Dean under the microscope (Des Moines Register Op Ed)

[sfecap]

Editorial: Dean under the microscope

The former Vermont governor will face tougher scrutiny now that he's the front-runner

By Register Editorial Board

08/05/2003


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Who is this Howard Dean guy? It's a safe bet that a year ago hardly anyone in Iowa could have correctly identified him. Now he is the leading contender in next January's Iowa Democratic caucuses.

(snip)

The opposition rap against Dean is that he is too far left, that nominating him would be like the nomination of George McGovern in 1972. But that doesn't wash. Dean's record as governor seems to have been as a moderate with emphasis on fiscal restraint. On issues such as health care, he is for incremental improvements, not sweeping change.

The "too liberal" charge stems from Dean's opposition to the war in Iraq, which several of his Democratic rivals supported. But that hardly makes him a radical. A large percentage of Americans opposed the war, and in its aftermath growing numbers question its justification. As time wears on, his position may look less like radicalism and more like common sense.

http://www.dmregister.com/opinion/stories/c2125555/21916593.html

[Sinistrous]

1. How DARE these people

try to accurately portray Howard Dean as the moderate he is. What the hell are they trying to do? Tell the truth or something?

(We should shove this op ed piece at every DLC-bot who tries to smear Dean.)

[Nicholas_J]

2. Ore may look like

deception, and political manuvering to get the support of left leaning anti-war democrats.

Dean does not seem to be anything, except whatever it takes to get support at the moment.

[realFedUp]

4. I have a different opinion

I think Dean has opinions formed during his time in office
and currently forms opinions on current topics, like we
all do.

Running for office doesn't mean you are a machine...
Dean's attraction is that he speaks his mind without
polling a few groups beforehand. Bush's so-called
attractiveness to his supporters is, despite his mangling
of the English language, he speaks from the hip...

McCain is the same way.

You may be for a different candidate in this race, but
give Dean his credit for attracting those of us who
weren't hearing much opposition to invading Iraq until
he came along.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. Those who weren't hearing much opposition to invading Iraq

"until Dean came along" might want to ask why so little media attention was given to Congressional opposition to invading Iraq, notably from the House Progressive Caucus led by Dennis Kucinich and Barbara Lee. The media has chosen to publicize Dean and marginalize Kucinich. It's not only because I think Kucinich is the most progressive, and therefore the best, candidate that I wonder why the media marginalize him and publicize Dean, portraying him as more liberal than he is. Anything the media does is worthy of scrutiny and suspicion, don't you agree?

[corgigrrl]

10. before the war

the main brave voice against the war that I recall, and maybe he got covered because he was so eloquent, was Senator Robert Byrd. I don't ever remember a thread on DU asking us to tune into CSPAN to hear Dennis speaking out, but it happened all the time on CSPAN-2 with Byrd. I don't know the reasons behind that, could be that House and Senate debate get covered differently, altho I thought almost all of it got by CSPAN.

[Tinoire]

12. Byrd focused on the constitutional aspect primarily

Kucinich on the peace aspects. But you're right about the number of threads on DU...

I have C-Span constantly on in the back-ground and did see Kucinich speaking up... My first thought when I saw him speaking out and yelling about the war, all alone, with almost no support, was "So that's what he looks like" and then "What fire!". Same with the Patriot Act.

Both gave quite a show.

[Sinistrous]

5. Dean is very definitely "something".

He is himself and is campaigning on his own ideas and principles. Some people seem to be terrified of him because he has not adopted the package and the packaging prescribed by the DLC.

[tedoll78]

13. You're right.

He has his positions outlined on his website, and when you go there they change all the time!

April 5th: The war was bad.
June 5th: No, the war was good.

Sept 2002: I like kittens.
Oct 2002: Kittens are evil!

Just flip-flop, flip-flop, flip-flop.

And we all know that voters don't like that. When a candidate changes positions, they punish him/her in polls harshly. I mean, look at how he's doing now.. so terrible! (/sarcasm)

And another dollar goes into the Dean Eats Kittens fund. Thanks!

[StClone]

3. The Problem

Right-winger thinkers and Rove will determine Dean's image and before it can be refuted it will be "fact". Republicans have highly payed Truth Assassins ready to pick-off a target after the research and planning are done.

[enki23]

9. and they won't do that with *your* favorite candidate because...

how ridiculous is this

"the right wing will define <disliked democratic presidential candidate's name> as a <fringe liberal, punching bag, whiner, privileged rich boy, unpresidential, jew, traitor> and therefore we must not support <disliked democratic presidential candidate's name>!"

i think that covers quite a lot of it.

[corgigrrl]

11. Don't you think any nominee is going to get "Roved"?

I think anyone we nominate is going to have to face the fascist Rovian cabal. It's not going to be pretty. In that sense it may be better, once a contender emerges early in the primary season, to air any of the possible negatives then, with a strong plan of presenting them cleanly clearly honestly.

And we need a fighter. I think that's where a lot of Dean supporters are coming from. They're weary of our side being nuanced and diplomatic when it comes to character assassination.

[sonias]

6. Bring it on!

Dean can withstand the scrutiny. Hell, look at what bu$h was able to get away with. They both drank, so what. At least Dean didn't hide or lie about the DUIs. You think the Vietnam war record issue is going to stick from a punk who didn't even serve the last year of his cushy guard duty. Dean couldn't serve he didn't run to his Daddy to help him get a guard slot. bu$h says he believes in leaving no child behind but there are still hundreds of thousands here in Texas paying for the politics he played. Don't forget bu$h fought tooth and nail to prevent more Texas kids from getting on the CHIP program. So much for conservative compassion. Dean actually got medical care for every child under 18 in his state. On budgets, don't make me laugh. Dean's strongest area is that he has balanced a budget. bu$h used Enron style accounting to get the Texas budget "balanced" so he could cut taxes. Ha what a joke. Yep he took what he learned in Texas to Washington and now the whole country is suffering the same way, unless you're in the rich class of course. The more scrutiny and comparison Dean gets the better, because bu$h will finally be exposed as the phony, compassionate pretender, lying son of bush, that he is.

Sonia

[Larkspur]

7. You go, girl!

Yep, the more they scrutinize Dean the more he'll look better to mainstream America.