The Phony Dean 'Meltdown' ( a good read - TomPaine.com)

[cthrumatrix]

The Phony Dean 'Meltdown'


New York-based Russ Baker is an award-winning journalist who covers politics and media.


The so-called Dean "meltdown," the claims that his campaign is finished, and his forced contrition are all symptoms of how debased the political dialogue has become.

It's true that Dean yelled at his Monday night rally in Iowa. And so what? Basically, at a pep rally, he yelled like a football coach. This is described as being "unpresidential." But says who? Besides, what's the definition of 'presidential?' Isn't giving insulting nicknames to world leaders unpresidential? Isn't sending hundreds of American soldiers to die for uncertain and misrepresented ends in Iraq unpresidential—or worth considering as such? Isn't having an incredibly poor grasp of essential world facts and an aversion to detail and active decision making unpresidential?

As far as I can tell, the worst Howard Dean has done is to try to be himself. (And, when criticized for that, to show some willingness to alter his demeanor.) But neither of those is good enough for a media that smells a good story—allegedly about personality, much more interesting than issues.

We saw and see nearly every news outlet playing the footage of the rally again and again. We see headlines in the less-cautious papers about Dean "imploding," and gleeful spin from Republican strategists that Dean is "finished."

http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/9815

[cthrumatrix]

1. Here's the closing paragraph....

"If anything, this affair is a kind of test. Dean seems too tough a customer to back out after such a setback. And the fact remains that he essentially still holds exactly the same constituency he did before. If his supporters keep their eye on the ball, if Dean refuses to be distracted or rattled, and if the media somehow manage to restrain their headlong rush into tabloid-land, this country may yet have a meaningful conversation on what really matters. "

http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/9815

[BurtWorm]

2. The media have it in for Dean.

It's not just the tabloidization of political coverage that accounts for their behavior. It's the fact that they're members of a class and they don't take kindly to insurgencies against the hands that feed them.

But the other two conditions may hold.

[creativelcro]

3. Good points.

[mvd]

8. Yes, good post

They are afraid of Dean's anger, and it's very discouraging that the media is having its way so far. :-(

[Feanorcurufinwe]

21. He's right about one thing.

"he essentially still holds exactly the same constituency he did before."

That's exactly right. The constituency that added to a humiliating third place finish in Iowa, after months of yelling how numerous they were, and how the rest of us might as well give up.

[killbotfactory]

4. I think Blumenthal called it "an absurd series of psuedo-scandals"

I tend to agree.

[farmbo]

5. The Media creed: Never run a documentary when you can run a cartoon

EOM

[Kolesar]

6. He has what--$30 Million in his budget and 100,000 volunteer activists?

"I'm not dead yet"

[reprehensor]

7. Thanks for posting.

[cthrumatrix]

9. most welcome

[Dudley_DUright]

10. This encapsulates my thoughts on the matter perfectly

Bravo Russ (apparently Russ is not one of the "cool kids")

[Ripley]

11. He's got his humor going today.

On CSPAN he just said my voice is hoarse not because of that screech in Iowa but because I have a cold!

He's a scrapper and will make hay of this nonsense about how he acted like a crazy man. Many outlets tonight!

[jburton]

12. excellent

Every time I hear ANY of the candidates criticized in the media, I wonder why there is no criticism of Bush*

Was "Bring it on" presidential?

Is not having a command of your native language presidential?

Is vacationing for over a month per year presidential?

and on and on...

[cthrumatrix]

13. the "liberal media" likes chimpy better than the dems...

[LuminousX]

14. Was "Dead or Alive" Presidential?

C'mon, this is fun. Let's pull out all the oldies but goodies Bush has uttered. "He's an asshole."

[cthrumatrix]

15. LOL.... "fool me once...huba huba...fooled again" is one of my favs

[Guaranteed]

16. Someone high up wanted this to happen.

This was a RALLY that Dean was at. He was RALLYING his 3500 supporters. HOW, exactly, was this out of the ordinary? People yell at rallies. That's what a rally IS.

This was VERY deliberate. Who the hell did this? Who the hell started this snowball rolling? This is such bullshit.

25. Who? I'll play

I was listening to NPR Monday night and they cut away from Edwards' speech to go to Dean's speech. I thought it was a little strange at the time they did that since Edwards had come in second, but then I forgot about it until now.
OK, where's my tinfoil?

[OneTwentyoNine]

17. Dennis Miller said "Dean is through"....

Coming from that kiss ass Bush bootlicker it means nothing. Dennis Miller has been "through" for years,he just hasn't figured it out yet.

Years ago he was pretty good and then everyone got tired of the same shitck every time he opened his mouth. So..he figured he'd jump on the "bash the Dem's" bandwagon and shoot for a new career.

David

[jburton]

18. Yeah, Dennis, whatever

Last I checked Howard Dean hasn't been tossed to the netherworld of MSNBC and long distance phone commercials.

[NashVegas]

19. Any LotR Fans Here?

What did you think of the scene when all the Rohirrim yelled out before charging into battle?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

20. I thought

'those horse-warriors are not fit to be President!'

lol

[LuminousX]

23. LOL!!!

:toast:

[Cheswick2.0]

24. they seemed strangly enthusiastic

and some of them where under 6'0". Shocking

[HuckleB]

22. Good piece.