Fineman: Dissecting Dean’s Implosion

[displacedtexan]

Fineman is the sorriest excuse for a journalist I've ever come across! Comparing Dr. Dean's political situation to the explosion of the Challenger is the single sickest metaphor ever published!
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Fineman: Dissecting Dean’s Implosion
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Like the Challenger explosion, the faltering of Howard Dean’s campaign will occupy crash-site investigators for years, maybe decades.

<snip>

Private guy
Dean is an unusual character in politics. He thinks it is his right to guard his privacy in the most public line of work. When he rose to prominence he didn’t realize that he needed to develop a narrative to explain, in detail, why he was who he was as a public man. By the time he started giving interviews to “People” and Diane Sawyer it was too late. He’s a doctor. Isn’t there a positive message in his practice somewhere? We still don’t know.

Emotional
Paradoxically, as private as he is, Dean is capable — perhaps too capable — of showing emotion. When I interviewed him for Newsweek last year, he broke down in tears when I asked him about his lost brother. I had never seen a politician do this: He turned beet-red and sobbed. He told me he had had counseling. It was touching, but, in retrospect, a harbinger of his angry reaction to his loss in Iowa — a fateful moment to say the least.

No sense of humor
Dean is in many ways an unassuming guy, but he doesn’t like criticism, and can’t stand being teased.

<snip>

He's never lost
My friend Bill Greider, the eminent author, pointed out to me the other day that Dean reacted the way he did after Iowa because he had never lost an election. So he never had to examine what he had done wrong in politics. Failure is a good thing, in politics as in life.


Much more tripe...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4031854/

[gWbush is Mabus]

1. no sense of humor?

what a fuck-wad

[auntpattywatty]

2. DU won't allow me to say what I'd like to say!!!Grrrrrr

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. Are you sure? You can attack Fineman all you want. He's a public figure

so he's fair game. You couldn't call his mother a whore though, because she's not a public figure.

[On the Road]

4. Too Late, Howard!

Howard Fineman, that is. You missed the bus by two days. :dunce:

Dean Wednesday yesterday and is bounding back.

How can the great William Greider be this guy's friend? Or is he just name-dropping?

On Edit: Holy Shit! I just saw the reason for Fineman's nastiness. Dean didn't laugh at his "gay hunter" joke in 2002. The guy carries a grudge.

[Dudley_DUright]

5. Looks like the 2001 MWO media whore of the year

is making another serious run at the crown again this year.

[kstewart33]

7. Why is he whore of the year?

He presented his ideas on why Dean imploded. What is wrong with that?

This attitude of 'you're with us or you're a whore' is the very attitude that got Howard Dean and the Deanies to the point they are today--on the edge of political oblivion.

The man has a right to his views. If you disagree with him, does that make you a whore?

Stop this nonsense, okay?

Dean screwed up badly. Deal with it.

[Dudley_DUright]

8. Writing Dean's political obituary today is as premature

as writing Kerry's two weeks ago. Deal with that.

[w13rd0]

9. Because Fineman is a twit...

...and you'll agree when he goes after your candidate. Unless your candidate is Bush. Bush is pretty safe from Fineman...

[kskiska]

39. Yeah. * is immun e.

He thinks it is his right to guard his privacy in the most public line of work.

Why doesn't Fineman apply his standards to his boy *? Why doesn't he try asking * about his life before running for president? Why doesn't he ask him whether he's ever snorted coke, or whether he's been arrested for drugs or drunk driving and how many times? Why did he take out a new driver's license prior to becoming governor? Why doesn't he ask him about his National Guard service, and ask him where the records went?

[Turkw]

10. This is a very nasty smear piece, I'm not a Dean supporter and I hate it

and the sorry excuse that wrote it. These are not views these are attacks meant to portray Dr. Dean as being emotionally unsuitable for office- what a load of crap! It is the worst kind of Rovian, cheap shot character assassination. Fineman should be on our list of liars to go after.

[Missy Vixen]

15. Oh, boy

>The man has a right to his views. If you disagree with him, does that make you a whore?<

What views are those? That Dean prefer that his immediate family's lives remain somewhat private? He's gone out of his way to NOT exploit his family during the campaign. He doesn't deserve to be crucified by a hack masquerading as a "journalist" for this.

I wonder how Fineman would react if his family were as exposed to scrutiny as he insists Dean's should be. He's a public figure, too!

Dean cried when he talked about his brother? Gosh, I suppose that there are people here who wouldn't cry over losing a family member. Dean's spoken many times about the effect losing his brother had on him as a young man and even into adulthood. Since the remains were only found a couple of months ago, I'm sure it's brought a lot of tears and grief to the surface again. Good for Dean for being open about the fact that he sought counseling.

Of course, Fineman made sure to handle this with the utmost in sensitivity, too. It's as bad as the yawp, isn't it?

>Stop this nonsense, okay?<

Nope, sorry. Howard Fineman and his tripe on ANY political figure is indefensible. This isn't the first time he's done a chop job on a Democrat, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

Julie

[edzontar]

22. If you don't know why we hate Howie Fineman...

Check the archives of MediaWhoresOnline.

He is a mortal enemy od all DEMOCRATS and progressives.....and well known as such.

His comments on Dean are typical---and, as always, wrong.

[AP]

6. Remember at the debate when Dean said he agreed with Edwards, that...

...anyone who tells you a date when they'll balance the budget isn't telling you the truth...and then proceeded to give people an approximate date?

The audience laughed at him and turned and asked the audience, 'what are you laughing at?

That's a good example of the 'no sense of humor' point.

