Dean is now being "handled" like misspeakers W. and Dan Quayle

[snyttri]

If Dean is going to be too timid to talk to reporters, is his campaign based on anything anymore? It's going to hard to be tough on Bush while you're hiding from the press.


In Shift, Dean Starts Watching His Words
NY TIMES By JODI WILGOREN and EDWARD WYATT

BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 7 — With a wary eye on Gen. Wesley K. Clark's rise in national and New Hampshire polls, Howard Dean's campaign has begun to limit his availability to the press, and the candidate himself is watching his words after several recent statements unleashed a storm of criticism from opponents.

Dr. Dean, who has spent two years campaigning as the candidate willing to say what he thinks, initially told reporters that he would be "happy" to discuss his tax policy. Then, as aides glared at him, he immediately said a senior adviser had "veto power" over what he would say.

"I'm not allowed to say I'm happy to do anything anymore," he added.

<snip>

Then there is the new clamp on Dr. Dean's mouth. On Saturday morning, Doug Thornell, his traveling press secretary, announced that the candidate would less frequently face groups of reporters, or chat freely in transit, but instead would field questions, one-on-one, by request.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

http://tinyurl.com/2ujys

[slinkerwink]

1. this is a dupe-----please lock.

[Clark Campaigner]

3. Yes, lock it down quick, before the truth gets out!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

33. The truth is Dean is muzzled. bait and switch is now into 'switch phase'

The Dean being presented for the GE must be packaged according to polls.

[bearfartinthewoods]

36. and many of us knew this was coming

and have been trying to warn people against investing in his "anger"

[Rocinante]

2. Thanks

that was an interesting read.

[Leilani]

4. Not exactly

the " Straight Talk Express."

[diamondsoul]

5. And once again

I really do have to question whether Howard Dean is capable of leading an entire nation. This does not speak well of that capability, imo.

[Cheswick2.0]

10. who holds up graphics in a radio debate?

oh yeah, it was a joke............. right

[diamondsoul]

15. No, it wasn't a joke-

it was an effort to get through to the subject of this thread. Don't jump on my case just because your candidate can't seem to keep his feet out of his mouth. I didn't cause it and neither did my candidate.

**on edit changed post to thread, late night and not enough coffee yet.

[dogman]

40. He just thought dean would understand a picture.

When the whole remark is played you understand the joke is on Dean. Dennis has tried to talk to him but Howard never listens. Dennis figured a graphic might get through. Dennis has more honesty in his little finger than Dean.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

39. My God. When are they going to roll out the teleprompter....

n/t

[patricia92243]

6. If he is letting his staff make the decisions, he will not win. Oh well

fun while it lasted. he was my guy. But he has apoligized himself right out of the WH..
too bad he didn't learn his strong talk got him where he was - the front runner. And his new "meekness" will make him lose. I could cry - I'm serious.

[Greyhawk]

24. You can't really be serious...

Is one man the end-all and be-all? I mean, you have to have trusted advisors to help out in the areas where you're weak. It's far too common to have someone "do it alone" and that's where politicians get into the most trouble.

Up until now, he was fighting for air among 8 other candidates. "Handlers" implies that Dean is the only "pure" person. Let's hope he's "pure" enough to pick good advisors to help him.

[KittyWampus]

42. A Politican Needing Help Speaking In Public Mid-Campaign?

Dean hasn't had to fight for air time with 8 other candidates.. .he's pretty much had the spot light for a year.

And a very complicit spotlight, I may add.

Gee, is Dean's Teflon wearing off?

[FubarFly]

7. It's a shame, isn't it?

"I hate to be totally blunt about this, but I still have to get used to the `gotcha' style of politics here," Dr. Dean said. "National politics is a lot different than local politics, and there's a lot of gotcha about it."

--

Of course no one on this thread would be guilty of such a thing?

--

But don't worry, very soon we'll unveil Howard Dean V 2.0:

Now with twice the b*sh fighting power, but only half the gaffes!

--

Seriously, it's about time they did this. This will take away a considerable amount of potential ammunition from his opponents.
There are a lot of disingenuous people in the media dontcha know. I would be upset if they totally neutered his speaking style, but knowing Dean, I think they'll find an acceptable compromise. His criticisms will still be blunt, only now they will be more focused.
They are definitely preparing him for the generals.

[lurk_no_more]

22. Ah, the closing the barn door after the horse got out campaign

boy now what will the Rove machine use against dean? I somehow doubt the new dean will deplete the ammo supply from the right.



” JAFO”

[He loved Big Brother]

8. Cripes.

I *JUST* finished reading a thread where a poster said if Dean doesn't start thinking before he speaks Bush will definitely win.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't, it seems! :eyes:

(And we can see where that defeatist attitude has gotten us so far!)

[FubarFly]

9. LOL

I don't think you're supposed to catch on so quick ;-)

[KittyWampus]

44. Dean Is Doing Neither. He's Now "Hiding" From The Press

Wouldn't it be nice if he could just manage to learn a little "Temperance" in his speech?

Mostly, it would take a somewhat slower and more deliberate approach.

[stickdog]

11. Dean's a real person and he's getting crucified for it.

News at 11.

[snyttri]

21. He says he is more comfortable in "local politics"

Maybe he should try state politics first where you have to deal with millions of people before moving up to national politics where the the standards are so high.

