The Democratic candidates should quit picking on Dean

[Cascadian]

Many of them especially Kerry and Lieberman should help themselves and their fading campaigns by attacking Bush more than attacking Dean. It is beyond me why they are wasting their time on poo poo-ing Howard Dean. I seriously wonder if this is what Rove really wants. A Democratic Party so fragmented that come the convention in Boston, the party is so divided and enouggh sour grapes to go around that nobody will come together. Howard Dean and his team should be commended for at least bringing people back into caring about politics again. Otherwise they would probably sit out this election year.


John

[Jerseycoa]

1. Right

And Dean should stop picking on everybody else.

[Cascadian]

3. Dean is defending himself.

and handling the riff raff quite well. Thank you very much. I want my candidates to be fighters not wimps.

John

[Padraig18]

2. they're just hurting themselves.

Let them keep at it. The sooner they're gone, the better.

[sandnsea]

4. Dean's running people out of politics

I know way more people horrified by Dean than I do enamored by him. How many new registered voters in the primary states are there? Got any figures? I haven't seen ONE article about floods of voters at the county election offices.

And if Dean could get his head out of his ass and stop bashing candidates about the war, we might, just might, be able to prove Bush lied about this war. Will he do it? Can he do it? Can he put Bush and his lies ahead of his campaign? I doubt it, but we'll see.

Picking on Dean. Good lord.

[LoZoccolo]

6. I wish you'd tell us stuff like...

...why people are horrified by Dean.

I really have no reason to stop supporting him over the other candidates.

[sandnsea]

20. We have; ad nauseum

Supporters of every other candidate have said why they're horrified by Dean. I can't imagine how you missed it.

[Cascadian]

7. Dean has a good point.

Kerry never should have supported Bush's invasion on Iraq and the Patriot Act. This shows me he is not fit to be president. It is just my opinion. Not any bashing of course but it's a fact. Dean wants to give the Democratic Party a spine for once. Don't you want a party that stands up to injustice or one that just let's the Republicans win every time?


John

[sandnsea]

25. Dean shouldn't have supported the war and Patriot Act

Yet he did. I want a party that stands up for telling the truth. Maybe that's what Dean is feeling, the truth biting him in the ass and it just feels like buckshot.

[MIMStigator]

8. That's a good post

eom

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bitchkitty]

31. I believe you -

I know way more people horrified by Dean than I do enamored by him.

[Clark Can WIN]

33. So do I

Out here in the RW I know tens of people who are disgusted by Dean and NOT ONE who is an open supporter of him. I do know a few Kerry supporters and one Kucinich supporter. The undecides I know are wary of Dean and becoming more so.

[blm]

5. Yeah, RIGHT! Look at these two press releases from Dean and Kerry -

Kerry's statement is ALL against Bush and his serious lies to the American people.

Dean's statement is all about him and he deceptively portrays himself as if he NEVER supported a resolution for use of force as per Biden-Lugar bill while attacking the OTHER candidates. He attacks the others to glorify HIMSELF. What a jerk!

Dean:
SPRINGFIELD -- "I've always said the President had failed to make the case to go to war with Iraq. Most of my Democratic opponents reached a different conclusion, and in the process, they failed to ask the difficult questions. Now, after the fact, we are learning new information about the true circumstances of the Bush administration's push for war, this time, by one of his former cabinet secretaries.

"The country deserves to know - and the President needs to answer - why the American people were presented with misleading or manufactured intelligence as to why going to war with Iraq was necessary. Secretary O'Neill's comments only underscore the continuing importance that these outstanding questions be answered."

Kerry:
Des Moines, Iowa -- "These are very serious charges by a former high
ranking Administration official. We already knew the Administration
failed to focus on the threat from Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda. We
already knew the Administration broke every promise they made to work
through the U.N., use the resolution to enforce inspections, build a
coalition, and plan for peace. But Secretary O'Neill's revelations would mean the Administration never intended to even try to keep those
promises.

It would mean they were dead-set on going to war alone since
almost the day they took office and deliberately lied to the American
people, Congress, and the world. It would mean that for purely
ideological reasons they planned on putting American troops in a
shooting gallery occupying an Arab country almost alone. The White House needs to answer these charges truthfully because they threaten to shatter their already damaged credibility as never before."

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0110.html 
 

[Cascadian]

10. Why did Kerry buckle and support the war then?

eom


John

[NewYorkerfromMass]

13. war wasn't the desired end result

of most everyone who voted Yes on IWR.
It was all about holding Saddam accountable, and ensuring American security.

[Cascadian]

17. And they fell for the Bush administration lies.

They should have been more objectionable instead of falling for the Bush fibs.

John

[blm]

16. He supported the same road to use of force that Dean did

in Biden-Lugar.


btw...the point was that even on THIS serious of a situation Dean attacks the other Democrats disingenuously (considering his B-L support) BEFORE he atttacks Bush.

