Mad How

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wonderwench

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Mark Steyn's excellent analysis of Howard Dean's transformation from Dr. Bland to Mr. Angry. Neither personality is compelling to the moderate voters needed to win the election.


Is this (to use a phrase America's headline writers have become suddenly fond of) Howard's end? A month ago, Dr Howard Dean was reckoned to have the Democratic presidential nomination locked up: he was set to win the Iowa caucuses tomorrow, the New Hampshire primary a week later, and he was cocky enough to have already moved on to courting the big Southern states. Instead, the former Vermont governor is stalled in a three-way tie in Iowa, and in New Hampshire the wacky general Wesley Clark is said to be rising fast while the Dean balloon slowly deflates.

When precisely did the hot-air balloon receive the fatal prick? Was it when Al Gore decided to endorse Dean and thereby infected him with his own surefire losing streak? Was it when Dean pooh-poohed Saddam's capture and his rival Joe Lieberman said the Governor was living in his own "spider hole of denial"?

Or is the real reason for the Governor's decline that even among Democrats there is a limited market for the ferocious anti-Bush anger Howard Dean tapped into so effectively last year? With his sleeves rolled up to his armpits and veins a-popping in his forehead, Dean has been urging Democrats to "take back your country". And for a while it worked. Six months ago, looking like a raging finger-puppet with a suit stuck on, he was raking in a huge pile of money from the Hollywood crowd and huge numbers of volunteers from young college kids he had improbably fired with a passion for politics.

He was sold as this year's John McCain: the outsider with the independent streak. In 2000, McCain was like a coiled spring - that side of him the thin-skinned Dean does very well. But when you went to a McCain rally there would be tributes to veterans and the Senator would cast his appeal in the kind of language few politicians can use without embarrassment - calls to service, our country's noblest ideals, debts of honour to those who wore the uniform, etc.

Dean, who got a deferment from Vietnam because of a bad back and then spent the next few months on a prolonged ski vacation in Aspen, can't match McCain's resume and doesn't try. When you go to a Dean angerthon, it's all negative: anti-Bush, anti-war, anti-rich, anti-tax cuts. And, in the end, when you've sated your angry base, the non-deranged members of the electorate generally want something positive, or at any rate a little less snarly. There is a world of difference between Clinton saying he feels your pain and Dean saying he feels your rage.

What is mystifying to those of us who have been around Dean a while is that the Howlin' Howard of the past year bears no relation to the guy we thought we knew. From my perch in New Hampshire, I watched him across the river governing Vermont through the 1990s and, although he was certainly mean and arrogant, the chief characteristic of his political persona was its blandness.

I like to listen to WDEV Radio Vermont when I am driving - it has great shows like Music to Go to the Dump By and the Old Squire, who does epic doggerel about the North Country weather. And for 10 years the absolute worst day in the WDEV calendar was when they'd pre-empt this fine line-up to go live to the Capitol in Montpelier for Governor Dean's State of the State Address. He would mumble through his script, sticking to the text, barely making eye contact; his forearms stayed clothed. But like a Vermont cow that has picked up BSE, Howard the Harmless Holstein has jumped the gate and turned into Mad How. (more)


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/.../ixop.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=9500
 
Why demonize Dean? its just dean. You should be more critical of Shrubs transformation from a 'humble' foreign policy before being elected, to an all out brawl in the mideast, fighting terrorism abroad. The planning of iraq war DID take place only days after taking office.
 
Think again jonsie.

The military is constantly planning strategy for a large variety of scenarios. That is part of military preparedness.

I am thankful that Busy is combatting the Fundamental Extremist Islamic Jihad - and that the front of the war has moved from the U.S. back to the Middle East.
 
And in response to your comment about demonizing Dean - he has done that all on his own. A message of Hate is all he has.
 
Dean, who got a deferment from Vietnam because of a bad back and then spent the next few months on a prolonged ski vacation in Aspen

I don't know how appropriate it is to bring this up and I don't know the full story behind his deferment, but if the army decides his back is bad enough they don't want him how is that his fault?

mean and arrogant

That pretty much sums up why this guy is unelectable. He hasn't the temperment to hold the position of President.

You should be more critical of Shrubs transformation from a 'humble' foreign policy before being elected, to an all out brawl in the mideast, fighting terrorism abroad

Yeah.....I don't know if you knew this, but terrorists flew a bunch of planes into the pentagon and WTC 1 and 2, killed a bunch of people, it was in all the papers...:rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by wonderwench
The military is constantly planning strategy for a large variety of scenarios. That is part of military preparedness.
I was refering to the whitehouse. Im sure the military does do that. Like we need a plan to invade china but we arent going to do it within the next two years.

