TNR RE: Clinton/Dean

[ilpostino]

Excerpt:

"Much as the DLC would like to pretend otherwise, Clinton's success was, as we've argued in the past, less a function of transforming the party than a function of campaigning and governing in a way that simultaneously persuaded both liberals and moderates he was really one of them. Much the same way Howard Dean is doing today, Clinton would come out in favor of a relatively moderate policy--like, say, free trade--and then give to liberals in tone and style what he'd denied them in substance. (In Clinton's case the tone was empathetic; in Dean's case it's angry. But in both cases it seems to satisfy liberals' emotional needs while largely ignoring their policy preferences.)"

http://www.tnr.com/etc.mhtml

[Larkspur]

1. Dean's campaign is about rejuvenating the Dem Party along with

Restoring American to her original ideals.

Clinton hurt the party and contributed to its decline for a variety of reasons. Clinton was a great politician and had a natural empathy with people, but he couldn't excite people the way Dean is. Of course, the current times help Dean with getting people excited because we know what is at stake -- the soul of our country. Dean has done a great job of inspiring people and transforming our anger and frustration into hope that we can take our country back. Dean's campaign is about empowering the people literally.