Des Moines Register: Democrats fret over candidates' bickering

[DeepModem Mom]

Democrats fret over candidates' bickering
By JASON CLAYWORTH • REGISTER STAFF WRITER • November 19, 2007

Increasing clashes among the leading Democratic presidential candidates have sparked concern from some caucusgoers and even candidates that the squabbling may weaken the party's chance of victory in the 2008 presidential election. Others say the eventual nominee will emerge stronger as a result of the grilling. At issue are a growing number of news releases, public appearances and speeches by Democrats that directly or indirectly target each other in hopes of swaying Iowa caucusgoers....

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Strong primary or caucus attacks among presidential candidates with other rivals in their party have historically provided mixed results. George H.W. Bush, for example, used the catch phrase "voodoo economics" in 1980 to describe Ronald Reagan's plan to lower taxes while increasing the defense budget. Bush ultimately won the Iowa GOP caucuses but didn't win the nomination that year. Reagan selected him for the vice president spot partly as a way to unify the party.

More recent was the political jousting between former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt. They both were leading Democrats in polls during much of 2003. But their campaigns collapsed to Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Edwards by January 2004 after a barrage of pointing fingers at each other. Kerry, who ultimately won the Democratic nomination and selected Edwards as his running mate, lost to President Bush.

"On a national level, I don't see these attacks really hurting anybody right now, but on an Iowa level it may be a different story," said Dianne Bystrom, the director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University. The Iowa campaign "is a much more interpersonal process, so negative attacks take on a more personal meaning."

Jon Mott, a political science professor at Brigham Young University, said negative information has to be believable and perceived as relevant before it would influence caucusgoers. "There is always a potential for a very bitter, negative primary to have a negative impact on the person who services that and goes into a general election," Mott said. "Certainly if it got worse, if it really got mean and nasty, I think that could have an impact, but I don't think we've entered that territory yet."...

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071119/NEWS09/711190340/-1/caucus

[Mountainman]

1. You mean to tell me they read DU?

:sarcasm:

[Peregrine Took]

2. Perfect entry time for a knight on a white horse to come charging in - Al ???

Where are you now that your party need you??

[itsrobert]

3. Yup, the bickering between Obama and Clinton may turn the voters to another choice

Maybe Edwards?