Gov. Howard Dean in Guam

This Friday, Dec. 14., DNC Chairman Howard Dean will be in Guam as the keynote speaker at the annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner. Tickets are $40 per person, and you can get information by calling 671-646-1100.

Dean will be meeting with local Senatorial candidates Tom Ada (pictured) and Judge B.J. Cruz.

Pacific Daily News

"This visit is part of Gov. Dean's commitment to building a national Democratic Party that does not take any vote or voter for granted, no matter where they live. He looks forward to the opportunity to help support the Guam Democrats," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera.
Democratic party of Guam chairman Tony Charfauros said he hopes the visit will bring more of a spotlight to the island.

"I think it will benefit everyone. Any time you have someone with the stature of Gov. Dean, it will benefit Guam because now there will be some national attention brought to our island," Charfauros said. "I think if we discuss with Gov. Dean (the) local issues we have, he can at least discuss it with some of the leaders back (on the mainland)."

Hoping that Dean, as amazing as he has proven to be, will discuss your issues with 'leaders' thousands of miles away, just sounds to me like setting the bar pretty low. That is why I advocate for people to get involved online. If your issues are being blocked due to the way information and access are traditionally handled, you have to be on the front edge of using the new technology to break through.

That said, it looks like Dean and Charfauros are hitting the right note with this expansion of Dean's 'Fifty State Strategy'. One of the comments at PDN was particularly illuminating:

"Everybody wants to bash political parties; they are not a necessary evil, they are they way people get organized to win elections; like other human institutions, they are fallible, they make mistakes ...... etc.

but on balance, I know which political party looks out for my interests. National political parties do not pay attention to Guam much..... but if Howard Dean is coming out and is not expecting anything other than he is responding to an invitation and reaching out in the middle of a presidential campaign.... then maybe not much good will come out of it, but it does say something.

Congratulations to the local Democratic Party.... it is more attention than the local Republican Party has received...... it is only David Cohen that talks to us."

I like the sound of that.