Dean among contenders for TIME mag's "Person of the Year"

[pruner]

CNN will air a special half-hour report on the process of selecting this year's Time magazine "Person of the Year." The list for 2003 includes top world leaders like George W. Bush and Tony Blair, presidential hopeful and political grassroots instigator Howard Dean, and none other than "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling.

…

The show, to be broadcast Dec. 21 at 8:30 a.m. ET, will take viewers behind the scenes of the selection process, profiling some of the hopefuls.

http://www.hpana.com/news.cfm?nid=17775

[Sean Reynolds]

1. It'll be between Bush, Dean and Saddam

My bets are now that Saddam is in our hands, Bush will win it. Or Saddam will.....

[slinkerwink]

2. I hope, hope, hope, hope, hope, that it's Dean!

[IndianaGreen]

There is a jinx to being named Person of the Year

I just as soon Bush gets it, and the jinx continues with his defeat in 2004.

[cprise]

7. Ditto

Let them pass on Dean. He'll be better off for it.

Having today's press heap admiration on you is a dubious distinction.

[Myra]

16. Mixed bag. Y2K=George W. Bush, 2001=Giuliani, 2002=corp whistleblowers.

http://www.time.com/time/poy2000/
http://www.time.com/time/poy2001/
http://www.time.com/time/personoftheyear/2002/poyintro.html

[cprise]

19. Those 1st two are pretty icky

Vomit-inducing and completely deranged!

Please, TIME, stay away from Dean.

[Northwind]

27. You might want to rethink that

Seeing as Bush was person of the Year in 2000.

[alcuno]

4. It will be Bush. Sad but true.

I think they judge based upon the greatest impact and so I don't see how they would pick anyone else; not positive impact, just impact.

[molly]

5. Why? He'll have to disclose more about himself

and that may prove deadly to his campaign.

[Torrey Pines]

6. That would be interesting -

Dean has had a heck of a year, but frankly, I would be amazed. I think next year is more likely - if he wins. ;-)

[TrueAmerican]

8. Wesley Clark will be it next year.

Sorry for your dissapointment.

[cprise]

21. Clark needs all the corporate treacle he can get

Let him have it.

And while you're waiting for that glorious day, read this bit of work:
http://www.time.com/time/poy2000

[Cha]

3. How Neat that Dean is a

"Contender"!

[dean4america]

9. oh crap...

it'll be something like Dean AND Saddam both making the cover... we'd never live down that image.

<sarcasm sort of off>

[DrFunkenstein]

10. What About Osama?

No, really, what about Osama? Where the hell is he?

[ozone_man]

17. Maybe Dean will capture Osama?

That would get him the man of the year award. Osama has too many connections to BFEE. I doubt he'll ever be found, by Bush.

[MercutioATC]

25. Osama was possible in 2001, not now...

What has he done in 2003?

[liberalmuse]

11. Bush will likely get it.

I wouldn't be surprised if that's why they 'captured' Saddam just in time for the honors. Rove probably wants his boy on Time mag--anything superficial and meaningless. God, I'm cynical.

[tedoll78]

12. Well..

Dean has been on magazine covers galore. It wouldn't be a stretch, given how he's managed to turn political wisdom on its head.

[shance]

13. Contender? Dean IS the Person of the Year.....

Other applicants need not apply.

:)

[AntiCoup2K4]

14. I'd rather see the Doc get it NEXT year....

...after he kicks Junior's unelected chimp ass!

[Dookus]

15. Being Time's Person of the Year

isn't meant to be an honor. Unfortunately, they've caved in to public protest and now it's just a popularity contest.

Two years ago, there was no denying that Osama Bin Laden should've been the Person of the Year (just as Adolf Hitler was in '38, I believe). Unfortunately, Time caved and picked Rudy Giuliani.

The title is supposed to go to the person who, for good or bad, most affected world events.

If they were sincere in this, it would be hard to argue that Saddam Hussein "deserves" the title, but I doubt he'll get it. I think it'll be Bush.

ON EDIT: Now that I think about it, I think they'll probably either choose Jessica Lynch OR some generic "The American Soldier".

[Clark Can WIN]

18. If they must

I hope they use this photo

[osaMABUSh]

20. Bush got it in 2000 - will they give to him so soon again?

Yes, SH should get it based on the orginal criteria. If SH isn't caught just now then Dean probably gets it.

Dean may still get it. If he does they'll blame it on the liberal media. If Bush gets it then they'll be no discussion.

Is there anybody else out there as a contender?

[corporatewhore]

22. i can see why bush would contend wasnt stalin

or hitler a man of the year

[Dookus]

23. Yes...

Hitler was Man of the Year in 1938.

[TheWebHead]

24. conservatives will spontaneously combust

literally if Dean is named... I can't even begin to imagine the level of bitching and moaning, liberal media squawk we'd get.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

29. I disagree.

Every Bushist wants Dean to win.

[LuminousX]

26. To be nominated is an award in and of itself. GO DEAN

[SeveneightyWhoa]

28. Dean will win. Guaranteed.

Why? Because it will ensure his nomination. And judging by their behaviour, thats exactly what the media is pushing. No better way to push it than this.

And it won't be Bush, because I doubt they'd give it to him twice in three years.

[incapsulated]

30. Reasons why you wouldn't want this

This isn't a flame, just my opinion, for what it's worth.

At this point, Dean hasn't won anything, the primaries haven't even started yet. So, in effect, he would be getting the cover for his campaign. Which is actually one of the issues for which he has recieved some critcism, that the "Dean Movement" has less to do with actually winning the Presidency and more to do with navel-gazing at it's own success, that it's more about the campaign than the candidate. That will be brought up again if he wins, for good and bad, because no campaign, especially a, um, "enthusiastic" one like Dean's, is going to get nothing but glowing reviews.

Also, precisely because he hasn't achieved his stated purpose(s), the nomination and then the Presidency, the choice will come under attack as undeserved by some in the media. That's bad PR you don't want, bad press based on something you didn't even ask for.

Last, I just see it as bad juju, to get this kind of "honor" before you've achieved your goal. Better to get it for meeting that goal, rather than your impressive attempt to get there. I mean, if Dean won the Presidency, that would be cover-worthy. So getting it now is kind of tempting the fates, in a superstitious way, since two in a row is rare.