Matthew Dowd, Strategist Who Coined The Phrase "Flip Flopper" Now Says Kerry Was Right

[ariesgem]

AUSTIN, Tex., March 29 — In 1999, Matthew Dowd became a symbol of George W. Bush’s early success at positioning himself as a Republican with Democratic appeal.

A top strategist for the Texas Democrats who was disappointed by the Bill Clinton years, Mr. Dowd was impressed by the pledge of Mr. Bush, then governor of Texas, to bring a spirit of cooperation to Washington. He switched parties, joined Mr. Bush’s political brain trust and dedicated the next six years to getting him to the Oval Office and keeping him there. In 2004, he was appointed the president’s chief campaign strategist.

Looking back, Mr. Dowd now says his faith in Mr. Bush was misplaced.

snip................

He criticized the president as failing to call the nation to a shared sense of sacrifice at a time of war, failing to reach across the political divide to build consensus and ignoring the will of the people on Iraq. He said he believed the president had not moved aggressively enough to hold anyone accountable for the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and that Mr. Bush still approached governing with a “my way or the highway” mentality reinforced by a shrinking circle of trusted aides.

snip................

Mr. Dowd, a crucial part of a team that cast Senator John Kerry as a flip-flopper who could not be trusted with national security during wartime, said he had even written but never submitted an op-ed article titled “Kerry Was Right,” arguing that Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and 2004 presidential candidate, was correct in calling last year for a withdrawal from Iraq.


snip................

In the last several years, as he has gradually broken his ties with the Bush camp, one of Mr. Dowd’s premature twin daughters died, he was divorced, and he watched his oldest son prepare for deployment to Iraq as an Army intelligence specialist fluent in Arabic. Mr. Dowd said he had become so disillusioned with the war that he had considered joining street demonstrations against it, but that his continued personal affection for the president had kept him from joining protests whose anti-Bush fervor is so central.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/washington/01adviser.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1175368218-cyyjPeRPtD7iIVo8lP6hOw&oref=slogin

[cassiepriam]

1. Too late they get smart.

[Make7]

2. Who's a flip-flopper now? ( n/t )

[rodeodance]

3. 'flip flopper'---Really was a factor in doing Kerry in!

[blm]

15. Kerry won - media claims flipflop or swifts made him lose to cover up for GOP election fraud

If you can get the public to believe Kerry lost because of 'flip-flop'.... or....'gays' ... or.... 'swifts'...or anything else, you can AVOID the examination of GOP election fraud.

[Kolesar]

4. LBN discussion in progress

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2789035 I like your excerpts, though. The last one about anti Bush fervor is a hoot.

[Skittles]

5. anyone who was EVER impressed by bush needs a solid ass-kicking

yes INDEED

[sandnsea]

6. The Deanie's started the flip-flop thing

And it's a pretty old term anyway. He may have decided to really ramp it up, but he didn't "coin" the phrase.

And no, I don't blame the Deanie's for the flip-flopper thing either. He would have been 'Waffle Powered Howard', that's just the way politics works.

[dsc]

8. any proof we started that

I seem to recall both ho hos and waffles. I also think we were out of the race when Kerry said his "I voted for it before I voted against it" which really fueled that flip flop thing.

[sandnsea]

13. Here

Dec 2003

"Howard Dean supporters gave John Kerry a peculiar Christmas gift -- flip-flop sandals.

Iowans for Dean delivered the "present" to the Massachusetts senator's Iowa campaign headquarters on Wednesday. Both Dean and Kerry are among nine candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

"Sen. Kerry has been flip-flopping on issues throughout his career and campaign, and we thought we could make things a little more comfortable for him," said Dean spokeswoman Sarah Leonard.

Kerry has flip-flopped on issues including the war in Iraq, Social Security, intelligence resources and taxes, Leonard said in a news release..."

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2003/12/25/news/breaking_news/7ed3357c5be848ed86256e070013feee.txt

[Kahuna]

12. Actually, the term has been around for years...

I don't think anybody coined it.

[sandnsea]

14. Well yes

I didn't mean anybody on the Dean campaign coined it either, just that flip-flop and waffle were terms thrown around during the primaries. Dowd didn't "coin" anything and didn't even create the smear really.

[DemReadingDU]

7. his article is being discussed on Washington Journal

[KharmaTrain]

9. -Dowd Will Make A Great Shoe Salesman

May this be a note to any Democrat who crawls in bed with Repugnicans...you wake up with fleas! Screw Dowd and his "bipartisan" bullshit. He knew he was not only supporting lies in '00 and '04, but also was privvy to a lot of the dirty tricks used against Kerry, Dean and others. Regrets from this piece of shit? Spare me.

Sure sounds like a "consultant" on the outs. He's got no horse in '06 and the phone isn't ringing. His waste of a website "Hot Soup" went down the tubes and now his political career is finished. Now this dude is without a party and a clue.

[SoCalDem]

10. Mr Dowd had himself a flip-flop epiphany

As long as things were going gangbusters for him he was cool with everything, but after a death of a child, loss of a marriage and his son deploying , it looks like he found his old soul..

Better late than never, but it does not excuse the damage he did.

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. Now that HIS son is going to Iraq, he sees the light. Funny how that happens, eh?

I'm glad he's speaking out, but anyone who still has a 'personal affection' for the psycho-in-chief, is, himself, psychologically unstable. No one in their right mind could have affection for that warmonger.

He's also a traitor. He switched parties because of the Clinton years? What a crock. The repukes were out to get Bill from day one. It was an obvious witch hunt and he let the results change his support? PURE CRAP.

edited for spelling