Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

[stickdog]

The Iowa's caucuses' natural front-runner was sacrificed on the "Stop Dean" altar.

If you had told me one month ago that Dean was going to beat Gephardt in Iowa by 7.5%, I'd have taken it in a heartbeat.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

1. While That's Certainly a Positive Look at It

The bottom line is that Dean got PASTED in a state he once led by a significant margin.

Yes, Gephardt imploded. But Dean imploded nearly as badly. Maybe worse, depending on how you look at it.

I suspect Gephardt will ultimately endorse Kerry, and I bet what effectively amounted to a (probably unintentional) Gephardt suicide run on Dean was indeed very helpful to both Kerry and Edwards, but then I guess being friends with other cockroaches sometimes does have its benefits.

He who lives on the outsider mantle, dies on the outsider mantle.

DTH

[stickdog]

6. By what measure did Dean implode worse than Gephardt?

Did you ever see an Iowa poll that gave Dean a 7.5% lead on Gephardt?

[DoveTurnedHawk]

8. Yes

I think I saw a few that were around the 7-9% range.

But really, when we're talking about two complete blowouts, does it really matter whether the scale we're talking about is Reagan-Mondale, or Bush-Dukakis?

DTH

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. I disagree with that statement

I think it is a likely story for a campaign that while well organized is being fueled by anger which can only go so far as a motivator.

[Clark Can WIN]

3. Disagree, I never found Dean to be natural

as a front runner.

[bluestateguy]

4. Ahem

If you think the other Democratic candidates are being mean to Howard Dean now, you really won't know what hit you when Karl Rove's stormtroopers start in on Dean, if he's the nominee.

Perhaps the reason why so many Iowa Democrats were reluctant to close the deal with Dean was because they suspected that Dean might not be able to handle the Gestapo tactics of Karl Rove.

[PurityOfEssence]

5. No; that sounds like another Dean-centric universe theory

Even as a powerful and affluent frontrunner, he was not necessarily the center of the universe for all of the others, and no consortium sacrificed Gephardt to do him in.

Dean got goaded into blowing up again, and having already garnered all of the support of folks who like anger, he only stood to lose those who dislike it. It's a fine line to draw distinctions between oneself and others and to dismiss them outright as cowards, turncoats and despicable so-and-sos.

Self control is a necessary trait for the goddamned commander of the biggest military on the face of the earth, and Dean comes off as hasty, reckless and unpleasant. Somehow he believes that his stance on the war makes him morally above reproach, and entitled to retaliate should anyone question him on anything else. Dean and his staff did this to themselves.

[stickdog]

7. There was a different media trap behind every door.

Dean only has one piece on the chessboard.

If Gephardt didn't actively mount a kamikandidacy, how can you account for his swan dive in a place where he was very popular by all accounts?