Dean and Kerry ride a rising tide

[Freddie Stubbs]

CONCORD, N.H. NEW HAMPSHIRE state Representative Barbara French, a Henniker Democrat, was a staunch foe of the war in Iraq. In February, when Granite State Democrats gathered at their annual fund-raising dinner to hear some of the party's presidential candidates, she was thoroughly exasperated with US Senator John Kerry for his vote authorizing force in Iraq. And leaning toward former Vermont Governor Howard Dean because of his strong antiwar stance.


Thus it was a surprise to see French show up at a Tuesday house party here for Kerry - and to hear that she is now backing the Massachusetts Democrat in his presidential quest.

Why? ''I'm concerned that Dean might not win,'' French says. ''I think Kerry has a better chance.''

Addressing the 75 or so people at the home of Bob and Jen Lucic, Kerry plays on that same hunger for a winner.

more: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/192/oped/Dean_and_Kerry_ride_a_rising_tide+.shtml

[RogueTrooper]

1. LOL

not a bad piece

"A certain danger lurks there, of course. Although possessed of all the charm of a cattle prod, Dean does fit the basic profile of the blunt, unvarnished candidates New Hampshire has rewarded in the past. "

[DrFunkenstein]

4. Kerry Plays Chess, Not Checkers

"And for now, as he checks his compass and holds his fire, Kerry appears every bit the battle-tested veteran he is: cool-headed, not prone to panic, and with his eyes firmly fixed on the ultimate prize."

Sooner or later, the chess will separate from the checkers. It will have to. Rove is a chessmaster, and only another chessmaster can beat him.

[ott]

2. Yeah

Nevermind who you want... Best just to go with who the media tells you to go with. What a steamy pile of crap.

This struck me as odd...

But if Kerry won't speak of Dean, campaign manager Jim Jordan will.

''At some point, Democrat voters are seriously going to ask themselves whether Howard Dean's experience as a physician and governor of an exceptionally small state is what's required in a dangerous world,'' Jordan says.

You'd think a Democratic campaign manager wouldn't use Republican code-speak. Maybe he was misquoted? :shrug:

[blm]

5. actually, Clinton said that very thing over a year ago...

....about focusing on the "dangerous world" aspect. So, it's hardly just Repub code words.

[Duder]

6. Re: Clinton

'Dean said he'd sought advice and run policy ideas by Sandy Berger, William S. Cohen and Madeleine Albright - respectively, the national security adviser, secretary of defense and secretary of state under the Clinton administration.'

[Orangepeel]

8. it wasn't the "dangerous world"

that was the republican phrase. It was the "Democrat voters." He was probably misquoted -- I'd hope that all the professionals on our side know the difference between a noun and an adjective.

:-)

[blm]

9. As I posted below...Lehigh is a rightwinger.

Whenever he writes a piece, check for GOP propaganda.

[GDK]

3. Interesting

Interesting article. I agree with the sentiments expressed by Kerry's supporters. In the end, no one is going to get elected who says that the war was a complete mistake, even if voters accept that the administration lied about the evidence.

[blm]

7. Scott Lehigh is a rightwinger

who has taken potshots at Kerry for years. He will twist anything said to present it in the worst light. Grain of salt required at all times, even if you think it's a positive piece.

[Lexingtonian]

10. interesting article and perspective on Dean

''At some point, Democrat voters are seriously going to ask themselves whether Howard Dean's experience as a physician and governor of an exceptionally small state is what's required in a dangerous world,'' Jordan says.

'Exceptionally small state'...ouch! And I thought locker roomish size comparisons weren't going to make an appearance in this race....

(BTW I'd guess the missing -ic is a transcription error by Lehigh- I've never heard anyone other than Utah denizen Mitt Romney use the clipped malformation in Massachusetts yet.)

Retorts Joe Trippi, campaign manager for Dean: ''We think the American people will look toward someone like Governor Dean, who recognized the problems that would be caused by the war in Iraq and stood up courageously and opposed it.''

My New Yorker friends would respond to such a statement with "_That's_ your comeback???"

Even if no weapons of mass destruction are found, Kerry's inner circle believes that the American people will still judge it justified to have gone to war to remove a tyrant who had slaughtered hundreds of thousands of his own people. ''The public is not going to say this is a mistake, and nobody is going to beat George Bush having taken that position,'' says one Kerry adviser.

I'd say the first sentence of that paragraph is a sloppy oversimplification of Kerry's actual position.

[polpilot]

11. No news here. Kerry has no choice but to remain mute and pray that

Dean goes away. Then, if nominated, America can sit by their tellys and see if Kerry can win by 1 vote. Ho hum...

Dean '04