Junior calls all regular White House strategy meetings "strategery" meetings in honor of Will Ferrell's portrayal of him on Saturday Night Live. :)

I am thankful that Busy is combatting the Fundamental Extremist Islamic Jihad - and that the front of the war has moved from the U.S. back to the Middle East.
Im busy exposing the Fundamental religious extremist group in our country. Um, that 2nd statement you made. Im not sure if you're talking about the war on terror or the iraq war, totally different things. Anyway, I still think 9/11 was preventable, and we've never really had alot of terrorism in this country> but now that we are using the Isreali policies for combating terror, Im expecting alot more of it, just like the isrealis. smart ass leaders.
 
Hate is not all dean has, thats just wrong. His anger is in response to the OVERWHELMING anger of the american people at this current administration.

I don't back the guy really, of course i will vote for him, if i have no choice, because this is really the fork in the road peace/death.
Im a kucinich fan, the END OF FEAR, the BEGINNING OF HOPE.
 
Originally posted by Zhukov



Yeah.....I don't know if you knew this, but terrorists flew a bunch of planes into the pentagon and WTC 1 and 2, killed a bunch of people, it was in all the papers...:rolleyes:

Um, didnt know if you knew this, was in the papers. Whitehouse started planning for invasion days after being appointed to office. Wonder why they chose to present the case for war in iraq so soon after 9/11. hmm.
 
Originally posted by jones
Hate is not all dean has, thats just wrong. His anger is in response to the OVERWELMING anger of the american people at this current administration.

I don't back the guy really, of course i will vote for him, if i have no choice, because this is really the fork in the road peace/death.
Im a kucinich fan, the END OF FEAR, the BEGINNING OF HOPE.


The American People to not harbor an OVERWHELMING anger towards the Bush Administration. That sentiment is mainly attributable to aging boomer lefties, brainwashed college students and the Dem Career Pol establishment.
 
Originally posted by jones
I was refering to the whitehouse. Im sure the military does do that. Like we need a plan to invade china but we arent going to do it within the next two years.

Junior calls all regular White House strategy meetings "strategery" meetings in honor of Will Ferrell's portrayal of him on Saturday Night Live. :)


Im busy exposing the Fundamental religious extremist group in our country. Um, that 2nd statement you made. Im not sure if you're talking about the war on terror or the iraq war, totally different things. Anyway, I still think 9/11 was preventable, and we've never really had alot of terrorism in this country> but now that we are using the Isreali policies for combating terror, Im expecting alot more of it, just like the isrealis. smart ass leaders.


First of all, the President is The Commander in Chief - the military reports to him.

We will never know if 9/11 was preventable. What is certain is that the Clinton policy of treating terrorists as criminals instead of agents of war emboldened the terrorist network.

You really don't get it. It doesn't matter what we do - the terrorist leadership hates the U.S. and will exploit every opportunity to attack the West. This is what living on Hate does to a people - it makes them irrational to the point of self-destruction. Another reason why Dean would make a horrible president.
 
I have a magnificent idea for an anti howard dean campaign. Just take up all the horrible soundbite statements he has made in the democratic caucuses, complete with thirty seconds of context and play them out in key time slots. For instance this three parter from the Iowa Black and Brown Debate:




Part I:

DEAN: Well, actually, I beg to differ with your statistics there.

SHARPTON: This is according to your paper in Vermont, the Associated Press, and the Center for Women in Government.

DEAN: Well, perhaps you ought not to believe everything in the Associated Press.

SHARPTON: Oh, so you're saying they're incorrect?

DEAN: We do have African-American and Latino workers in state government, including...

SHARPTON: No, no, I said under your administration. Do you have a senior member of your cabinet that was black or brown?

DEAN: We had a senior member of my staff on my fifth floor.

SHARPTON: No, your cabinet.

DEAN: No, we did not.

SHARPTON: OK, that's not...

DEAN: ... six members.

(APPLAUSE)

SHARPTON: Then you need to let me talk to you about race in this country.

DEAN: Well, let me just say one thing, which I have said before but I'll say it again. If the percentage of African-Americans in your state was any indication of what your views on race were, then Trent Lott would be Martin Luther King.

SHARPTON: But I don't think that that answers the question. I think if you're talking -- if you want to lecture people on race, you ought to have the background and track record in order to do that. And I think that clearly people -- governors import talent, governors reach all over the country to make sure they have diversity.

