A Note From Governor Howard Dean

Dear Progressive,

It’s an honor to join the Board of Directors of the Progressive Book Club. PBC has transformed the traditional book club and created a 21st century platform that enables people who want to learn, connect, debate, support progressive causes and take action. Over the past few years, progressives have worked together to build an infrastructure and a movement that helped to elect President Obama and begin to undo the damage of the last eight years.

PBC has become a critical part of that infrastructure. I believe that as Democrats and Progressives our values are core American values. And just as we must show up and ask for people’s votes everywhere, we must also engage and stand up for our ideas and our values everywhere. In books, in our neighborhoods, or online. In the past, we lacked the infrastructure to provide a broad platform that continuously identifies and cultivates progressive ideas and new voices, while empowering people to debate, connect and mobilize around these ideas.

Books and the printed word have played a pivotal role in influencing the direction of our country and our world. Now the Internet is the most significant tool for building democracy and sharing ideas since the invention of the printing press. People are creating, discovering and reconfiguring communities locally, nationally and globally. Through these networks ordinary citizens decide what’s most important to them and influence the national and global debate on issues ranging from health care to the economy to religion to human rights to the environment.

This means that the balance of power has shifted because power resides with the people; it has only been loaned to political leaders. It does not work its way from the top down. It grows from the grass roots up.

Conservatives have long used books – and book clubs – to legitimize their ideas and bring credibility to their principles and policies. The Conservative Book Club started to promote its movement’s authors and ideas more than 40 years ago, and conservatives continue to use it as a tool to engage and mobilize supporters.

So while America is now led by a president who has set a new tone and a new direction for the country, this is not a time to become complacent or think that our work is done.

I believe Progressive Book Club has an invaluable role to play in keeping progressive ideas and values at the center of the national debate as we continue to move America in a new direction. Together we must identify and give rise to the progressive voices and ideas of a new generation and empower people take ownership in their democracy. If we don’t we may well find ourselves in the midst of yet another dark chapter of conservative rule in America. I hope you’ll join us.