Two Cents on Howard Dean

[wyldwolf]

Has your opinion of him changed since the Iowa caucuses?

Yes. I'm a Kerry supporter, and not long ago it was looking pretty bleak. Against my better judgment, I began the soul-selling process of forcing myself to be partial to the Angry Old Man from Vermont. Now - thanks to the good people of Iowa - I no longer have to. .

Joe Territo, Petaluma

I hate to say it, but yes. You could say that his pep-rally speech would feel appropriate had you been there in that crowd, and that it doesn't translate well as a sound bite, and that sound bites are no way to form an opinion. But there was still something disturbingly Hitler-like about it. .

Karen Smith, Mill Valley

Given the media info, I was crestfallen that this guy with no apparent contacts with people -- only with policies -- was going to win the nomination. I saw him too many times looking like he was giving himself a pep talk, his expression wooden or flat. Now, I am reassured that other candidates have the vitality to win the position away from him. When he gets himself a life, he might be interesting..

Jason Mark, San Francisco

No. I'm still a strong Dean supporter. Despite the obvious setback in Iowa, I still believe he has what it takes -- namely the right policies and a healthy sense of righteous anger -- to beat Bush this November. .

Steve Shender, Aptos

Before Dean's manic, over-the-top performance in Iowa Monday night, I was fairly certain that he could not beat Bush. Now I'm absolutely sure of it..

Robin Chanin, Santa Cruz

I had a low opinion to begin with. I've read that Republicans were looking forward to running Bush against Dean. It can't be because they think he'd make a formidable opponent. We need to send their worst nightmare to the top of the ticket, not ours.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/01/21/MNG7L4E8PD1.DTL

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Quick question:

Are you FOR anyone or just AGAINST Dean?

Considering your sig line, I think it's a fair question.

[wyldwolf]

3. Answer: My choices in order

[Democrats unite]

4. Right along with you wyldwolf!

eom

[SidDithers]

10. How come Edwards get a "Senator" but not Kerry? nt.

Sid

[jmaier]

2. haven't we heard enough about

Dean and the 'manic speech' theme by now. I suspect that most folks here have already formed their judgments on the issue and it is unseemly to keep rubbing salt into wounds. I seriously doubt that every media mention of the speech and its anecdotal aftermath is newsworthy.

Let's move on to the positive messages for the democratic candidates. That should decide the outcome.

$.02 from a Clark supporter.

[Padraig18]

6. Thank you, jmaier.

Some folks seem to have ordered a truckload of salt, and don't seem to have used it all up yet.

[LoZoccolo]

5. No, my support hasn't changed.

We're at a point where we can fight this obvious "Gore-ing" going on by the media with this senseless meme about the speech, or accept it and have to campaign in a climate where this "Gore-ing" is acceptable.

And Republicans always seem to do better in that climate. The other campaigns can get opportunistic and seek a temporary advantage from this, but they just pissed in the well.

"You bet your life when you think wicked. Somebody's thinkin' wicked too." - Curtis Mayfield, "Kung Fu"

[Jerseycoa]

7. Since the summer

I didn't think Dean would hold up as a candidate, so while horrifying in a train wreck kind of way, his recent behavior was not outside expectations. He's not up to the stress.

[LoZoccolo]

9. Here's the [flippin'] video.

http://news.yahoo.com//p/v?u=/ap_av/20040120/av_ap_us/982bb15da7dc05ae66e52a52e10e8eda&cid=448&f=53746353

:eyes:

A few seconds of theatrics sandwiched in between pep and mirth does not a lunatic make.

[Adjoran]

8. I'm still undecided

Dean's speech isn't a factor, although I did think it was a bit over the top for a "concession" speech.

I am concerned by some of Dean's self-inflicted wounds over the last month, but Iowa calls into question two of his strengths: the broad and enthusiastic grassroots support, and the huge, well-financed organization. Neither delivered for him Monday night.

I want to support a candidate with a good chance to win in November. One reason Dean has been on my short list for a long time is that excitement and appeal he's generated. It doesn't seem to translate into votes, at least not in Iowa. I saw two NH tracking polls this morning showing Kerry within 2 points of Dean: one had Dean ahead 26-24 with Clark at 18, the other showed Dean 25 Kerry 23 Clark 15.

Kerry seems to be the candidate on the move now. Edwards or Clark could seize the momentum in SC a week later, though; neither Kerry nor Dean has spent much time in the state. Dean was leading or close to the lead in AZ, NM, and OK on Feb 3, but it remains to be seen if his support in those states runs deeper than it apparently did in Iowa.

IMO, Dean must win NH by at least 5% to keep enough momentum to succeed in the Feb 3 states. If he doesn't, his campaign will have the appearance of a faltering juggernaut.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. My opinion on Dean remains the same.

I was a latecomer to Dean's campaign. Whether he meant to, or not, he has energized the dormant left wing of the party into a force to be reckoned with against the collaborationist wing as exeplempified by the likes of Kerry, Lieberman and Edwards.

I'll stick with Howard until he becomes the candidate or fails to. If he should fail, and one of the pro-war candidates gets the nod I'll be voting Green and watch the moderate wing of the the republican party(D) go down in flames..again.

[duvinnie]

12. comment about the above comments

What is common about most of these people - Karen, Jason, Robin - is their obvious
dependence on mainstream media to form their opinions about Dean. Which simply
brings into sharper focus what this election will be about: will we continue on the path
to becoming the Animal Farm II society, where we simply let the powers that be
control what we think and feel? or will we have the strength to get up out of the
gutter and reclaim our minds and our lives?

IMHO not a single candidate who is doing well now is capable of taking us there.
I am not trying to flame anyone's favorite, but I do feel that if Democrats don't
think long and hard about the choices before us in the primary, we are going down
the road to a national catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. Our country may
never recover from 2004.