Howard Dean: Lip Shooter or Truth Teller?

[WI_DEM]

The corporate media picks up on everything Dean says and is trying to, it seems, destroy the DNC Chairman by using his words against him (often taken out of context).

What are your thoughts is Howard Dean too much of a lip shooter--talking before thinking or is he a guy who tells it like it is?

[Hobarticus]

1. If he were Dubya, he'd be called "folksy"...

If he were John Bolton, he'd be called "determined".

If he were O'Reilly, he'd STILL be an assclown.

[jpgray]

2. He's both, but I wouldn't say he's too blunt or offensive

It's more that he generalizes and the media can pick on it if they want to. And they do--they love picking apart Dean's statements and stirring up internecine warfare among Democrats almost as much as they loved finding new "lies" from Gore in 2000. Dean should keep this in mind when he makes these generalizations, because they will be misinterpreted. Or he should use this knowledge to get out carefully worded messages for free when the media pounce on him.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. That's not Dean's fault -- it's the media's.

The media could just as easily parse every statement that comes from the administration, just as we do every day, but they choose not to.

Dean can 1) continue on as he is doing; 2) tone down the rhetoric for fear of being pounced on; or 3) speak carefully so as to be nuanced in his every statement.

Doing '1' he stays in the news and gets the message out. With '2', he would be no different than his predecessor. With '3', he would be no different than Kerry, who was slammed by both sides for being too nuanced, and too careful -- he "couldn't connect with the people".

What he should do is call the media on their bias -- that's how the administration intimidated them into parroting everything Bush says. Don't be afraid to call the media 'unpatriotic' for repeating known lies that hurt the country. Get the statement out there that the media is controlled by a corporate elite, and is not interested in real news, just profits.

Our candidates cannot go to the mats with the media, but he can be a spokesman now that he is not a candidate.

Keep telling the truth, Howard.

[jpgray]

11. It doesn't have to be all one or the other

It's not black and white. Dean can choose his words carefully without wholly sacrificing his message, and if he does say something provocative, he can tailor it so the party will benefit when it gets trumpeted across all media. In this latest instance, his rhetoric didn't do as much good as it could, and it got two factions involved in a dumb pissing war that helps nobody but the Republicans.

[faithnotgreed]

19. precisely

[faithnotgreed]

18. totally agree jpgray. they attack him but he gives them generalizations

to pounce on

dean (and democrats) have too much work to do and such great policies to talk about that i feel this is time wasted.
and i know some think this is the only way that dean will get any press. well who wants that kind of coverage? all they give him time to do is go over the same statement over and over

if he (or other dems) would announce bold policy suggestions or if they would coordinate a press conference or something that would show americans that democrats stand for something other than rapping the republicans then we would win people over every time

i just dont get why we dont spend our very limited time talking about the important issues.
america is being drowned! there are so many areas that need desperate help and were debating (again and just like kerry) the missteps of a democratic leader

we need to get real work done. and fast. 2006 is right around the corner. dean can be on every single channel all day every day but if the only thing he is doing is trying to convince the audience that he is right in his assessment of the gop then that doesnt convey a strong message! to the average person it only conveys that he is a politician. and dean is so much more than that

people who dont have health insurance or jobs or any money or poor education options do not want to hear for the millionth time that the gop or bush is bad
we know that
we need to hear what is going to be done to fight it and what is going to be done if the democrats get some seats back in 2006 and the white house in 2008

we need you dr dean. youre too intelligent and quick and caring and different to let them use you like this. stick to the issues and we will win every single time (diebold notwithstanding)
yeah - talk about bbv. we desperately need reform there too!

[napi21]

3. It time for the politically corect crowd to go away!

People have gotten so used to politically correct speak they get offended when someone tells it like it is! I say, keep it up Doc! People will get used to the truth again if they hear it often enough!

[Pacifist Patriot]

4. He gets flak not because he's blunt, undiplomatic or a lip shooter...

He gets flak because the criticism and insights are not coming from Republican lips.

[libhill]

9. Correct -

We're all supposed to stay in our place, keep our mouths shut, and accept everthing the Repukes say as gospel. Fuck the Republicans, and fuck the corporate media whores. Mr. Dean, you go, dude.

[MADem]

5. His language motivated me to send a check to the DNC

If you can afford it, even a small contribution "making the point" will speak volumes to the more timid in our party.

Time for some blunt talk across the board, IMHO. I'm flat-out sick of this GOP bullshit, and I LIKE the fact that he calls those nitwits out. Enough of this pinky-in-the-air, teacup sipping nonsense. Time to break that teacup and cut those sonsabitches right by the EYE!!!

[libhill]

14. Amen to that

Do I hear a hallelujah, brothers?

[DinahMoeHum]

6. As another no-bullshit kinda guy, Harry Truman, once said. . .

"I never gave them hell, I just tell the truth and they think it's hell."


:kick:

[Jensen]

8. Harry had it right...

Keep telling it like it is Dean! :kick:

[Johonny]

10. Party needs more

While a shooter like Dean might be unelectable to higher office it's clear the party needs more people like him. The rethugs have so many of the cuff "straight" talkers. Dems need someone that can break through the media non-interest and get the party onto the news.

[valis]

12. I'm so sick of this PC, false non-confrontational BS going on everywhere.

I love Dean's frankness. It's refreshing. Slowly, we are being censored. There are huge portions of our life we cannot talk about in a frank manner anymore.

[gort]

13. cnn poll on now

http://www.cnn.com/

Are Howard Dean's comments about Republicans appropriate?

Yes
No
VIEW RESULTS

[WI_DEM]

15. they show the results as 50-50

but it's actually 51-49 in Dean's favor.

[VOX]

16. YES!!! 36874 Yes, 36160 No -- HOW is that 50-50????? n/t

[garybeck]

17. I'm from Vermont. I want to tell you all something

I don't want to make generalizations but I want you all to know that there were some very significant things that Dean would repeatedly say during campaigns and then do NOTHING after getting elected. the most frustrating one to me was his lip service about promoting renewable energy. every election cycle he would talk and talk about how Vermont needs to use more solar and wind power. but during his administration Vermont continued to be one of the few states that had no tax incentives or any financial assistance to encourage renewable energy use. Sadly it was only after he left and a republican governor took over that we finally got a (temporary) tax incentive for use of solar energy.

I think he really likes photo ops.

[chaska]

20. WE NEED TO GET OUT THE MESSAGE: Dems will no longer eat their own.

Email Richardson and Biden and Edwards and give them a swift kick up the backside.

[Duncan Grant]

21. Howard's speaking truth to power in a language everyone can understand.

I'm happy he's not intimidated by the right wing! It's about time we deal with things as they are and not as we wish them to be. :patriot: