More political cannibalism for Democrats

[RetroLounge]

"The Democrats, long avatars of the circular firing squad, are again engaged in ritual self-marginalization. This time the object of scorn is Howard Dean, the man who is leading the other eight contenders for the presidential nomination in every category by which we keep score in preseason politics: polls, money and endorsements."

"The party swells in Washington are tut-tutting about how Dean is just wrong, wrong, wrong for the party. He's too shoot-from-the-lip. He's too angry. He was born without an optimism gene. He's too far to the left, a 49-state loser waiting to happen."

"If Dean is so bad, one might ask, and yet is doing so much better than the rest of the nine-person field, then what does that say about them?"

"How's Dean looking now?"

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/chi-0401040200jan04,1,7120380.story?coll=chi-printperspective-hed

[WillyT]

1. Hey, Nobody Has Circular Firing Squads, Like Us DUers Have 'Em !!!

It will all be decided soon enough.

Thank God!!!

:hi:

[billbuckhead]

2. Most Americans supported the war in Iraq and the Bush tax cuts

Dean doesn't have the credibilty or intelligence to explain to middle America why they shouldn't. Dean has minority positions in the party let alone the general electorate. Dean's greatest strength is that Kerry, Gephardt, Edwards and Lieberman divide up the non Dean vote.

[RetroLounge]

4. Whatever...

Now try reading the article and commenting on it please.

[are_we_united_yet]

7. "Deans greatest strength ..."" blah blah blah

Why aren't any of the other folks front runners if Dean sucks so much?

[HereSince1628]

5. Agreed, soon the field will thin

Its become rather brutal but 1) no one can say the nominee that emerges won't have been adequately practiced at fending off attacks, and 2) I think it will actually get better once people can put their vote into play...

I am all for the give and take, as painful as it can be at times.

[napi21]

3. De4an still looks good.

It's standard practice to badger the opposition in the party primary. Remember what GWB did to McCain! Remember what Gore did! I listened to the follow-up calls after the debate on c-span. Of course you had some Pub callers who said none of them were worth anything, but most callers said Lieberman looked like a Repub and should switch parties, Kuchinich was good but not electable, Kerry comes across as a rich elite who doesn't understand ordinary people, Gephardt has just been around too long.

Of course none of the Washington folks want Dean, he's putting them down! But then so is the entire Dem Party. They have been woos es for the last several years. What do they expect?

We'll see what happens in the primaries. And THEN we'll see about November. All the Dem's, and a lot of the Pubs aren't happy with GWB!!!!!

[shance]

6. Great article Retro. Thanks.

n/t

[Skwmom]

8. Most voters have not been introduced to the real Dean.

In the Ohio focus they praised Dean for being a straight talker. The Dean campaign has gotten away with falsely labeling Dean because the corporate media and right wing talking heads have chosen to prop up Dean. In the general election, the myths will be destroyed and Dean and unfortunately the Democratic party will be labeled as a bunch of lying hypocrites.

[RetroLounge]

10. Uh huh...

and your candidate is BEHIND Dean why?

:shrug:

the corporate media?
right wing talking heads?

I guess he isn't strong enough to define himself. So sorry...

[sventvkg]

9. Exactly, Washington insiders don't like Dean cause he doesn't' like them

The Beltway boys are losers. The American People know it and have their number. They Dem congressmen are out of touch with the Base and have not accepted that they are being held accountable for the last 3 years. When Dean or Clark get the Nom, maybe they will begin to understand that they did this to themselves.