In New Ads, Dean Becomes First in Campaign to Attack Fellow Democrats

[sangh0]

Howard Dean this week began running two new television advertisements that criticize his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination as "Washington politicians" who have failed to deliver prescription drug benefits and were inconsistent on the Iraq war.

The commercials are the first of the election campaign's nascent television advertising battle in which a Democratic candidate has criticized the other primary contenders. (President Bush has been fair game for weeks.)

While the spots fall short of singling out Dr. Dean's opponents by name, they are unusually negative for this stage of the campaign, when biographical commercials are the norm.

Officials of the Dean campaign said the commercials were devised to address biting criticism from rivals and to emphasize Dr. Dean's status as a Washington outsider. Dr. Dean's opponents said the spots were a sign of growing concern in his campaign that his opponents' attacks from the stump were having an effect with voters.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/23/politics/campaigns/23DEAN.html

[Vikingking66]

1. Wait a sec

So Gephardt and Kerry went after Dean in debates, but Dean goes on the air to defend his record, and that makes him the first to attack. Come on now, you have to admit that his argument "They're focusing on words, I did something, let's do something in the future" isn't really a horrible smear, but the usual kind of anti-Washington rhetoric one expects from governor candidates. If anything, it's a counter-punch.

BTW- "Dr. Dean's opponents said the spots were a sign of growing concern in his campaign that his opponents' attacks from the stump were having an effect with voters." - that's just retarded. Dean's doing this to retake the edge in Iowa, plain and simple.

[Rose Siding]

25. Here's a link to a list of dozens of attacks,

carried in the mainstream media.

http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/001964.html#more

the ads are there also

[CMT]

2. this is in response to weeks of

Gephardt and Kerry attacks on his record.

[w13rd0]

3. No kidding...

...and furthermore, they are effective ads. Guess that's pretty scary for them. Not surprised at how they spin it, especially since they haven't AIRED ANY ADS! So it's not as if there's even a basis for comparison. I guess Dean should have waited until Kerry and Gep spammed the airwaves calling him a Newt-McGovern lovechild...

[huckleberry]

4. Tonight's Crossfire

TODAY'S GUESTS:
Steve McMahon, Dean Media Advisor
Steve Murphy, Gephardt Campaign Manager

In the Crossfire... has the negative campaigning begun? Howard Dean's new TV ads criticize his opponents for not being serious on prescription drugs and being inconsistent on Iraq. Though names aren't mentioned, it seems clear that his pre-emptive strike is targeted to take on John Kerry and Dick Gephardt, his two biggest rivals in Iowa and New Hampshire.

But the other presidential hopefuls might be launching counter-offensives. Kerry is questioning if Dean has a plan to balance the budget and Gephardt continues to lump Dean's name in the same sentence with the Democrats' quintessential antagonist, Newt Gingrich.

Meanwhile, Wesley Clark is charging that his opponents in Congress have displayed zero leadership in combating the growing deficit. And even though Bill Clinton is calling for an end to the " 'I'm a real Democrat and the other one's not' " rhetoric, Sen. Lieberman is noticing that he hasn't been tagged as Bush-light as much since Wesley Clark got into the race.

- Is it too early to go negative?
- Is Dean just defending himself from rivals' attacks?
- Would a hopeful, optimistic strategy play better?
- And, who will be the first to attack Dean...on TV?

To see how hot this firefight is getting, you have to step into the Crossfire by tuning in this afternoon as representatives of the Dean and Gephardt campaigns face off.

My take - YOU GO, DR. DEAN!!!! YAY!!

[w13rd0]

5. Ah man...

...I really don't want to have to tape Crossfire...fooey...oh well...

[madfloridian]

6. Don't you love the mind games they are playing with us?

They are having so much fun with this. BTW, the ads are well done, and quite true.

Even as we speak, I fear some of our Democrats are selling our seniors down the river via Medicare. I hope none of our candidates are doing that.

It does not matter who they attack in this way. An article like this hurts all of us.

[annxburns]

7. Not just attack ads .....

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/129739p-115983c.html

I see this more as a sign things are heating up then anything else. All campaigns do this type of thing - it just some pretend to NOT do it better than others.

[unfrigginreal]

8. Spinnity, Spinnity Bop...Why take the Times' word, check them out yourself

http://www.howarddean.tv/v2/streaming_pages/wmp/didit_256k.asp

http://www.howarddean.tv/v2/streaming_pages/wmp/ad-iraq_256k.asp

[mandyky]

9. For the fellow attacked Democrats - If the shoe

fits, wear it. And now Dean has hired a PI to get his own "research team" on track, but how long have the Dean divers been at it in VT?

