It is probably important for me to begin this commentary with a confession. Many Democrats believe that I am to blame for the ascendancy to office of George W. Bush, John Ashcroft and the neo-conservative power elite. You see, I voted for Ralph Nader in the 2000 presidential election.

I am just as disturbed as any liberal by the Bush administration’s policies, but I still believe that the nearly three million American voters who cast their ballots for Nader made the right decision. Most Nader voters acted out of a sense of true concern for our country. We took a stand. We refused to reward the Democratic Party after it had so clearly turned its back on traditional liberal democratic ideals, and I cannot believe that voting our consciences was wrong.

But I am not writing to stir up old animosities from elections past. Rather, I want to make an appeal to other concerned progressives who made the decision to vote for Nader and against the “New Democrats.” I want to ask you to take a step back, look logically at the field of candidates, and rejoin the Democratic Party.

For me, the issue isn’t truly one of returning to the party. Like many voters my age, I have never claimed party affiliation. Since my first election cycle in 1992, I have chosen to remain a member of that nebulous class of voters known appropriately as “independents.” While I have a clear tendency to vote for the Democratic candidate on any ballot, I have never felt that the party adequately represented my ideology. Even when the platform contained the right words, I never believed that the party leadership had the conviction to stand up for those ideals. But now, amid a sea of mediocre candidates, I believe that American progressives have a reason to reconsider Roosevelt’s party, and a rationale to return home.

Howard Dean is the candidate who I believe will return the Democratic Party to its foundation of caring idealism and its platform of progressive populism. As a true liberal in a field of moderate candidates (many of whom differ from the Republicans in name alone), Dean offers a real alternative to the watered-down left. And, most importantly, he celebrates his ideology, frequently stating that he represents the “Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.”

But Nader voters know that candidates are often likable at the podium, but deplorable at public policy. For progressives to embrace Dean, a convincing argument must be made that he is more than stirring speeches and hollow promises. I believe that Dean’s record and his willingness to provide the details of the policies he wishes to enact prove him a trustworthy candidate.

One need only look as far as Dean’s record as Vermont’s governor to see that his words are not meaningless. In his 11 years in office, Dean consistently stood up for abortion rights, the environment, public schools and civil rights. He enacted a revolutionary, nearly universal healthcare initiative in Vermont. He brought new social services to Vermont’s children at a time when the nation was slashing the social safety net. His unique programs reversed the trends of child abuse and teenage pregnancy and offered hope to families of all incomes in Vermont.

So why do I believe it is time to rejoin the Democratic Party and support Dean? Because he is everything we said we wanted when we voted for Nader in 2000. Compare the two men on the issues, and Dean stands up to the challenge. We wanted a candidate with progressive ideals. Dean’s record proves him worthy. We wanted someone who would stand up not only to the Republicans, but also to the party leadership when they go astray. Dean has shown his willingness to do this, outwardly opposing the Democrats’ support of Bush and his disastrous foreign policy. We wanted a candidate with the integrity to do what is right, rather than what is popular. Dean sacrificed everything and weathered a political firestorm when he enacted same-sex civil unions in Vermont. In short, Howard Dean is everything we wanted from Nader, without being a political spoiler.

On March 2, 2004, my state will hold its presidential primary. To vote in this election, one must be a registered member of a political party. Later this week, for the first time in my political life, I will register as a Democrat. I urge all other progressive independents to do the same.

Duncan Dwyer is a software developer and freelance writer living in Portland.