Dean to campaign with Carter on eve of Iowa Caucus

[dave29]

http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=1599506&nav=8fapKAri

Former President Carter will offer words of praise for Howard Dean when the Democratic front-runner attends church services with him in Georgia on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, according to aides to the two men.

Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi said they don't expect Carter to make an endorsement but are excited about appearing with the former president so close to voting in Iowa.

snip

A show of support from Carter could boost Dean's appeal in the South. Carter, a Baptist, also could help Dean in his recent effort to appeal to religious voters.

Carter's son, Chip, also has been campaigning for Dean in Iowa

[Cuban_Liberal]

1. I bet carter endorses him.

Sunday before the Iowa caucuses in Plains, GA? I smell an endorsement.

[dave29]

2. well that would be nice

but everybody says don't expect one - it's pretty much enough just to be seen with Carter - it speaks volumes.

[maddezmom]

3. an endorsement in the wing?

:) Congrats to Dean and his supporters, Carter is an honorable man and is still dedicated Human Rights.

[Cuban_Liberal]

4. You know, even George Will likes Jimmy Carter

I heard George Will say on the McLaughlin group thet "Jimmy Carter is the only ex-President in my memory to have ever done anything to amount to a damn once he left office, and he's done wonderful things". GW doesn't hand out compliments to Democrats every day, ya know? :)

[slinkerwink]

5. it'd be an unbelievably great endorsement!

:bounce: but I'm not counting my eggs before they hatch....

[dave29]

6. If Carter endorsed

it might force Clinton's hand, and wouldn't that make the game fun. Personally I'm all for it. However, Ex-Presidents do not normally endorse. The fact that Carter will make a joint appearance with Dean and say some nice things is fairly compelling on the eve of the Iowa caucus... Dean has modeled much of his campaign after Carter's and sought Carter's wisdom (and has continued to do so) since early on.

[patricia92243]

7. Do ex-presidents usually make formal endorsements?

[LuminousX]

8. Keeping expectations in check

I love meeting/surpassing high expectations, but I don't expect Carter to endorse Dean. I may secretly wish it, pray for it, but my realism keeps me grounded. It would be unprecedented if Carter endorsed Dean, and the impact of such an endorsement would be questionable at best.

I'd rather Carter announce that he was going to monitor the elections in 2004.

[TacticalPeek]

11. "monitor the elections in 2004" - great idea.

While a humongous honor IMO, I doubt his endorsement would help much in the South. It's a different place now.

Still, a co-appearance is quite a coup. Congratulations, Dean and crew!


:kick:

[styersc]

9. No chance that this is a professional call....

....and Dr. Dean will soon be asking the former president to turn his head and cough?!?!

[Barbara917]

10. Carter Interview with Chris Matthews in December

I do not have a hyper-link to provide. I downloaded a video of this interview on December 10, 2003. I believe it is very close to the actual date of the interview on Matthews' Hardball show. Here is a transcript of a portion of the interview.

Matthews: What's your feeling about a possible Democratic nominee who voted against you?

Carter: Chris, I can forgive Wesley Clark but my wife can't. (laughter)

Carter: Next year as the thing come to a close whichever Democratic candidate seems to be the most likely to marshall the support to defeat George Bush next November that's the one whom I will support. Right now of course that looks like Wesley Clark. I mean excuse me. It does look like Dean is going to prevail but nobody knows yet what's going to happen when you get to the South - when you get to South Carolina and other places. I think Howard Dean has got a long way to go down there after he made his unfortunate statement about pickup trucks and confederate flags. He called me and asked me my advice which is not very good. Perhaps how to get out of that quandary. And I said that well if you just talked about pickup trucks and forgotten about the flags that would have been a very fine statement. But I think its time for us to make every effort as Democrats to retake the South and maybe whichever candidate can ultimately do it will ultimately prevail. But right now it does look like Howard Dean is on a roll.

[TacticalPeek]

12. "most likely to marshall the support to defeat George Bush"

Jimmy is ABB!

And I think this is a Freudian slip: "Right now of course that looks like Wesley Clark." (Why not the best?)

:)

[CalProf]

13. Congrats to Dean and his supporters

This is big deal, though in the past Carter has waited until the convention to endorse.

It's something of a tradition of ex-presidents to stay on the sidelines "officially" until the nomination is done.

But this is a close as he can come to saying "hey, vote for this guy!" without literally doing it.

[bigwillq]

14. Kudos to Dean and crew

I hope this helps him in the South. Endorsement or not, this is big for Dean. Carter seems to be doing everything right lately. He did it again!!! Way to go.


Dean for America

[NashVegas]

17. I Would Imagine

Jimmy will spread it around a bit, but we'll see.

[WI_DEM]

15. endorsement or not it will be a positive thing for Dean to appear

with President Carter. I do wonder though why this is scheduled on the eve of the Iowa caucuses if it isn't an endorsement? maybe the Dean campaign believes just appearing with JC and having him utter words of praise is worth the trip to Georgia--and they might be right.

[Clark4VotingRights]

16. That's excellent, and huge! Congrats Dean supporters.

President Carter is a great man.

[xultar]

18. Dont go gettin all excited

Carter has stated that he will not be making any endorsements. Secondly he already campaigned with Clark. He did the church thing with Andrew Young and Clark in SC.

Carter is a professional he will not endorse until a nominee is clearly apparent.