I guess some folks think Dean needs to keep turning his cheek, and let the others keep pounding him. Not me, I say Go Howie, GO!!!

[caledesi]

12. I am with you Mandy...Go Howard go! I think the ads are good.

I really do. I don't think they are really nasty. He's just saying he doesn't just "talk the talk."

Also, I was vehemently against this fake war and that is one reason I support Dean.

[Panda1]

10. Excuse me.......

...but Dean has been attacked publicily and viciously by Lieberman, Gephardt and Kerry during the debates and miscellaneous interviews. Let's get the facts straight here. thank you.

[vi5]

11. Again, how many times must it be said.....

DEAN IS THE FIRST CANDIDATE TO ATTACK OTHER CANDIDATES!!

I hate all of the mudslinging by all of the candidates, but there is just no doubt that Dean threw the first stones in this whole primary shebang. Just because Dean supporters regard what Kerry and Gephardt say about Dean as "smears" and what Dean says about them to be "truth", the fact is that Dean chose this path first when he chose to criticize his fellow dems.

[KaraokeKarlton]

14. Valid criticism is NOT an "attack"

Dean has criticized some of the other candidates for their votes, which is their actual record. Most of them cozied up to Bush and supported him. That's what "Bush Lite" means. It doesn't mean that the Democratic candidates are really Republicans it just means that as of late they have chosen to vote with them. That is not only true but it sure as hell isn't new information or a secret. It's also NOT dishonest. Both Gephardt and Kerry have made personal and false attacks on Dean, claiming that he wants to harm the elderly. Dean has spent his entire political career fighting for the elderly and has repeatedly testified to Congress on behalf of seniors. Dean made pleas to both Gephardt and Kerry to address the plight of seniors and they weren't what I'd call "champions" for seniors. The "facts" both of these jokers cite are partial quotes and are spun to the point where they are essentially lies. That qualifies as attacks. Criticizing Senators for their votes is not an attack.

[vi5]

16. Oh thats semantic BS....

I don't have a candidate yet, although I had sent money to Dean. But this notion that what Dean says is honest, accurate and above reproach but what others say about his is smear tactics is junior high school crapola. Dean can yap all he wants about hypothetical votes that he didn't have to make but it doesn't make it any more less valid than what is being said about him.

Besides, the venom directed by Dean supporters at Clark, who is saying almost the exact same things as Dean proves that it has nothing to do with votes or no votes as much as it is simply myopic adoration of Howard Dean.

[Panda1]

19. Excuse me again.....

...and not to be argumentative or unpleasant but, is the distinction here in the words first "paid ads"....as opposed to unpaid attacks?
I have no myopic adoration for Dean or any other candidate. I have sent money to more than one of them. I support several of them and what they stand for. I have watched all the debates. Dean and Clark are taking the brunt of the criticism because they ARE the front runners. All of it makes me sick. Are you saying that Lieberwhore, Kerry and Gephardt DIDN'T attack Dean? I beg to differ.
Just a couple of mild examples:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3130053,00.html
Lieberman Accuses Dean Over Israel
Wednesday September 10, 2003 12:49 PM
By RON FOURNIER
BALTIMORE (AP) - Sen. Joe Lieberman accused Howard Dean in a campaign debate Tuesday night of turning his back on Israel..
...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/26/politics/main575372.shtml
Dem Pack Attacks Dean In Debate
NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2003
...
Their attacks on his stance on taxes, health care and trade were not new, and Dean was prepared for the criticism. His ire was provoked, however, when Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt accused him of siding with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — nemesis of the Democrats — in a fight over Medicaid in the mid-1990s.
...
"I think they want to take Dean out so I think the attacks were on dean as opposed to on Clark. If Clark looks more serious in Iowa and New Hampshire, he'll be attacked as we move further down the line," Republican strategist Ed Rollins told CBS News' The Early Show.
...

http://www.loper.org/~george/archives/2003/Sep/933.html
September 2003
Race for the White House 2004: Kerry Attacks Dean Over Protectionism
...
But Mr. Kerry saved his harshest words for Dr. Dean,
...

(Much more at links and many, many more links available...)

My feeling here is that those who actually VOTED for Chimpy to have his war need to try and justify THAT rather than attacking Dean and Clark. Why are we doing the BFEE's dirty work FOR them? Dean has to defend himself against these slurs or he looks like a weenie. I guess it's another case of damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

The object here is to beat the BFEE not smear each other. And just because the NYT says it's the "first" attack....doesn't make it so.

