Dean's 'victory' speech last night.

[boxster]

I'm a Clark supporter, and I've been pretty critical of Dean's post-Iowa victory speech, in part because I felt that, fair or not, it unnecessarily gave his detractors' claims that he was a 'hothead' legitimacy, and partly because I thought that the theatrics looked way too forced and were 'too much' in the context of the results. I'm solidly ABB, and the less ammunition we give the media and the Republicans, the better off we'll be in November.

My reaction to Dean's post-Iowa speech was similar to the reaction many here on DU (including me) have had re: Lieberman's speech last night. There is optimism, and then there is fairytale land. Lieberman is in the latter right now.

Dean's speech after Iowa, while arguably made after a better result than Lieberman had last night, just seemed like an overreaction to a unexpected loss. I felt that he was just trying too hard to compensate for coming in a distant third, especially in the context of the subdued interview he'd had on CNN less than an hour before.

That being said, Dean's speech last night was MUCH better. It looked honest, it looked real, and he was able to convey real emotion and get out the message without the antics of last week. No rolled-up sleeves. No yelling state names. Just controlled anger and a determination to tell the public WHY we want to take the country back, and that's a good thing.

It proved to me that he's more ready to play in the big leagues than I have given him credit for. Hopefully, it also proved to Dean and many of his supporters that he doesn't have to scream and yell and 'yeagh' to get his point across.

The bottom line is that it's all about how the average voter interprets our candidates. I think Mr. or Ms. Average Voter is going to relate to the post-NH Dean much better than the post-Iowa one. I hope that last night's speech was more indicative of the 'real' Dr. Dean.

[WI_DEM]

1. I agree and Thank you

and I thought Clark was very good last night too--as was Kerry and Edwards.

[Democrats unite]

2. Deans speach last night wasn't much better...

It was Fucking Awsome! Last Night Clark & Dean made me proud to be a proud Democrat

[Ninga]

3. Good post, I would like to add that we

are all the "sum of our parts"....

Dr. Dean has great balls.

One of the hardest things to do is be introspective....take a good hard long look at ones self. Only time and the next few weeks will tell. I pray that people like yourself, will take another look at him.

Being a Dr., he knows the value of the first diagnosis not being the final one.

[EXE619K]

4. With all due respect....

I disagree.

Yesterday's speech "wasn't" Dean...too much insistance on the "electability" content.

As a supporter of the good Doctor, I loved his Iowa speech.

And if the voters decide that a show of human spirit is less appealing than scripted electability, so be it.

If Dean's campaign goes down like a big ball of flames in the end,

at least I'll sleep better at night knowing that I supported the "real deal".

Go get'em Doc!

[boxster]

6. With all due respect....

Let me make sure I understand this. You'd rather that he ignore "electibility" issues and lose rather than adapt to changes in perception and possibly win?

Large sections of the country, the Midwest and the South, for example, are going to be much more receptive to Dean's message if it isn't couched in yelling and arm-waving.

If Dean had shown that he was incapable of getting his message across without the theatrics, he'd have no chance in the general election.

The Dean I saw last night is one who has a chance in hell of beating Bush, should Dean become our nominee. Last week's Dean, fairly or unfairly, became a national punch line and had NO chance.

Dean's only chance now is to quickly adapt, and I give him credit for realizing that as necessary and for taking steps to do so.

Idealism is one thing. Realism is quite another.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Now if we can get it played over and over and over and over and

[Cha]

7. Ri---ght!!

[underpants]

8. I thought both Dean and Kerry had excellent speeches last night

Really inspiring, absolutely on the mark. Of course the networks switched away from them (they all spoke at once) so I had to go to C-SPAN.

Very good.

[izzie]

9. I liked Dean's speech. it was really to the heart.

n/t

[GumboYaYa]

10. Dean's speech was straight from the heart.

I thought the part where he talked about losing the sense of community was exceptionally good. He nailed the problems in America with that line.

I was wavering in my support for Dr. Dean last week. It was hard not to do so with the loss in Iowa and teh press barrage against him. Today, I stand proud that I have had the opportunity to help Dr. Dean take his message to America. Whatever happens in the campaign, I will vigorously support our nominee, but I will never be sorry for the time I have spent on the Dean campaign. IMO Dean has helped revive the soul of our party and you hear it every time John Kerry, John Edwards, Wesley Clark and others speak. That is in no way meant to slight Dennis Kucinich. Dennis is the soul of our party; his campaign has just not gotten enough play to be the reason Kerry et al. started talking like Democrats again.

[dae]

11. I really liked Dean and Kerrys' speechs last night but didn't get to hear

Clarks'. How did he do?