Debate, Bush attacks heating up: influence of Dean?

[western mass]

Last night's debate on FOX, all of the candidates really turned up their angry, anti-Bush rhetoric. Patriot Act this, Haliburton that. They came out swinging, much more directly and forcefully than the last (and recent) debate. Lieberman even got his licks in, and Gephardt has turned into shouting-angry-dude.

Just the natural progress of the election season, or have some of the others taken notes on Dean's surging popularity and realized this is a winning strategy?

[Brucey]

1. Credit Dean

Since Dean was successful, everyone wants in on the act. Gephardt is the most laughable; he was a buddy of Bush before and now has tuned his act to look angry. It isn't selling, but he has been around so long, ran before so has name recognition, and so much labor support that he will be at the top. I believe he would be landslided by Stumphead and certainly hope he doesn't get the nomination.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

7. credit Bush

it's his failures that have allowed the attacks. The Iraq aftermath was unknown in March. We're now 6 months and several thousand dead down the road.

[gottaB]

2. No and yes

Braun has been criticizing PATRIOT and the Iraq war from the git go; Kerry said "Regime change begins at home" and has been a vocal critic of Bush's foriegn policy since last winter at least; Kucinich, man, when has that guy not been critical of the Republicans?; Gephardt has been roasting them on domestic issues all along; Edwards' essential message is that Bush is morally bankrupt; Sharpton--are you kidding?; Graham, he never shied from criticizing Bush's handling of 9/11 and the Mideast; Lieberman continues to attack Bush on what he thinks are safe issues.

But I agree they are stepping up the criticisms, broadening them, and Dean's popularity has not gone unnoticed. At the same time, Bush has only made things worse for himself, and his popularity has been steadily declining. So I think some of the DLC crew and Gephardt's team are reassessing their strategies, how far they can go to placate the base and still swing back to the center to win the general.

[western mass]

3. of course

Of course the left candidates have been hitting hard from the beginning (Kucinich, MB, Sharpton).

It's the moderate candidates I'm taking about: they've been critical, but it looks like they've turned up the anger and the volume.

[seventhson]

4. I agree. Dean made it popular

they are following because he has made it safe to complain.

But Dean is the real Mensch. The rest of the established Dems were all cowardly before Dean st4epped forward and demoxtrated true leadership qualities.

Dean is no nonsense and f*cking really smart.

I am starting to really really like him.

His answers on Israel were right on as well -- one of my chief concerns about him had been in this area.

I am going to a meetup soon, I hope.

[PassingFair]

10. Hooray, Seventh Son:

Hope you're in the Michigan area and we can sign you up! But wherever
you attend, you'll come away filled with hopefulness. I know I do. Now we're finally going out spreading the word to people off line. It's absolutely fantastic!

[meegbear]

5. The natural progress of the election season

It's not like if dean wasn't there, the debaters would all be trying to top themselves on how great * is.

[w4rma]

9. Considering what Dems in Congress were doing before Dean's rise

I'm not so sure they wouldn't all by trying to top themselves on how great * is. I'm really not sure.

[JohnKleeb]

11. ummm you know Kucinich was doing something well before Dean's rise

I forgot ;) he doesnt have a chance NOT. Sorry for sounding mean and the like but I think Kucinich attacks Bush as well as anyone does.

[blm]

6. Camopaigning after Labor Day.

It's been like this for many decades.

[genius]

8. It's Kucinich's lead they are following

And they seem to doing well at going after Bush.