Dean is a JERK!

[sandnsea]

21. No more war card

Done, finito. Bush lied this country into the war and if you ever want the man to be held accountable you're going to have to go after him instead of people who had nothing to do with him choosing to go to war when it wasn't necessary. Bush did it. Bush should pay.

[arewethereyet]

9. So Dr Dean gets a free ride on all the stuff he does ?

Don't you think its possible that people committed to the party and its continued health should take an active hand in keeping it's own membership above reproach ?

Its not like they're spending money looking for this stuff because they have nothing better to spend money on.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

19. excellent point

"should take an active hand in keeping it's own membership above reproach ?"

There are plenty of bashes that go around for all the candidates. And of course Dean gets the most because of his media poll leading status.

But the flaps/gaffes/lies are not created. They are Dean's own words. Gore's supposed lies in 2000 were all media creations. He never said those things. Dean HAS voiced with his own lips many of the misstatements that are making people upset.

TWL

[CWebster]

34. Just like they are the chimps own words, eh?

What's that, never hear about bush's gaffes ?

Used to be a time when you had the freedom to rip Bush a new asshole on these threads, now it is more likely someone will take offense and place the onus on Dean instead.

[ThirdWheelLegend]

38. this is GD PRIMARY discussion

And just because Bush's gaffe/lies are 'more eviler' doesn't make it ok for Dean to misrepresent others and himself for political gain.

TWL

[Democrats unite]

11. excuse me?

"Many of them especially Kerry and Lieberman should help themselves and their fading campaigns"

Please don't make me laugh!

My Daddy always told me practice what you preach!

[YellowDawgDemocrat]

12. Nah, it's all part of the game and expected for any serious candidate

Attacks have very short lives. After the emotion wears off, people start using their heads and start asking "why, why now?" Dangerous strategy that often backfires. I believe most people lean toward one candidate during the primaries and it's human nature to not want to admit you were wrong...even if it's to yourself.

Attacks always come toward the end of an event or campaign and are always in the direction of the front-runner. By now most people are realizing that Dean has been campaigning for 2 years, the press has had 2 years to dig up dirt on Dean and are asking themselves, why now?
Nobody likes to see an orchestrated attack on anyone. That's why stink bombs are usually announced on Thursdays. It gives the media a chance to shape their weekend political shows and maximize the damage, although short lived.

[mikewriter]

15. Dean can handle the jabs

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. The ones who are being the bullies know they have no chance at beating Dean.

[maddezmom]

18. this is nothing, he's the frontrunner and it's primary season n/t

[Printer70]

22. We are getting labeled as negative, pessimistic

Because all we do is attack. I know Kerry, Edwards, Gephardt want to move up - but do it through presenting an alternative vision. Slinging mud gives the party a bad image- in the recent USAToday/Gallup, the GOP had a +12 favorability, we had a near flat favorability at +3. It didn't always used to be this way.

[blm]

23. Dean attacked the others to make his name and now

you want everyone else to shut up and not reciprocate from that weasel's attacks?

[Clark Can WIN]

36. Gee, who started all this negativity?

Could it be the ANGER candidate? Tom DeLay's choice for the democratic party? Even though DEAN SUPPORTED A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FORCE?

DeLay’s ploy: Building up Dean to aid GOP
By Jonathan E. Kaplan

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) is drawing as much attention as possible to former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in the hope that this will compel other Democratic presidential candidates to go out on a limb and match his anti-war rhetoric.

Delay’s tactic, a well-placed source told The Hill, is a version of the axiom: “My enemy’s enemy is my friend.”

snip http://www.hillnews.com/news/031903/dean.aspx

[Bread and Circus]

24. Why is it that Dean can call the rest of them names for 12 + months

but can't take it?

[knight_of_the_star]

26. Why?

He's been doing the same to them.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

27. He went on the attack first - he should stop whining and the "poor me" act

You can't take the heat... get out of the kitchen.

[sandnsea]

35. Pity party to me, pity party to me

That's Dean.

[PATRICK]

28. it's not the big deal

Enraged supporters or the news media would have us believe. No one has gone over the limits. If there was no fighting the new media line would be they were dull clones.

These guys are pros. The ones who can get beyond the intramurals to make positive inroads with the brainwashed and the nitpickers have to be geniuses. I can second guess sports teams like a real jerk but these guys right now are pretty hard to second guess unless you hate Democrats in general.

I hear all sorts of "good intentioned" second guessing by GOP smoothies. Who cares what they think?

[cindyw]

29. Waaaaa, Waaaaaa, Waaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

n/t

[Hep]

30. Wow. Thanks for the sapid response!

n/t

[sangh0]

37. She's emulating the master

You know, the one with post whose text reads "n/t"

[CWebster]

32. Mary! Mary!

Help! What is my position about this, again?