in defense of Dean

corplinx

JREF Kid
corplinx
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
8,952
I would just like to defend Howard Dean on two points. For the record, I think the dogpiling people did on him for his Iowa caucus third place speech was just horrible. Not only that, because every TV show played the clip it got worn out really quickly.

I watched the speech live on TV and saw it for what it was, he was energizing his troops and he wasn't overboard at all (imho). It was appropriate for the audience who was there.

The second point has to do with taxes. Dean is playing it straight. Out of all the Democrat candidates, he is the only one saying that to pay for all the programs the candidates support, taxes will have to be raised .

I have made fun of Dean's straight talker image in the past, but he is the only one of the top 4 candidates who isn't pandering on the tax issue. A leader has to make unpopular decisions sometimes. Is it smart? The night Bill Clinton declared the era of big government over, he also proposed hundreds of billions of dollaris in new programs but did not propose a way to pay for them. Bill Clinton even ran as a tax cutter and portrayed Bush Sr. as a tax raiser. It may not be politically smart for Dean to propose increasing taxes across the board, but at least he is more genuine for doing it.
 
The thing that gets me is the monotonous TV Pundit drone: "Is Dean electable after the Scream?"

Hell. George W. Bush called a guy an A**hole on TV, and had a secret drunk driving arrest revealed a week before the election.

And HE was certainly electable.
 
He is pulling 2nd in NH so hes not hurting too much.


The powers against him really created the whole "Dean is a loose cannon" image. What is that based on exactly? What awful thing has he done.??

Might as well say that you cant vote for GW cause hes an alchy. Do you want his hand on the button if he falls off the wagon!!!!

Its all character asassination.
 
Silicon said:
And HE was certainly electable. [/B]
Click to expand...

Well, not really, but I'll leave that one alone.

Dean was also talking over the crowd. A reporter for the _American Prospect_ said the press in the back could barely hear him with the Deaniacs screaming and all.
 
Dean, imo, wasn't electable before the speech and isn't electable after it. No way will he appeal to the moderate Dems and crossover Republican voters that he'll need to win in November.

That said, I agree. Corplinx, that it was intended as a heartfelt encouragement to thousands of disappointed supporters who had given their all to help him win in Iowa. But he also should have known that tv cameras weren't showing the crowd...and that television, up close and personal, is brutal when you make a mistake.

Its wrong to make such a big deal about what was intended as a person-to-person rallying cry....but that's what television does.

(On the other hand, when it comes to a significant Bush gaffe....I couldn't get any news organization to pay attention in 2000 when Bush wiped his reading glasses with the shawl of the female producer on Letterman instead of using his own clothing (done without her knowledge) . I think that image of noblesse oblige was a whole lot more revealing than Dean's rallying cry. But, then as now, Bush got a pass....
 
Silicon said:


Hell. George W. Bush called a guy an A**hole on TV,
Click to expand...

Its one thing to call some one an a**hole and another to act like one. Dean's loss in Iowa had nothing to do with that bazaar speech, but with his attitude leading up to the voting. And his reaction after the vote just reenforced the reasons people were skittish about him.
 
SRW said:


Its one thing to call some one an a**hole and another to act like one.
Click to expand...

In my book, calling someone an A**hole IS acting like one. Calling someone ABSENT that, when you're acting nice to them, is foolish and smacks of cowardice.

If you have to resort to that kind of language in public, you have no concept of statesmanship or the dignity of the Office of the President of the United States of America.

That's something I've never felt good about, the amount of profanity that our President uses, and his father used while in office.
 
Silicon said:


In my book, calling someone an A**hole IS acting like one.
Click to expand...

Ah that explains why there are so many A**holes on the Freeway.


I don't disagree with your point, nor am I saying that Bush is not an A**hole, only that people can more or less relate to what Bush, did but cannot relate to Deans antics. I do not know how many times I have heard people describing co-workers or bosses in those terms.
 
<table cellspacing=1 cellpadding=4 bgcolor=#660066 border=0><tr><td bgcolor=#660066><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color=#ffffff size=1>Posted by Pyrrho:</font></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor=white><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color=black size=2>Reminder: the pejorative term used in several posts in this thread is on the list of words to be asterisked. Please try to do so in the future. Thanks.
[/i]</font></td></tr></table>
 
I have seen no real evidence that Dean is "too angry" to be electable or to be president. Indeed, I have seen him tone down his rhetoric when the "angry Dean" charges got to thick, leading me to think it is more an act than anything else.
I also have no real problem with his failing to win in New Hampshire and Iowa. There are forty-eight other states you know.
I can even forgive his "Yeeaaaghh" speach. He was just trying to energize his voters, and the SCLM blew it up out of all proportion.
But, blowing through FORTY MILLION DOLLARS in the first two primaries is just a bit much for me. As an "Anyone But Bush" man, I would vote for Dean if he won the nomination, but I will not be pushing for him to win the nomination.
 
Dr. Dean, it's ova...

Arizona - 4th place

Oklahoma - 5th place

South Carolina - 5th place

source

No cash, skipping advertising in the above states to focus efforts in Michigan and Washington state.

There will be no surprises come super Tuesday.
 
Silicon said:
That's something I've never felt good about, the amount of profanity that our President uses, and his father used while in office.
Click to expand...
Did you ever hear that tape of Lyndon Johnson ordering pants? Actually used the word "bunghole" (that doesn't require an asterix, does it?) among others. If anyone can find a link, please post it! It's hilarious.

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I don't think that the scream really cost Dean. After all, the scream was after he lost Iowa by double digits. Suddenly I'm picturing Dean in a Munsch painting... ;)


Edited to say that here is that LBJ audio.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom