Bush's Advisers Focus on Dean as Likely Opponent Next Year

[mzmolly]

"Dr. Dean's ability to energize Democrats and potentially attract new voters, while raising large sums of money without the benefit of an established national reputation, has generated some concern within the Bush campaign, where much of the early betting had been on Representative Richard A. Gephardt (news - web sites) of Missouri as the most likely nominee. The campaign continues to warn against overconfidence among its supporters by stressing that the 2004 race could be as close as the one in 2000.


"They do not underestimate Dean, because Dean is able to stir the energy in the Democratic party grass roots," said Deal W. Hudson, the editor of Crisis Magazine and an influential religious conservative who is in regular contact with the White House. "That makes him potentially the most formidable of the Democratic nominees."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=68&ncid=68&e=1&u=/nyt/20031211/ts_nyt/bushsadvisersfocusondeanaslikelyopponentnextyear


We might be shooting ourselves in the foot here gang. There are so many anti-Dean threads here, it's beginning to feel like another discussion board. *sigh*

Might it be time to put in place the user rules for the 2004 election? ;)

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Yuo know the part that amazes me

is that Rove actually intends to do what I said months ago he
would do.

They are that transparent

The candidate could be oh Benito Mussolini or good ol' Adolph and they will paint him as an extreme leftist

Of course with Dean they are giving the Democrats a gift in a silver platter.

Which has been the party of Fiscal Responsibility? (I am talking of the fiction not reality here) If you said GOP you are correct.

Well Dean is a Fistcal Conservative... he balanced books... (how or why does not matter fact is he did)... so now being a fiscal responsible politician is a DEMOCRATIC VALUE...

Oh and as somebody else pointed out last night, Rove also intends to paint Dean as McGovern II... well that is nice, but half of the potencial electorate and many of Dean's volunteers have no clue who McGovern was... unless they have read a book.

[mzmolly]

2. They have to deal with Dean's centrist record and his amazing

grass roots campaign. Dean combines passion with centrism, and they've not encountered that before. As Molly Ivins said "Dean is a fighting centrist." You can bet...Rove is :scared:

[xultar]

3. Anyone else feel disappointed that our nominee is already chosen?

Regardless of the candidate, it is shameful that our nominee has been chosen before one Primary vote is cast. I don't think it is fair that the Media and others have chosen our nominee.

Pulling the reporters from DK's campaign should make us all sick. The media, the GWB administation, and political heavy weights in our own party picked our nominee.

Remember how we all felt because of Nader and FL? Well, nothing has changed.

This makes me SICK!

[mzmolly]

4. He's not chosen at all... Bush is simply preparing as he would if Clark

were in the same position. Dean may or may not be the nominee, but the Bushies are preparing.

[ShimokitaJer]

5. No, xultar, remind me how we ALL felt because of Nader and FL

As a Nader supporter, I remember being told to shut the hell up and vote for Gore. I remember being told that a vote for Nader was a vote for Bush. And I remember this not because I have an exceptional memory, but because I am still told this on a regular basis right here on DU.

So now you're upset that some of the frontrunner's supporters are telling you to jump on the bandwagon? You're upset that the media are ignoring some of the less popular candidates? Well join the club, brother.

[DinkyDem]

6. Well said

well said indeed.

The trendy Democrat-come-lately Clark supporter tried to play victim because the Big Media hard sell on his candidate didn't take, and you took him to school on what true activism is!

Well played.