local Democratic Party organizations in electing Democratic candidates to public office, with a 50% success rate which includes the election of a Democratic U.S. Senator from Illinois, the election of a Democratic governor in New Hampshire, and the election of many other Democratic candidates at every level for every office across the nation.

With Blog for America, Gov. Dean has continued to keep the voters educated about issues that are of great concern to them, such as verifiable paper trails for electronic voting machines, affordable healthcare for all Americans, and a more efficient, fiscally responsible, government that works for them. Through Blog for America, more Americans have a better idea of what it is the Democratic Party stands for, and they’re becoming better educated on how the political, and legislative, process works.

With Democracy for America, Gov. Dean is promoting and encouraging Americans to get involved in their local Democratic organizations. Now, you have people, all over America, revitalizing Democratic committees that have become defunct, starting their own Democratic clubs, holding positions with the Democratic Party; in short, Howard Dean is taking the Democratic Party away from the Washington establishment and the Washington elite, and giving it back to the people.

Howard was right when he said that Democrats need to reach out to the guys with the Confederate flags on the back of their pick-up trucks, and the elite DNC establishment was wrong to ignore the South.

Howard Dean was right when he said that Democrats need to wage a fifty state campaign, and the elite DNC establishment was wrong to just focus on the “swing states”.

Howard Dean was right when he said that Democrats need to field candidates for every office at every level, whether or not the prospects of winning are good or bad. The elite DNC establishment was wrong to just field Democratic candidates in races that they thought they could win.

Plain and simple, Howard Dean is the right man, at the right place, and the right time to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

He will build and strengthen the Democratic Party at all levels. He will help recruit Democratic candidates for public office at all levels, and provide them with the assistance and support that they need to effectively campaign for the office that they are seeking. And, he will help lay the foundation for the future of the Democratic Party by working with the Young Democrats and College Democrats of America.

I am 100% positively sure that Howard Dean will do this as the chairman of our Party, because he’s doing it right now as the head of Democracy for America.

That's why I'm proud to endorse Howard Dean and his candidacy for Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

I urge all of my fellow Democrats to unite behind Gov. Dean so that we can build a new American community and take our country back!

Andre Walker
Vice President of Programs,
College Democrats of Georgia State University
State Committeeman,
Democratic Party of Georgia