Right-winger from Deland Beacon newspaper, salivating for Dean...

[flpoljunkie]

Deland is the home of Stetson University in Florida. Jim Mize is the wing-nut Beacon columnist. Beacon does have two great liberal columnists--William Hall and Patricia Foster. Do not have an online link, but here it is in its entirety:

"Democrats, move further to the left. Yep. If you are a moderate Democrat, you may be forced to the far left if you are going to support the emerging candidate of your party.

Howard Dean is getting his largest support from extreme left-wingers such as far-left environmentalists, gay-rights extremists and pro-abortion activists, according to Fox News Channel.

For you conservatives out there, this is great news. If Howard Dean is chosen at the Democratic National Convention, it is probable he will lose the swing vote of moderates and independent voters, and Bush could pull a Mondale in 2004. So if you are a Republican, promote Howard Dean as much as possible.

By the way, Bob Graham, a left-wing extremist in moderate clothing, would make a great choice for vice president from a Republican viewpoint. You go, Howard!"

Repugs in Florida would love for Bob Graham to give up his Senate seat--they too are salivating--hoping he will not run.

[Room101]

1. I see you don't have your tin foil on, we have already talked about it

.

[soupkitchen]

2. They're living in a tunnel

And they don't know that the light coming at them is not the end of the tunnel but the Truth coming sy them full speed ahead. And the one thing a Republican doesn't want to run against is the truth.

[diplomats]

3. "according to Fox News"

now that's a source I can trust!

[dusty64]

17. My thoughts exactly.

If the extreme right REALLY liked Dean they'd keep their mouths shut. Reverse psychology, it can't possibly work can it?

[madfloridian]

4. You are falling for their spin.

That is what they are doing. They are spinning this to tell us who we are. They are trying to make us think they know who can win.
Think about it.

[flpoljunkie]

8. Jim Mize is not bright enought to spin. He is a true believer...

and a straight forward ranter. He obviously has fans in Deland; I am not one of them.

[madfloridian]

18. I know what you mean. We have a lot of those here.

True believers. They believe Bush was chosen by God, a lot of them. That is scary.

[jarab]

5. Cannot understand their rationale

If they really want Dean as the Left candidate (nominee), why can't they just shut up, and let it come to fruition? By being so upfront with their "sincere" wishes, they're giving away their strategy.
If they really want Dean as an opponent, why aren't they being "sneaky quiet"? Why let the Dems know which of our candidates is "weakest", in their view?
...O...

[Old and In the Way]

9. Exactly.....

Whoever they perceive as the biggest threat automatically becomes the "far left" candidate. If this idiot was anything other than an RNC operative, he might have bothered to check Dean's actual record and he would embarass himself with such a stupid statement.

[Dudley_DUright]

6. I would not take anything Jim Mize says too seriously

He is not the brightest bulb in the bunch (as they say around these parts). Plus the DeLand Beacon is hardly a major circulation paper. I prefer the Daytona News Journal.

[madfloridian]

16. I attended Stetson, long time ago. Remember DeLand well.

I probably was too busy seeing how many week-ends we could spend in Daytona to notice the political climate. I remember a springs where we would have picnics.

Do they still roll up the sidewalks on the week-ends? Just kidding, don't mean that in an ugly way. Heck, they do that where I live now, and this is not a small town either.

I was going through some pictures the other day, brought back fond memories.

[Orangepeel]

7. I wish people would stop obsessing about what republicans REALLY want!

Who are they REALLY afraid of? Who do they REALLY want to vote against? Are they saying this because it is true? Is it reverse psychology? Is it reverse-reverse psychology? Double reverse-reverse psychology with a cherry on top?

Bah.

This mindset is what is wrong with the Democratic party in a nutshell. WE have better policies and people agree with us on almost every issue when they understand what the bills are really about. But, instead of putting forth a positive, proactive agenda, we worry and fret about what republicans REALLY want. God forbid we trust our own instincts for once!

The primary voters will nominate the person they are most excited about. That's a good thing. Who cares what the republicans think we should think?

[trumad]

10. Deland is a one blink town...

It's a cute little town but really not that big....

[flpoljunkie]

11. I didn't claim it was the Washington Times...

Thought it was interesting that this is what the true believers in the hinterlands think. Am not a Delandite, but enjoy reading their liberal columnists.

[Dudley_DUright]

12. Where you from FPJ?

I live near DeLand myself (which is why I was familiar with the DeLand Beacon).

[Orangepeel]

13. There's a state park with a restaurant where you make your own pancakes

:D

[Dudley_DUright]

14. DeLeon Springs State Park

I love going swimming there (except not after eating too many self-made pancakes, the five grain ones would sink you like the titanic!)

[Ripley]

15. And Americans take Florida for a Real state

in affairs of voting?

HAH!

[shance]

19. If they were scared of Dean, why do they keep BRINGING HIM UP?

I saw this coming, as of course so many of us did. Trying to isolate him and paint him a liberal.

Problem is you cant do it. Hes not liberal or conservative - he's common sense and he LISTENS to the people. Thats what scares the Republicans the most, because they know they cant win playing fair. They have to buy things, including elections. Maybe at some point they'll have the guts to play legitimately. No win is ever savored unless its won FAIR AND SQUARE.

[shance]

20. Correction: If they are NOT scared of Dean, why do they keep BRINGING HIM

UP?

[Mechatanketra]

21. The joke may be on them.

From what I hear, Howard Dean is getting a rather large chunk of support not from the Democratic far left, but from previous non-voters.

If so, Dean may bushwhack the GOP the same way Reagan stormed the Democrats by tapping the fundamentalist well -- instead of scratching and clawing over an increasingly fickle or even mythical "swing vote", he'll just make a new "swing vote".