Dean: From ‘Player’ To Front-Runner (MSNBC)

[WillyT]

Moved this over from LBN cause nobody goes there anymore... :eyes:

<snip>

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 — Can anyone stop Howard Dean? A few months ago it would have seemed a preposterous question. Not anymore. Last January I saw Dean blow the doors off a meeting of Democrats and predicted he would be a “player” in the race. Boy was I wrong. As Labor Day approaches, he’s not a player, he’s the front-runner for the party’s nomination — and he is going to be a hard man to stop once the nomination season begins in earnest this fall.

HIS OWN HANDLERS are so confident about his prospects that they are seriously planning for the long haul — which means, in their eyes, foregoing federal “matching” funds so they can be free to raise and spend as much as they can next spring and summer once (they hope) Dean locks up the nomination in March. No final decision has been made — and there is the little matter that Dean promised long ago to stay within the system. But the sense I get from talking to his inner circle is that he will, indeed, skip the match.

Here’s the arithmetic behind it: As of last week, his Internet-based campaign had amassed a donor list of 100,000 individuals. The average donation, campaign sources say, is $77. But the contribution limit for individuals is now $2,000 — which means, in theory, that Dean already has a potential pool of $200 million — a staggering figure compared with the $40 million or so he might be eligible for in matching funds.

<snip>

Link: http://www.msnbc.com/news/957948.asp?0cv=CB10

Wow, that was FAST!!!

:kick:

On edit: Forgot to mention... FINEMAN ADMITS HE WAS WRONG!!!

That's LBN all on its own, LOL!!!


:evilgrin:

[red_house]

1. There's something to be said....

....for peaking too early.

Dean's early success in fund-raising and polling numbers is great, but the real measure of the man will be in maintaining that level of enthusiasm a year from now.

[Khephra]

4. And if Dean wasn't doing this good people would still be saying

Dean doesn't have a chance. Is there any way Dean could have came out that would have pleased all his critics? Sigh...

This peaking thing is the "New" argument against Dean, and I'm already tired of it.

[red_house]

5. It's not unfounded reasoning.

Nobody here is UPSET that he's got this lead...At least I'M not.

Wether it's Dean, or any other front-runner, the obligation to stay on top is EVERYTHING and it's fair to question wether he can handle this lead and build upon it....The level of enthusiasm for him is based in LARGE PART for his unabashed, vocal objections to Bush....He says what we want to hear, but that's not enough to convince that he's the most qualified man for the job.

I'm sorry if this "sickens" you, but it's a political reality.

[WillyT]

7. I Hear What You're Saying Red_House...

Right now it's like walking on egg shells. Dean is the front runner at the moment, and supporters of his are thrilled, but also hoping he doesn't stick his foot in it. There is a long time between now and the pimaries\convention\election, and lots can happen, and probably will.

I remember supprting Gary Hart many moons ago, and that blew up in our faces.

I'm gonna support Dean from here to the election as far as I can tell right now. If circumstances change drastically, ala Hart, adjustments will become necessary. But part of the egg shell theory, is that ALL OF US, no matter who we support, want Bush and his gang out of the WH so bad, we are nervously rooting on our candidates all the while knowing whoever gets national traction is having a huge target painted on their back by the Rovebots. And it's unsettling waiting for those attacks to come. But come they will!!!

:shrug:

[red_house]

8. My point exactly.

Something to consider is Dean's temperment...He has to be conscious of it because it can sink him...He's not immune from over-stepping the bounds....John McCain suffered for his outbursts on the other side and you can bet that Dean won't get a pass on his.

You make a REASONABLE case for not "proposing marriage" this early on to a single candidate and that's exactly my take on it, also....There are too many variables and untested circumstances in the case of Dean to dive in head first.

In fairness, I'm happy just to have a candidate who's FINALLY distinguishing himself from the pack....This party needs a FACE in the most crucial way and if Dean helps in establishing that image to this end, it's a genuine positive....But it's NOT the nomination.

Winning this job will require steady consistency, firmness and definative goals for a full year and I'm hoping he'll grow into that role as we head toward the primary....The sudden exposure to this kind of popularity can be fatal if he's not prepared to handle it.

[Khephra]

13. I didn't say "sickens"

I said that I'm tired of it. Big difference. Please don't misquote me.

Thanks.

[blm]

9. I'm one of his toughest critics and have NEVER said

that he doesn't have a chance. ANY Dem CAN beat Bush. Any of them.

My beef has always been the way he characterized his opponents and the Dem party disingenuously. I had it with liars back during the 2000 campaign and the way Gore was unfairly perceived. I have NO tolerance for it even from a fellow Dem.

Mostly, I just want Bush annihilated and pulverized and the BFEE exposed so never again will this country ever even CONSIDER electing another Bush or any other BFEE associate. And the GOP bullshit that only they have military credentials should be buried along with that Bush dynasty corpse.

I see Kerry as the warrior necessary to accomplish that.

I also do not trust that Fineman has been pushing Dean for so long, or that does ANYTHING EVER for the good of the Democratic party. He is BFEE to me. The journalistic crimes he committed against Gore should have awakened ALL Democrats to his role.

[Larkspur]

12. As a member of a Democratic Town Commitee,

I agree with Dean's assessment of the state of the Democratic Party and its leadership or lack thereof. I left the Democratic Party 10 years ago because the Dem leaders in CT sucked. Except for Gov. Rowland the first 2 times, I voted Democratic anyway. The Dem leaders, especially in CT, still do suck, but I returned last year because I wanted to help rebuild the party from the grassroots up. Howard Dean came along with the same view I had of the party and gave me hope that the Democratic Party can be rejuvenated. None of the other candidates give me that feeling.

My beef has always been the way he characterized his opponents and the Dem party disingenuously.

[CatWoman]

2. GO HOWARD DEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:hi: Willy


:loveya:

[WillyT]

15. Hey Baby !!! --- When Ya Comin To California ???

:loveya:

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

3. more free press for Dean

never stops does it?

[oasis]

6. Can Dean avoid another appearance on Meet the Press?

[JaneQPublic]

10. Despite the way the pundits panned Deans performance on MTP...

...Contributions to Dean soared to new heights immediately after its broadcast.

Apparently a few people liked what they saw.

[oasis]

16. With Dean's growing popularity, a larger, more critical segment of

interested voters will be putting him under closer scrutiny.

[Larkspur]

11. I think that he should repeat it and score another $7.6 million or more

I saw parts of that MTP and he wasn't that bad. The media were trying to "Gore" him and it backfired BIG time.

[oasis]

17. "wasn't that bad" won't cut it now that he's under the microscope

as the one to beat.

[poskonig]

18. Dean did pretty good on MTP.

Team Dean lost the spin to their opponents, but that won't happen next time. He raked in oodles of dinero after that session, remember?

[oasis]

19. Perhaps a homerun hit would've netted him more. Who knows?

:shrug:

[WillyT]

14. Kick !!!

:kick: