"Picking a Winner' (Ivins endorses Dean)

[Hoppin_Mad]

Molly Ivins: Picking a winner

By MOLLY IVINS, Creators Syndicate
December 4, 2003

AUSTIN, Texas -- No one has been waiting with bated breath for me to make up my mind about the Democratic presidential candidates, but I have, and you might be interested in how I got there. I'm for Howard Dean -- because he's going to win.

It is the bounden duty of bleeding-heart liberals like myself to make our political choices based on purity of heart, nobility of character, depth of compassion, sterling integrity and generosity of spirit. The concept of actually winning a political race does not, traditionally, influence the bleeding heart liberal one iota -- certainly not in the primaries.

Over the years, I have proudly voted for a list of losers only a lily-pure liberal could love. I am rather surprised not to find myself in the camp of the Noble Dennis Kucinich this year. (And believe me, there are supporters of the Noble Dennis who are plenty upset about it, too.) In fact, I initially passed on Dean precisely because he looked like one of my usual losers -- 2 percent in the polls and the full weight of Vermont behind him ... wow, my kind of guy.

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http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/pe_columnists/article/0,2071,NPDN_14960_2475972,00.html

[Dudley_DUright]

1. Great!

Molly's thinking is similar to my thinking on the question. Welcome to the Dean team Molly!

[Rowdyboy]

2. Way to go, Molly

As usual, you cut to the chase. Sorry we disagree on the final decision, but I'm sure we'll end up voting for the same candidate next November.

Quite a coup for the Deanies. One of the public figures I admire most.

:thumbsup:

[Jack Rabbit]

3. I am not committing, but

While I am not committing to a candidate yet, Dr. Dean is high on my list and has been for some time. It is good to see that Ms. Ivins is getting through the Dean-can't-win rhetoric. It's not true. Dean is nothing like McGovern, either ideologically or as a matter of style. Let's hope that this is the beginning of a more serious and less dismissive look at Dean in the mainstream press.

Like Ms. Ivins, I am also atracted to Dennis Kucinich for many of the same reasons she is. However, Kucinich is not going to be president. This election is too important to be concerned about who will be the perfect progressive candidate. We need a victory to turn back the tide of tyranny that grips America in the age of Bush.

[tinrobot]

4. Nice quote...

"Let me second the notion that this year, the Internet is to politics what television was in the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon race."

I think she might be correct on this one.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[SharonAnn]

6. I'm glad to see she feels this way. So do I. I've been on board

for about 10 months now.

He's my kind of guy, straight-shootin' and tells it like it is.

I have to admit, I was first impressed with him because he was expressing my anger and the rest of the Dems were still pussy-footing around (after that disastroust 2002 election). But since then, I've paid attention to more than that and his thinking is right up my alley.

[IndianaGreen]

7. "And folks, I think we have got ourselves a winner here."

I know, he's even less of a liberal than Bill Clinton was, but I don't think Dean is a moderate centrist. I think he's a fighting centrist. And folks, I think we have got ourselves a winner here.

A fighting centrist, that opposes the war in Iraq, is what the doctor ordered! Dean will kick rightwing ass!

[sonias]

8. I agree with Molly

And Dean is my candidate, we have ourselves a winner no matter how hard the RNC wants to trash him. We have the power to take bush out of our White House.

Go Dean Go!!

Sonia