Life After Dean - Molly Ivins

[Cassandra]

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=16463

" I say we're in for a terrific two weeks if both Kerry and John Edwards do the issue stuff they're both well-placed to do. Kerry has a strong, well-thought-out health-care plan, and he should make it his signature issue -- and put some passion into it, if he's got any. Edwards, with his populist riff, is perfectly placed to take on globalization directly.
<snip>
What was so scary about Howard Dean? Could it be because he (and some very bright young people who worked with him) found this way to raise real money in small amounts from regular people, and that just threatened the hell out of a lot of big corporate special interests? And out of an entire political establishment that is entirely too comfortable with the incestuous relationship between big money and politics? For just a moment in time, Dean was ahead of the pack -- and no one owned him. Go back and look at whom that scared.

Sure, Dean self-destructed to some extent. He now does a very funny imitation of his own "scream speech," delivered in a quiet monotone and ending with a mild, deadpan, "Yahoo." (Come to think of it, he should have done that riff on Leno the night after he made the speech: We all have great ideas when it's too late.) "

Great column. Something for everyone except Kucinich supporters.

[mhr]

1. Ivins' Nails It, Dean And His Supporters Scared The Establishment

Why, that sounds like democracy.

We can't have any of that in America.

Why, of course not!

[cindyw]

2. Since when did the big corporate interests have a vote in the primaries

This insults the supporters, the firefighters and the vets who worked their asses off to make this happen.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Since forever.

[adadem]

4. That's right

I'm not a corporate interest...the only interest I have is my kid's future.

[RichM]

5. I'm disappointed in Ivins for pretending that Kucinich doesn't exist.

I had previously thought she was better than that. I'm revising my opinion of her downwards.

[dansolo]

6. Not to knock Kucinich

But he didn't scare the establishment as much as Dean did.

[Cappadonna]

12. I don't think Molly was writing off DK off, just pointing out the reality.

The powers that be had nothing to fear from Kucinich or Sharpton. The good Reverend was a sideshow distraction at best and DK's supporters are basically pissed off hippies and greens biding their time until Nader once again coronates himself a latter Jesus of the electorate. Yeah, Kucinich and Sharpton were hitting the real issues, but quite frankly they're lightweights at best. They lack the political muscle, the media presence and the track record to beat Bush.

Dean was different. He spoke about alot (if not most) of the issues that DK was hitting on and could bring out the soccer moms and nascar dads (I hate those terms, btw) that probably wouldn't be caught dead at Kucinich meet up. He wasn't some left wing nut, his record and his own danm words prove that. He was, however, a principled human being who was going to salvage the Democratic leadership from having their heads stuck of Cheney's rectum. And on top of that, he could beat Bush without the help of the same dirty money that controls the likes of Kerry and Edwards. Not they are evil or that Dean was perfect, but the DLC would have NO control over the Doctor.

So essentially Kucinich == a humbler Nader with better disposition and the experience of an actual elected office, Dean == John McCain with better politics & no need to pretend to trust or like Bush.

[MoonAndSun]

7. The leaders of change are always a target for those they are trying

to change. The DNC/DLC and the rest of the Dem establishment were scared out of their wits to see this man garner so much attention from "real people". Molly is absolutely right, they want to keep their power to their small circle of friends, and the Dean movement threatened that circle. Hence the media and Dem attacks that scared average Dem voters who pay attention only during primary and general election time.

But Dean and his supporters are not going away, change will happen, slowly but surely it will happen.

[Meldread]

9. Agreed!

We aren't going away!

[MrSoundAndVision]

8. Great column. Something for everyone except Kucinich supporters.

Telling I think as well.

[pezcore64]

10. Well

I definitely think Howard should have hit up a late night show after IOWA to poke fun at himself too on national TV and then be able to sit and talk to the host about how it was blown out of shape and explain how he was just keeping the moral up. I think if he had said those things on a show thats light hearted and non-political, the whole issue would have been dead in the matter of a couple days instead of the weeks of hearing/watching the same "yeaaaaargh" over n over again while completely leaving out the first half of his speach.

He shoulda fought them labling him as angry and crazy after such allegation were made. SNL, LENO, Letterman, CONAN.... I dont care which one, he shoulda gone on and shown the american peoples hes not angry or crazy. Which any person who has talked to him , or met him in non-crowed pumping mode, would tell you without a doubt.

[mzmolly]

11. Gotta love that Molly...

:hi:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. That was a very excellent article

[Feanorcurufinwe]

14. Ivins commits the common fallacy

of casting anyone who is not in the anti-globalization camp as being in favor of absolute deregulation.

Actually, I think the best argument against globalization is precisely that it kills the goose that lays the golden egg -- capitalism. In case you hadn't noticed, advanced, deregulated capitalism is rapidly producing a world without competition.
http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=16463

Globalization is not an ideology, movement, governing philosophy or political viewpoint. It is a trend. Being anti-globalization in the 21st Century is like being anti-industrialization in the 19th century.

[RetroLounge]

15. Go Molly

"I think we owe Howard Dean more than a, "Gee thanks for participating in our noble political system." Personally, I'd like to say, "Gee, thanks for helping keep democracy alive when it looked fairly dicey."

No Doubt...

[jansu]

16. Thomas Jefferson said it best!

"When the people fear the government you have tyranny; when the government fears the people you have liberty."
-- Thomas Jefferson