User:Muboshgu/What I Want to Know (speech)

"What I Want to Know" is the name given to the speech Governor Howard Dean gave at the California State Democratic Convention in Sacramento, California on March 15, 2003.

Background
On May 31, 2002, Dean declared himself a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2004 U.S. presidential election cycle.

Prior to March 2003, Dean was considered a long shot candidate, though his criticism of President George W. Bush, at a time when other Democrats were tentative in their approach, was beginning to garner media attention. This crystallized with his speech.

The speech
Dean gave a similar speech at the Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting on February 21 in Washington, D.C. However, it given to party insiders. In the "What I Want to Know" speech, Dean set himself apart from his Democratic opponents, Senators John Kerry, John Edwards and Joe Lieberman, and Representative Dick Gephardt, all of whom voted for the Iraq War Authorization.

Impact
By autumn of 2003, Dean had become the undisputed frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, outpacing his rivals in fundraising (mainly from individual contributions on his website) and performing strongly in most polls.

Whereas most Democratic contenders were tentative in their criticism of President Bush, Dean developed the reputation as a straight-shooter who was not afraid to challenge the Republicans. Dean's approach helped him to enter the first tier of candidates.