And I think that, while I respect the fact you brought race into this campaign, you ought to talk freely and openly about whether you went out of the box to try to do something about race in your home state and have experience with working with blacks and browns at peer level, not as just friends you might have had in college.

ARRARAS: Reverend Sharpton, let me...

(APPLAUSE)

... pass on now. I'm going to pass on real quick to Senator Edwards, who has been very anxious to make a comment for a while.

I know you must have something very important to say, so go for it.


Part II:
... but let's give Governor Dean 30 seconds to respond to that.

DEAN: Sure. I'm first going to respond and thank Carol for defending me, but as you pointed out, I like to defend myself.

I have here Representative Luis Gutierrez, Congressman Sheila Jackson Lee, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus. I believe I have more endorsements from both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus than any other candidate on this stage.

And I will take a back seat to no one in my commitment to civil rights in the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)



Part III:

HOLT: And welcome back, everyone.

Our questioning now continues with Maria.

ARRARAS: Thank you, Lester.

And we're going to start addressing Reverend Al Sharpton, who is apparently very upset at the fact that he didn't get to answer or have a rebuttal for something that Governor Dean said before, and during the commercial break, he expressed so.

So this is your chance.

SHARPTON: What I wanted to say is that the governor talks about his endorsement. I think all of us will endorse whoever wins.

The question, though, is that, as we pursue that, we must be open with our record.

I don't question your commitment. I ask you to count for your record. And you, and as you say, your defender can say what they want. I have a right to do that as anyone else.

And to talk about just endorsements rather than answer our record, I don't think answers the question. I could bring all kind of endorsers here, from Congressman Ed Towns to Johnny Cochran.

I think you only need co-signers if your credit is bad.


(LAUGHTER)

ARRARAS: OK, well. All right, now, if you'll allow me, we're going to change the subject[SNIP]


The full transcript of the Iowa B&B is located here: http://www.blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=1030
 
Originally posted by wonderwench
First of all, the President is The Commander in Chief - the military reports to him.
I dont think he does, if he did, he wouldnt throw away/or menipulate the pentagons report on terrorism and iraq. Pre-emptive war is as unamerican as you can get.

We will never know if 9/11 was preventable. What is certain is that the Clinton policy of treating terrorists as criminals instead of agents of war emboldened the terrorist network.
We already know that 9/11 was preventable. And speaking of clinton, atleast he treated terrorists as humans.

You really don't get it. It doesn't matter what we do - the terrorist leadership hates the U.S. and will exploit every opportunity to attack the West. This is what living on Hate does to a people - it makes them irrational to the point of self-destruction. Another reason why Dean would make a horrible president.
He does not live on hate. And he would make a better president than clinton in my opinion, but only if he had some good staffers, like gore ;) ,and kucinich.
I do agree w/ your point about hate in some ways. If that was the case, why not contain them and destroy the network, like clinton was trying to do, and they would destroy themselves.
What Bush plan lacks is understanding. Its very important, this simple factor can end this war.
 
response to post by nbdysfu
Dont worry brother, the idea is already thought of. And I promise you they will be in the admins ad's if dean is nominated.

Actually I dont even see anything really bad that dean said.
Not anything compared to..

"I was not elected to serve one party, but to serve one nation." LIE

"Actually, I--this may sound a little West Texan to you, but I like it. When I'm talking about--when I'm talking about myself, and when he's talking about myself, all of us are talking about me." :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by jimnyc
What would you like to do, invite them back to the Whitehouse for tea?

How bout treat them as humans, because they are.
 
Originally posted by jones

We already know that 9/11 was preventable. And speaking of clinton, atleast he treated terrorists as humans.




We most certainly do not know any such thing.

Clinton treated terrorists as criminal defendants - which was in violation of his role as the President responsible for our national security. Treating them as enemies of war doesn't mean they are not human - it just means their legal standing is different.
 
Originally posted by jones
How bout treat them as humans, because they are.

I like to think of them as sub-human. I also believe death is too good a punishment for these cockroaches.
 
Whos going to tell you it was preventable? who ? who? If you only trust your own president's statements, that is just wrong.
Im trusting the 9/11 commission's report, you know, the people supposed to investigate the crime.

If they are enemys of war, why not give them POW status? Instead of make up a COMPLETELY NEW TERM called 'enemy combatant', and not even giving american citizens those rights they deserve.
 
Originally posted by jimnyc
I like to think of them as sub-human. I also believe death is too good a punishment for these cockroaches.

Considering the administration has no proof they actually are terrorists, you know, innocent until proven guilty in court of law. You cant even call them terrorists yet.
 

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