'We're going to be serious about Arizona,' Dean asserts

DNC Chair Howard DeanDENVER -- The Arizona Democratic Party received high praise from Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who addressed Arizona's Democratic National Convention delegates Monday. He also discussed strategy, saying the party was going to compete for rural votes and imploring Arizona Democrats to "develop relationships" with voters instead of simply pushing candidates.

Dean spoke glowingly of how the Arizona Democratic Party had flourished under former chairman Jim Pederson, calling the job he did "incredible."

"The state parties were in bad shape," recalled Dean of his impression when he took over leadership of the Democratic Party, "but there were three that were in really good shape, and one was Arizona, thanks to Pederson."

Dean said he wanted to "build on the incredible work Jim has set up" by reaching out to rural voters in Arizona, flipping two currently Republican seats and winning the state's ten electoral votes for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

"In rural areas where folks haven't voted for Democrats in a while, it's because they haven't seen Democrats," said Dean. "We need to reintroduce ourselves."

Dean cautioned, however, that there was a way to go about it effectively, and a way that will turn off voters.

"It's not 'I'm from the Democratic Party and I want you to vote for Barack Obama and [Delaware senator] Joe Biden,'" he said. "Ask them what their concerns are. That is how you win elections: developing personal relationships with people."

Dean said that he was confident that freshman Reps. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) and Harry Mitchell (D-Tempe) would be returned to office in November, and that the eventual Democratic nominee in the 1st Congressional District and Bob Lord in the 3rd Congressional District would both win their races.

"We're going to be serious about Arizona," he said.