Dean's antiwar boom goes bust

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Now, desperate to recapture that feverish support, Dean came to Washington for three days this week. Last Saturday, he spoke to 2,000 people in Seattle and attracted hundreds more at rallies in Spokane, Tacoma and Seattle on Tuesday and Wednesday. His campaign says it has nearly 37,000 e-mail addresses statewide. Yet Dean's staunchest supporters sound increasingly doubtful that he'll win the caucuses, even though there could be fewer than 30,000 participants.

It's an amazing turnabout for Dean and, more broadly, for the Democratic Party. Today, in one of the most antiwar communities in the nation, the Iraq War has become, even for Dean supporters, no longer a litmus test to separate the candidates; it's just one of many reasons to unite against George W. Bush.

<snip>

Mary Vargas, a 44-year-old engineer from suburban Renton who was attending the Dean event in Tacoma on Tuesday, bluntly described her priorities: "The war. Bush lied." Then she added that she's also concerned about healthcare, special interests and jobs.

Last summer, Dean's antiwar position grabbed her. But now, "when they didn't find the weapons of mass destruction, I felt I could also focus on other things," Vargas said. "I got validated that I knew" the war was a fraud -- so Dean's aggressiveness mattered less.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/02/06/washington_antiwar/index.html

[MercutioATC]

1. Well, then, it's a good thing he has a lot of other issues he's talking

about....

The media might have tried to make him the "anti-war" candidate, but his agenda is much broader than that.

[regnaD kciN]

2. So now that we're "validated," of course...

...we can happily vote for a candidate who gave a blank check to Bush and the PNAC.

:eyes:

(With such "logic," is it any wonder progressive Democrats are the most insignificant political faction in America today? :-( )

[spooky3]

3. I had the same reaction. Looks as though she should have taken one

less engineering course and one more in logical reasoning.

[farmbo]

4. Good...Now you can listen to Dean's Economic Message:

...That in America today, the economic power has seized the political power.
And only FUNDAMENTAL change in Washington can restore the balance.

[AP]

9. burdening middle class w/tax? more student loans? balancing the budget if

you have to give money away to Bechtel in order to achieve that?

This is why Dean isn't doing well.

Had he coupled his war position with a history and a set of policies which economically benefited someone other than super large corporations, he might be doing better now.

[farmbo]

31. Just how does Dean "...give money away to Bechtel...?"

...as you say in your post.

You obviously need to actually read his policies or listen to his speeches before you make goofy, audacious statements like that.

[quaker bill]

5. Damn shame isn't it?

Per Sen. Jay Rockefeller:

"The intelligence was wrong, the President was wrong, Congress was wrong, and I was wrong about this war." "This is a century-making blunder"

He said it in the most sedate and serious tone and infered that we have screwed up beyond all proportions. He takes personal blame for participating in it. How refresing it would be to hear this from some of the others.

The only thing real about Iraq was the oil.

The people in the streets with the protest signs were exactly right in every detail, and I am proud to say I was one of them.

This could have been stopped. This should have been stopped. We (our party) had the votes, just not the spine.

At least Jay understands that every one that voted for this fiasco is responsible. If only he were running.

[PVnRT]

6. Yeah, us silly anti-war people

Guess we should've just shut up and gone along with what everyone told us, huh?

[RetroLounge]

7. That would make us sheep.

and there is a viable sheep candidate running, but he won't get my vote...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. baaa

Sheepus-electabilis

[LuminousX]

8. Good thing Kerry was PRO-Iraq War

or was he opposed to it? Dang, I'm still confused.

[Straight Shooter]

15. What? Not hypnotized into submission by all those medals yet?

My question is, was Kerry pro Vietnam War or anti Vietnam War?

He still hangs those medals on his Senate Office wall, and he got the Silver Star for chasing down one injured freaked-out enemy and summarily executing him. Could have captured him. Hmm. So brave.

Then he comes home and begins an enormous anti-war campaign, with the same basic techniques as Jane Fonda.