[dajabr]

12. Mary, HELP! (nt)

[oasis]

18. "Osama guilty? let the courts decide" (n/t)

[LuminousX]

20. Fuck Due Process

[diamondsoul]

23. Indeed, Luminous, indeed.

Credit where it's due, and Governor Dean is absolutely right about Osama. Lame effort to slam him, imo.

[KittyWampus]

45. How Is Then Saying He Wanted Osama To Get Death Penalty

Due process... it precludes Osama being tried in the Hague (they don't have death penalty) and acknowledges his guilt beforehand.

[Greyhawk]

25. Due Process?

Due process is strictly an American court thing... And if the guy admits directing Sept 11th as on the tapes, doesn't that mean he's admitting guilt... Let's not completely forget that.

[snyttri]

26. David Broder on the consequences of Osama-gate

His remark to the Concord Monitor that he did not want to prejudge the guilt or innocence of Osama bin Laden left Dean arguing a legalistic point that once again set him apart from public opinion. As he later acknowledged, no real doubt attaches to the al Qaeda leader's role in masterminding the attacks that took nearly 3,000 lives at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Dean himself later said that a death sentence would be just punishment when bin Laden is found. His effort to rationalize his earlier remark on the grounds that he might be president when bin Laden is brought to trial and that a government official "must uphold the rule of law" put a hypothetical barrier in the way of identifying himself with a near-universal sentiment among the American people

<snip>

Were these isolated incidents, the damage might be minimal. But Dean has found so many ways in a short time to set people's teeth on edge -- with his comments about the Confederate flag, about his struggle to bring himself to talk religion in the South, about his variant positions on Medicare and trade and other issues -- that this is clearly a pattern.

The voting can't come too soon for this accident-prone star

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60594-2004Jan6.html

[Greyhawk]

31. It's not that bad

Dean's way ahead in fundraising and will win most of the upcoming primaries, regardless of Clark... The only real issue is, can Dean shed enough of the "Northerner" label to hold off Clark?

[snyttri]

32. If the enemy is Bush, not Clark, the hide under the table strategy won't

work.

[He loved Big Brother]

48. "Northerner" label?

Last I checked, "northerners" were Americans too. He doesn't need to be ashamed of being from the north.

[Lexingtonian]

13. Wow.

And I remember the Dean campaign claiming to be all about a Revolution, being Outsiders, an overthrough of The Establishment, an End To Politics As Usual, Empowerment Central. All the insider endorsements and God Talk during the past month have kind of drowned that out, though, and for some reason his people aren't throwing the old mantras around anymore.

Now it seems the Straight Talk Express has gotten stuck in a snowdrift. Or did it fly out of a learning curve? I wonder how much more we're going to hear about the STE.

If I understand the way he's trying to slow up support gains for Clark correctly, he's on track to claiming to be a Liberal now. And all that touting of his NRA rating just hasn't been mentioned much recently, either....

I dunno, but this political juggernaut is just crashing along! :D

[NewYorkerfromMass]

47. Dean is all about "Revolution"

He keeps flipping and flopping and rotating away.....

[Moderator]

14. snyttri

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
news source.


Thank you

DU Moderator

[KittyWampus]

16. Does It Matter There Are Only 13 Sentences Posted?

It LOOKS like a bunch of paragraphs.... but often it's just a bunch of single sentences in a row???

[John_H]

17. Lock this And PLEASE HURRY!!! People are reading it!

[lurk_no_more]

19. Just like bush

when do the press start to get the lists of questions their allowed to ask just to get an opportunity to talk to him?

We now have our own version of bush/quail.....LOL


” JAFO”

[redqueen]

29. I'm glad you can still laugh

I noticed that similarity and cringed.

[MIMStigator]

27. Embarrassing. Even Clark's superiors couldn't shut him up when

when he thought he was doing the right thing

[corporatewhore]

28. Another blueblooded new englander trying to pretend that hes southern who

is gaffeing like crazy

[NewYorkerfromMass]

30. Pathetic. oh and.....

:puke:

[LuminousX]

34. The funny thing is Dean is publicly acknowledging this... you people ...

[NewYorkerfromMass]

35. not funny if you want someone who is responsible for themself

and it's especially ironic given Dean's claim to be a straight talker.

[billbuckhead]

38. Maybe Dean could work his way up to mayor of an embattled city

Obviously this guy needs more seasoning. Vermont's 600,000 mostly rural white people wasn't a rigorous enough training. Why wouldn't we expect Dean to come off like a county commissioner thrust into the national spotlight?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

37. Egads! what'd they do - torture him or something?

<<<<initially told reporters that he would be "happy" to discuss his tax policy. Then, as aides glared at him, he immediately said a senior adviser had "veto power" over what he would say.>>>

[w4rma]

41. Another tempest in a teapot. (n/t)

[ClarkGraham2004]

43. Dean's handlers want to tape Dean's mouth until Iowa at least.

He's taken major damage recently.

[RetroLounge]

46. Hey look, a circular firing squad

and an anti-dean circle jerk all in the same thread...

Too funny...

[billbuckhead]

49. It's not what you don't know that makes you a fool,it's what you know

that ain't so. When Howard Dean put Job in the New Testament it was obvious even to true believers that Dean is a bullshit artist that just can't quit trying to show everyone how smart he is and also revealing that he is an imposter as a POTUS candidate.