I really like Howard Dean... but ...

[tk2kewl]

he needs to learn how to steer a conversation better. I was very disappointed in his Letterman appearance last night. When Howard is given a soap box he is great, but when he is put on the spot, not so much.

[mattclearing]

1. Odd too, considering how withering Letterman's criticism of Bush has been.

Any more details on what happened? I missed it.

[tk2kewl]

3. dave was saying that dems are just as corrupt as the pukes

and howard didn't have an appropriate response and was IMO unable to show how dems are much more concerned with a competent function government than power at any cost

[mattclearing]

10. That's too bad.

Sounds like Howard got caught napping. He usually has been pretty reliable on the good governance front. This is two questionable performances in a week (last week's Hardball was reportedly not great either).

[madfloridian]

14. No, not true.

He was not napping, he has said before that Democrats who are involved in this stuff coming up will get branded as well.

[mattclearing]

27. Like I said, I didn't see it.

It's good that he's holding Dems accountable too. I guess he realized that getting into a debate with Letterman over corruption as a matter of degrees was a losing situation and wisely chose not to argue.

Still sucks that he accepted that Dems were somewhat as corrupt as Republicans, though.

[madfloridian]

13. Because many of them are.

They have been taking just about as much corporate money as the GOP has. For a long time.

He did better just saying very little about it. Truth will out.

[Gloria]

2. I was bugged at how long that business about how Democrats as

well as Republicans are corrupt went on. I think Letterman was pushing it, hoping that Dean would say something, but Dean didn't really contend the comparison very strongly at all! Or not as strongly as I hoped for.
He probably didn't want to open up the current can of worms but he was still a bit too relaxed about it...he finally offered that corrupt Democrats and Republicans both had to be dealt with. Yawn.

[neuvocat]

4. Why would Dean contest that comparison?

He's been saying the same thing for a while now and I think he's right.

[MsUSA]

8. A lot of them are the same......once in power vote to keep the

power not to aid the constituents who got you in. JMHO.

[Gloria]

26. I said he didn't want to open up that can of worms...which is why

he didn't contest the comparison....
However, let it go on and on and on...I just wish he had ended it sooner....

[The Revolution]

5. What disappointed you?

I thought he did pretty well, actually. He made a lot of good points. He said every American should have health care, and pointed out that we are falling behind other nations in terms of health care. He listed off a bunch of republicans who are in trouble with the law. He noted that it took a Democrat to balance the budget in this country. He also talked about building support in all 50 states.

[tk2kewl]

6. i thought he should have steered the corruption conversation

toward a discussion of dems wanting effective government and repukes wanting power at any cost

i also thought he kind of stepped on his crank with his attempts to talk about global warming and ice ages

[madfloridian]

17. He brought out the Ohio corruption right then.

He pointed out that they were stealing from the people.

[LSK]

7. I was dissapointed in the lack of talk about Iraq

Dean was asked what the Democratic Party stood for and he went into his list of the debt, jobs for Americans, healthcare, but nothing about Iraq or the being the anti-war party. Ironically he claimed that the Party needed a backbone transfusion earlier in the interview.

Memo to Howard, can you return to be the anti-war voice PLEASE?

[mandyky]

19. But the Party is not against the war!

Do you want Dean to lie on TV? They did not ask what Dean stood for.
They asked about the Party, and Dean told them.

[Cha]

9. Yes..there is still a world of

difference in the charges against the repukes and whatever the Dems do..I think Dean said at one point that the Dems had a "personal charge" and the repukes were stealing our money or something like that.

Anyway, why don't you write to Dean and tell him what you think of his answer?

http://www.dnc.org/page/petition/chairman

[madfloridian]

11. He didn't say blow job, he said a difference between personal, stealing

He launched into the Ohio scandals then.

I thought he did a great job, and it showed his personality and his ability to laugh at himself.

Actually, I would like to know what made you think he was there to discuss foreign policy anyway.

Many of the folks at the website you link to are going after him if he sneezes crooked. So go ahead, make your case.

It was a fun time, he made a good impression. Can you say ulterior motives?

I can.

[madfloridian]

12. Oh, and there's more.

Remember now that a lot of Democrats are going to be caught in the net they are casting now filled with corruption. Why do you think they never urged investigation.

I doubt many of them were as blatant and criminal as this administration....but do you remember at the DNC meeting in June?

Dean said it was time to clean house, and if the Democrats were involved they would be branded, too.

I agree.

[WilliamPitt]

15. I find it interesting

that anytime anyone has a criticism of Dean, they feel the need to preface their comments with "I really like Howard Dean...but..." or something to that effect.

The enforcers around here do their jobs well. Note posts 11 and 12 for specific examples.

[madfloridian]

16. Good job, Will. I stand for being honest and fair.

I know two groups on the left who are going to go after the DNC in a squeeze play with the right.

I stand with being honest on things. Everyone knows you are directing your comments at me.

Your quote: "The enforcers around here do their jobs well. Note posts 11 and 12 for specific examples"

Call it what you may, I corrected what I knew to be incorrect.

[tk2kewl]

23. do you think there was something dishonest about the OP or something else

i said here? :shrug: overall, i was disappointed in his appearance

[madfloridian]

24. Not going there.

You have every right to be disappointed, that is your right.

Many of us understood that this was not a political discussion forum he was on last night. David Letterman is a stand-up comic. His show is called a comedy talk show.

There is a difference between not liking someone and criticizing their appearance on a comedy show because they did not get enough talking points across.

We knew there would be an influx of posts saying how poorly he had done. Some of us are well-informed on what is going on with people who have a agenda of which Dean is not a part.

Frankly there were less posts like that than we thought. That was because he did a good job and it was fun to watch.

As I say, just be fair. He was not there to get his political points across. And most of the congress are pro-war, so he has to take 2nd place on foreign policy issues.

[NYCGirl]

18. Gee, Will...

You figured it out. We have a secret handshake and really cool jackets with an insignia and everything!

:eyes:

P.S. Is "I really like Howard Dean...but..." related to "Some of my best friends are _____________ (black, gay, women, etc.)...but..."?

[mandyky]

20. Seems you are ticked that Dean's gained support

People don't have to like everything Dean says, but if they misrepresent or are being intentionally anal retentive, Dean's supporters will give them an enima or some exlax LOL

[MaineDem]

21. I don't particularly like Dean but I like what he's doing

I think he's good for the DNC and doing a good job of getting them on message. It's taking a while but I know the states are working on it.

I just had to be contrary, WRP. ;)

[tk2kewl]

22. i'm sorry you think i need "enforcement" because you don't like my opinion

i used the subject line intentionally to get attention, and i still think Dean could use some practice steering conversations back to the points the DNC wants to make. I thought he was a bit weak last night in putting forth a solid picture of how democrats are different than republicans and why that makes us more qualified to run the government.

maybe I should have said "you're the best governor ever"...
or "i want your kids to know your cool"

[Cha]

25. Well, I replied in post #4

with something I thought would be helpful to you.

Instead of just complaining here why don't you take it to Dean?