Reply #32: If he behaves in too unorthodox a fashion, he alienates [View All]

[Julien Sorel]

too many people. The fact is, he isn't Gephardt with his PAC, union, and special interest support. The fact is, he isn't Kerry with a wealthy background and an heiress wife. Nor is he Arnold, with world-class name recognition, and a waiting constituency of pissed-off voters and desperate Republicans. He has to get support from someplace -- where?

He also has to avoid making too many mistakes early. He's done a good job of that so far -- Dean, the 'experienced' politicain can't seem to jam his own foot into his mouth often enough, while Clark has made one minor error, for which he was crucified. I suspect that once he feels his feet in this, once he gets his mind around it, you'll see some populism and fire out of him.

This is a tough time. First, we waited to see if he'd run, then we saw all the insane, vicious attacks, and now there's a relative lull, when it's easy to second-guess yourself, and begin thinking and worrying too much. Speaking for myself, I wish he would have picked up more on the Arnold outsider angle, which suits him perfectly. But the campaign is still coming together, and I think we're at a point now where we'll see some positive movement. The first month or so was simply focused on survival, as it should have been. Now that he's more or less established, with solid fundraising, a base of supporters across the country, and a stable team around him, I think you'll see him asserting himself more. It's difficult, by the way, for a guy who has been attacked for 'arrogance,' to come into a situation that is new to him, with people he hardly knows, and start telling them their business without suffering a big backlash for it. Your cousin is doing fine, considering his circumstances.