[xultar]

18. 2 tru

If his ads are correct, calling a candidate part of the washington establishment isn't an attack. it isn't even partisan.
that is why i'd like Clark to back off the whole washingtion insider track in his campaign and base it out of ARK...with the BUBBA's. We need the south to win this thing.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

21. calling a candidate part of the washington establishment

is obviously not a complement either. Dean gets what's coming to him for this.
His going "negative" like this will cost him big time. He is an idiot.

[Rowdyboy]

13. Dean has raised money and is criticizing his

opponents for congressional votes. And why would this be inappropriate? Once again, Dean is not my candidate, but this is what a campaign is about-distinguishing yourself from your opponents.

The only reason he's the first, is because he's the first to have the money. What he is doing is entirely appropriate.

[Khephra]

15. Lets see....

Tax cuts, the Iraq resolution, Homeland Security, the Patriot Act, "partial birth abortion", DEFENDING the the Patriot act....

Scream at Dean if you want, but he has a freeping point.

[madfloridian]

17. Add to that list, Khephra..........

they are about to sit back and let the GOP do things to Medicare and Social Security that won't be able to be fixed.

Amen, he has a point.

[surfermaw]

20. Be aware...Dont let the Rep. lead you down the wrong road

Don't take any thing for granted, check it out before making a decision on what the Dr.said... Remember the republicans throught the press led the way Gore campaigned...don't let them do it again, and yes I am an Edwards suupporter....Go John, but when the cream rises, I will fall in line, remember fellows, the republicans stick to geather like glue, we are going to have to do the same thing if we win this election

[madfloridian]

27. I don't know what you mean?

Are you assuming I am unable to distinguish truth on this matter? I am doing a lot of research on this Medicare issue, and it has very little to do with anything I learned from Dean.

[Malva Zebrina]

22. might be very smart

thing to do. People who are fed up with how the Democrats are wearing the pink tutu in Washington, and Republicans who are ready to drop Bush, but not embrace Washington Capitol Hill insiders, because "they are all the same" and that IS a perception amongst a lot of people and may be the reason for apathy and unconcern about the Bush's awful regime and the reason why people will stay away from the polls. I think there is a need for a fresh face and outlook and away from the constrictions of good old boy Washington politics--Kerry , Gebhart and Lieberman have just been around in the capitol atmosphere too long--their reluctance to take an energetic stance and buck Bush's harmful regime, in spite of the fact that he is wrecking the country, shows that. They have tip toed around, over analyzing the political pitfalls, and the political consequences of any decision and how it might affect their job and position--tired of that myself. I feel the system is in crisis--and no one of them is attempting to expose Bush for the idiot he is-- Dean is. Many will admire that.

[artr2]

24. Most of the politicians in Washington

both repukkk & dem are nothing but corporate whores. If you lie down with dogs, you better expect to get up with fleas. They have been sucking on the corperate tit for so long they have no clue what is happening out here. THAT'S why Dean is so popular, he gets his money from me. He's not some corperate whore.

[tinnypriv]

23. NEGATIVE?

That is fucking bullshit. :grr:

Watch the ads on Dean TV.

[JNelson6563]

26. You call that "attack"????

I call it telling it like it is. I can see from this thread and many like it how the Reich-wingers can get away with labeling Dems "whiners". I'v enever seen such suc-sucs. Oy!!

Julie

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

28. The ads are pretty mild

and he makes great points in each of them. Another smart move by the Dean camp.

[kwolf68]

29. LMAO at the apologists

Of course if Kerry or Gep or anyone had run these type of ads against Dean, the Dean clones would be frothing at the mouth so much they couldn't see straight.

So Dean attacks, but of course it is justified since he is "defending himself." Yea, sure. That makes him "above the fray" and a "better man than that"...yea right.

I missed all that right after I missed the moment he walked on water.

Otherwise, the spin on this thread has been breathtaking a truly the theater of the absurd.

[Rose Siding]

30. Is the SF Chron an apologist?

from today's Political Notebook:
snip>
Kerry and Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt have criticized Dean on almost a daily basis to counter the front-runner's momentum. Most polls show Dean and Gephardt bunched atop the field of contenders for Iowa's Jan. 19 caucuses, with Kerry generally in third place.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/22/national1753EDT0751.DTL

The latest hilarious attack from Kerry is over an egg farm!

Here's a list of a few dozen others, sourced and dated:

http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/001964.html#more

[mandyky]

31. They did not spend money on ads

they attacked Dean in the debates. They mentioned his name. Not once in these ads does Dean mention a name. And if folks call these attack ads (LOL), I can only imagine the whining coming up in Nov/Dec when the real poop hits the fan...