Dean's Moment of Truth

[molly]

snip....

The specific misstatements that Howard III has made aren't, by themselves, that big a deal -- not much different than the usual fudges and hyperbole of political life.

But there are two dangers here for Dean.

One is that his straight-talking persona -- his self-definition as the man who tells it like it is without trimming his sails -- gets shredded.

The other is that the media give Dean an image as an exaggerator, much as they did with Al Gore in 2000, so that a misstatement about the cost of his dog's medicine became a major flap.

Dean is, of course, paying the price of success. Wearing the official media mantle of front-runner, he's suddenly under microscopic scrutiny -- and that means a lot more attention to inconsistent or questionable statements that he would have gotten away with in the past.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64643-2003Sep12.html?referrer=email

[XanaDUer]

1. Right

Once we get into the hell-for-leather period, the scrutiny on all candidates will heat up.

[LuminousX]

2. Sentiment

I agree with the sentiment here. Dean needs to tighten up his campaign. The fact that his campaign is ultra-quick in countering negative statements of the nature that sunk Gore, gives me hope that during the primaries (really regular people don't pay attention until then) he will be well honed.

[Egnever]

3. Maybe just maybe..

Kerry can win if Dean screws up!

Is that what Kerrys campaign has been reduced to?

[molly]

9. NO!

whew - I thought you were going to accuse Kerry's campaign of copying Joe Trippi's plan.

[surfermaw]

4. Let Dean speak

Dr.Dean is speaking the only language the republicans can understand, doing what Gore should have done. If Gore would have spoken out like Dr.Dean, he would have won by such an amount that the election couldn't have snatched from him..Go Dr.Dean. Dean/Edwards in 2004.

[maxomai_vs_rove]

5. Not to forget the media spin

There's also the fact that the media will spin *any* Democrat's misdeeds in the worst light possible, while virtually ignoring (or even encouraging) what the Republicans are doing to destroy this country. If Kerry were the front runner, the spotlight would be squarely upon him, and the talk of the town would be his exaggerations, failings as a Senator, blotches in his military record, etc.

[Larkspur]

6. So far Dean is handling the Lieberman & Co. I/P attacks brilliantly

This is the most controversial issue and Dean has the correct position. He's handled Lieberman & Co. with the proper decorum and language that befits a Democratic leader who is of presidential material.

No president, including our great ones, is perfect. What Dean has that the others don't is a growng army of supporters who will support Dean while at the same time give him construtive criticism. To his credit, Dean has listened to his followers criticism and made appropriate changes.

[LuminousX]

7. Exactly

Dean isn't perfect but he listens. He allows his position to evolve as he takes in new data. I don't trust people who have one view of the world and refuse to alter that view even in light of new evidence.

The Doctor in him forces him to constantly evaluate situations and opinions.

Dean is a President who will work with people, not over them or against them.

[dfong63]

10. yes! Dean's position on I/P has evolved, and it's a welcome change

[liberalnurse]

8. Sometimes I think we democrats act like

a bunch of Klingons! We have to beat the shit out of the other to deem them worthy......

We are not going to take back the Whitehouse this way....

Let us not forget they beat us when democrats were incumbants! Yes, they stole the election as underdogs....Now they are in control of every corner of the board. My biggest fear is that they will, because they can steal the elction once again. We must organize quickly as a united front.

[genius]

11. I don't blieve a word he says

And I used to work on his campaign.

[molly]

12. YOU DID? Is it Joe Trippi or Howard himself?

what happened?

[Nicholas_J]

13. Huh?

Has he ever had a moment of truth?