[LuminousX]

16. When faced with a controversial subject, stake out positions on both sides

that way, no matter which way the wind blows, you can claim you had the right position all along.

[stickdog]

10. Do you endorse these anecdotal descriptions of political shallowness?

Just wondering.

[On the Road]

12. Dean Has A Very Good Domestic Agenda

I think he should have dropped 80% of the anti-Iraq comments a few months ago and focused on a comprehensive economic and domestic agenda.

Or maybe he did, and the media just kept pulling out the same few comments. I don't remember too much on Iraq from the recent speeches I heard him give.

I believe as much as anyone that Dean was Gored, but there were things he could have done. Drop some of the angry challenger image and become more of the electable moderate. They're actually not incompatible -- Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton both pulled off a hybrid of the two.

[Capn Sunshine]

13. So you're pro war then?

or do you think like John Kerry, depending on which way the wind blows that day, you might be pro war, or anti- war?

Or does War just not belong in the national discussion, it's more of a natural state of things?

Is that it?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

17. I just posted an article from Salon. Don't shoot the messenger.

[LuminousX]

19. What is your opinion of the article you felt was important enough to post?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

20. My opinion is that Dean's campaign has failed.

But we all know that by now.

[LuminousX]

21. That is your opinion of Dean - what is your opinion of the article

or are you saying that article is further evidence of Dean's failure (which, if we all know that by now, do we really need more evidence?)

By the way, is Kerry PRO or ANTI- Iraq War (the way it was waged?)

[Feanorcurufinwe]

22. I found it interesting reading. How about you? What's your opinion?

[Cheswick2.0]

24. I found the article stupid

I guess we cancel each other out.

[LuminousX]

25. I found it to be too anecdotal.

But anectdotal articles, such as this piece, help put movements into perspective.

I was fascinated by this quote:

"It was the only thing going on in the country last year," Kniffen said. Now, "if I don't see it on TV every night, it's not that big."

The Anti-War movement has faded because we've become distracted by Jacko and nipples and superbowls.

Nowhere can I see, within this article, that we can draw out suitable evidence that Dean has failed, though.

"Dean most reflects our ideals and our thoughts," said Alicia Lawver, 27, of Tacoma, whose 3-year-old daughter goes to sleep listening to a recording of Dean speaking to supporters.

Of course, people will spin that as brainwashing the three year old, but far better she is going to bed listening to Dean than listening to McRubbish on the radio.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[progressivebydesign]

26. It's hard not to look at the messenger sometimes...

When people see DUers repeatedly posting negative things only about one candidate, they have a hard time seeing them as just "messengers" sometimes. That's human nature.

Interesting article. I think it shows that Dean has a lot of depth. So much, that the other candidates have co-opted all of his early positions. I hope that they plan to do something with those positions, not just use them as campaign rhetoric. Those positions are what drew thousands and thousands of people to Dean in the first place, and fund his continued drive.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

30. Since Dean doesn't really believe in anything

he doesn't really have any positions for the other candidates to co-opt.

In the case of Dean, his phony campaign rhetoric is so at odds with his Vermont record, that when Dean 'takes a position', it is more accurately described as 'posturing'.

Luckily, the voters are perceptive enough to recognize that Dean is a fraud.

[deutsey]

14. Whew! Gosh, I'm so glad to hear that we don't have to worry

about war anymore because no WMD's were found!

:eyes:

[mmonk]

18. and just think

it could happen again if we just let it go.

[LuminousX]

27. It may matter less to some, but I still want to know

was Kerry FOR the war or AGAINST the war?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

28. AGAINST

IWR did not have to result in war.

[MercutioATC]

32. The IWR gave Congressional support for war AT BUSH'S DISCRESION.

Those who voted for it sure didn't take a stand against the war...in fact they gave Congressional approval to a conservative President who'd surrounded himself with a cabinet of jackbooted stormtroopers. THAT'S showing good judgement???