Howard Dean and the Press

[LuminousX]

Reference Link - Pahrump Valley Times Opinion


More important to the success of Dr. Dean's campaign than his issue positions was his leadership against the war, which attracted even supporters of the war. Democratic Party rank and filers have lived through presidential terms by conservative Democrats Carter and Clinton, years of Democratic congressional leaders pandering to the right. They have watched Al Gore chase corporate support, Tom Daschle lead the fight against the Iraq war and then cave in to vote for it, Vietnam protester and war hero John Kerry similarly voted for the war. Numbed by weak leaders, Democrats are so hungry for strong leaders that they have embraced Dean's formula that "The way to beat George Bush is to stand up to him." Dean was stuck in the doldrums of single-digits until the other major candidates surrendered the leadership of the party to him on the war issue, whereupon grass roots support flowed his way, pumping up his numbers and dollars (heavily from small contributions).

<snip>

Imagine if political leaders in other states had stood up to their cultural conservatives. Here in Nevada the small band of right wingers who used a minority vote to hold the legislature hostage might never have gained office if state leaders had taken them on instead of cowering before them.

Dean's strongest asset is not liberal views but his willingness to lead at a time when the Democratic Party is starved for leadership.

This is a nice opinion piece that describes pretty much why I first supported Dean. It also highlights some of the core arguments I see against Dean uttered daily on DU (e.g. Dr. Dean is gaining support from a lot of people who have no idea what he stands for - and would probably be appalled by many of his positions.)

The bottom line of it is Dean's willingness to lead, willingness to take risks when others aren't.

I still question if Dean can overcome the negative backlash that has rippled through the other campaigns. A part of me really hopes he can, but that will be the key factor for me. He will need the passion and energy of the other candidate's supporters if he is nominated to really take on Bush.

Time is ticking for Dean to at least do some triage and know what needs to be healed and what needs to be amputated.

[Brucey]

1. I agree, in the beginning Dean looked very strong, but of late

I think he is wearying of giving the same message over and over. He needs something new to catch on.

[joeybee12]

2. Disagree--go to MSNBC --article by Tom Curry who sees this as

Dean's strength--not wavering from his stands--always on message.

Dean seems to be getting strainger--Clark's name-recognition bump is wearing off, and Dean keeps rising in polls.

[LuminousX]

3. Not just new

He still needs his 'anger' and drive against Bush, but he also needs to paint a picture of unity.

Unfortunately Bush has soiled the words we used to describe such things... 'unify, not divide'

Dean needs to start making friends with the other candidates, not necessarily stepping back from his issues, but not trying to slap them down all the time. He will need their supporters which means he needs to offer them something.

[RetroLounge]

6. I disagree. He needs to keep hammering away at Bush

and make sure the whole country hears his message.

Yes, we've heard the stump speech over and over, but the broader electorate has not.

He's a candidate for President, not a rock band or a comedian who needs "fresh" material. What he says still touches me and he talks to those issues that are important to me.

Any evidence that he does not look strong? A double digit lead and increasing in NH looks pretty strong to me...

[Closer]

4. Luminous

Just curious, why are you spending so much time googling negative Dean articles?

Are you worried? :shrug:

[LuminousX]

7. This isn't a negative Dean article

I saw it as a positive Dean article. In fact, I felt bad regarding a possible violation of my renounciation of Dean by posting this but it so accurately described what attracted me to Dean, the fact he leads. He doesn't ask if he can lead, he just does it.

I get google news updates regarding Kucinich, Kerry, Gephardt, and Dean. I try to post whatever sounds interesting to me or makes me think of an issue in a new way. This one really was 'hey, that's what I think.'

[blm]

5. The press turned it into antiwar and prowar, and anointed Dean

as the liberal antiwar candidate. The problem is that Dean was neither liberal or antiwar. He did little to dispute that characterization in those early months because the MONEY started rolling in based on that characterization.

This reporter is not accurate in his depiction of Dean.

[Larkspur]

9. The press did not annoint Dean, he earned his front-runner status and it

baffles the press as much as it does Dean's opponents.

[LuminousX]

10. Dean started out as a human interest story

It was all, Oh look, the whole nation supports the Iraq war and here is this guy from Vermont who ok'd civil unions calling Bush out. Isn't that cute, we'll watch him get crushed by the people.

Then it turned into stories about how his grassroots weren't really grassroots, they were ex-hippies who didn't understand the real world.

Then it turned into this little phenomenon that just made interesting news as a counterpoint to everything else.

Then suddenly, Iraq turned into a quagmire. The media took a look back and said, "Hey, that quirky guy was right."

[blm]

11. No...they focused on his attacks of the other Dems and his

"liberal, antiwar" stance. The money came rolling AFTER the press hawked Dean as that candidate we know he is not. He is not liberal and not antiwar.

[w4rma]

12. Let go of your hate, blm.

Turn away from the dark side.

[LuminousX]

13. Sometimes hate is the only thing that keeps a person warm

[blm]

14. That's rude.

If it was hate I would say I would never vote for him.

It's about not trusting someone who governed his entire career as a centrist and now uses populist rhetoric to enflame people against their own Democratic party and smears longtime HARDWORKING, hardfighting Democrats who have carried heavy water for the liberal and progressive causes for decades.


You want to reduce that to hatred for your own narrow agenda. How dishonest.

[polpilot]

15. He is certainly not Bush-lite and the label he's applied to 'you know who'

has stuck as if applied with epoxy.

Dean '04...

[paulk]

8. great article, thanks for posting it.

It highlights both the good and the bad aspects of Dean's run for the presidency.

[mitchum]

16. I'm really surprised that a Dean supporter would post...

such a negative article.
Roll on...

[LuminousX]

17. How is this a negative article?

It has a positive message about Dean as a leader. And I'm not a Dean supporter.

[paulk]

18. Thin skin

seems to be a characteristic of both Dean and his supporters.

I thought it was a great article - the take on Dean as a leader was very positive. It helped me understand his appeal better. I could never understand why so many people who saw themselves as liberals and progressives were going ga-ga over a centrist moderate. The leadership aspect - someone willing to get in Bush's face - is an admirable thing.

Dean has really grasped that in today's soundbite politics, issues are secondary to appearances.

[LuminousX]

19. I disagree his supporters are thin skinned

one or two have knee jerk reactions, but as a whole, we are talking about a group of people who are primarily pragmatists at heart.