[progressivebydesign]

12. All those photos and videos of Dean laughing it up are fake??

Dean has a great sense of humor. If you follow his campaign at all, watch him interact with people. He's funny, he's friendly, he's always laughing. The anger thing is just a fucking media invention. I'm shocked that a fellow democrat would continue to feed that lie.

[Nederland]

14. I Think

...that Fineman's point was that Howard Dean has no sense of humor when the subject is Howard Dean.

The counter to this is to point out that Dean went on Letterman and made fun of himself quite nicely.

[AP]

18. The counter-arg to that is that he went on Letterman and made

fun of himself becuase he HAD to, because he has no sense of humor about himself, as displayed by his unscripted question to the audience "what are you lauging at," when they were laughing at him.

[edzontar]

24. Oh please. Is there nothing you have seen around here lately

That could inspire you to modify your stance?


The trend is toward reconcilaition and dialogue.


You might enjoy it.

[AP]

30. I'm still running on the fumes of yesterday's dialog

It seemed like a lot of people wanted to make the question of whether Howard's a good candidate still relevant.

[edzontar]

33. Supprort your choice. Edwards is a good candidate.

He has insisted on running a positive campagn.

I am not suggesting we should not disagree as to policies and "electability," just trying to entice you to join the "Stop the Stop the Candidate Movement".

[AP]

38. What's my assurance that what happened yesterday won't happen again?

It seems to me that the message from a few vocal posters was that the intense compare and contrast is justified until your candidate withdraws.

NH on Tuesday might narrow the field, but last I checked, Dean's still running against the candidate I think is better than him.

[edzontar]

40. Support your guy. I will too, if he is the nominee.

Look, we are going to have to win this together in the end.

You should be helping us build a winning coaltion, hope your guy comes out on top, make the arguments, but start thinking, please, about the next stage.

Dean, Edwards, these guys are not the enemy.

The enemy is Bushco.

[AP]

41. Last I checked, they're all running in the primary on Tuesday.

Not the enemy, perhaps. But it's worth comparing and contrasting all of these candidates until they're no longer running against each other.

[progressivebydesign]

11. total, complete ass.

This guy just gets crustier and more out of touch with reality every day. He totally misses the point that Dean was LAUGHING when the infamous speech took place. He wasn't angry.. he was laughing and exhausted and hoarse.

This guy think failure is a good thing. I'm so glad.. because that means he accepts his own existence. Miserable failure as a writer, thinker, and human being.

[Woodstock]

13. Sometimes a "Yeah" is just a "Yeah"

I've seen Dean get like that tons of times to rally the troops.

That's all it was.

NPR was psychoanalyzing Dean, said it was a glimpse into his inner soul we didn't want to see. What a load of bullhockey.

BTW, I like the dance mix - Dean should put it on his site. Kind of catchy.

California. YEAH! Oklahoma. YEAH! New Mexico. YEAH! ...

Boom sh sh boom.

[THUNDER HANDS]

16. I think these are all fairly valid criticisms

Hey, Dean said himself that he's not perfect. And if you're not willing to take constructive criticism then you're never going to improve.

[David Zephyr]

17. Kerry's Next.

Count on it.

[THUNDER HANDS]

20. next...next what?

Do you really think Kerry is gonna just fall on his face? He's waaaay too solid and experienced to do that.

I wish Dean the best of luck, but honestly, I think the expiration date on Dean-o-mania has passed. As Iowa proved, no ammount of money or supporters is gonna help if the average voter doesn't have confidence in you.

And Dean has to recover, well, GAIN actually, the confidence of voters in NH and he only has a short time to do it.

It's gonna be very difficult for Dean. Much moreso than Kerry. You have to at least admit to that.

[David Zephyr]

23. Wait Until the Drugs and Women Charges Against Kerry Start.

Fox has already been hinting about this.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

27. I can wait, but you seem to have trouble doing so.

Why?

[THUNDER HANDS]

28. oh yeah....that'll stick

A guy who looks like a cross between Ichibod Craine and Abraham Lincoln is not gonna be pegged a drugged-out womanizer. LOL.

Please...next scare tactic.

[David Zephyr]

35. OK, Have It You're Way. You're Right.

The media will not go after John Kerry.

Now just keep saying that over and over. I'll send you a prayer rug.

I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks, I do, I do....

[edzontar]

36. The media is just getting started on Kerry

Anyone who imagines they will not try to crucify him has to be incredibly naive.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

21. well, he'll have to 'implode' first.

lol

[edzontar]

37. You are SO missing the point....

But you know what, keep dreaming, some of us have been around for a few more years than you, and have seen it all before--too often, actually.

I wish no one would attack Sen, Kerry, but they will, as sure as the sun rises in the east.

[edzontar]

26. Fineman does not intend anything constructive--he is a destroyer

And enemy of all Dems.


He isn't MWO's Whore of the Year for nothing.

[THUNDER HANDS]

29. he's written positive pieces on Dean in the past

I've read them. Is he only a whore when you don't agree with him?

[edzontar]

31. He is always a whore. Beware. Not to be trusted.

nt

[THUNDER HANDS]

32. he's a very good writer

That's all I care about. DIffering opinions don't scare me. :)

[edzontar]

34. You are free to defend the man if you like, but I warn you....

He is universally reviled by all progressives familiar with his work in the Clinton-smearing, Gore-bashing era.

His Dean attacks here and on Tweety Matthews' show are textbook specimens of Media Whoredom, and if you like this stuff, fine, but don't expect any sympathy when he turns on your man--and he will, my friend, he will--if Kerry stays in the lead for long.

[Maddy McCall]

19. No sense of humor? I thought he was fabulous on Letterman last nite.

[TopesJunkie]

25. What planet did this guy drop down from? --

No sense of humor? Excuse me? What a line of hogwash the whole way through.