GOP didn't want Dean as Nomination

[Mile Hi]

The GOP was afraid of Dean, not Kerry


The Appeal of Howard Dean
From the September 15, 2003 issue: Why he could be Bush's more dangerous opponent.
by Stephen Moore, Weekly Standard, 09/15/2003, Volume 009, Issue 01

Also why did the outfit Growth for Americans go after Dean so much before Iowa? I thought the GOP wanted Dean to be the nomination because he would be "easy" to beat.
Remember their add against Dean in Iowa - "I think Howard Dean should take his tax-hiking, government-expanding, latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Volvo-driving, New York Times-reading, body-piercing, Hollywood-loving, left-wing freak show back to Vermont, where it belongs!"

In fact even after Iowa they kept attacking Dean. Look at their website
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/news.php?from=news

Sure is a lot of anti-Dean stuff. They have been pretty quiet when it comes to Kerry. Are they pulling their punches now because Kerry is actually the candidate they want to face Bush?

Why attack Dean so much if he is the "easy" win for Bush and keep a low profile with Kerry if he is the "strong" candidate that could give Bush a run.

[MaddogTerp]

1. um, what am I missing here?

isn't it more important who WE want as the nominee than who the repukes want?

[Ficus]

5. isn't it interesting

how the RNC not only is afraid but also wants to face every candidate we have! I'm not sure which it is, but I think you make a great point.

[Mile Hi]

9. Sorry

Trying to make the point that it's really Kerry that's the weak candidate not Dean.

The Gop feared Dean so much that they attacked him more than any other candidate. Even after stating they really wanted Dean to be the one to go against Bush. If that were true why attack Dean more than Kerry.

Now Kerry is leading and outfits like Growth for America are pretty quiet about Kerry. Seems to me they prefer Bush goes against Kerry.

[LuminousX]

13. I don't think Kerry is weak, he is just a known factor

The GOP has analyzed his strengths and weaknesses for quite some time and have a plan of attack against him. It won't work. Bush is unelectable this time around. But it means something that shouldn't be a close race may boil down to 2000 closeness.

[seaglass]

32. They just wanted him to shut up. n/t

[LuminousX]

2. Dean was dangerous because he didn't play by normal rules

Kerry plays ball, knows the rules, and is a predictable opponent.

[janx]

6. They also have one heck of a dirt dossier on Kerry.

And they'll use it "liberally" should he get the nomination.

[LuminousX]

10. They've had over a decade to prepare against Kerry

It has been suspected he'd make a run for the Presidency for quite some time. They've been building their case against him since the 80's.

I'm not saying they can defeat him, I'm just saying Kerry is really who they'd rather face because that is the battle they prepped for. Going against Dean or Clark would be fighting a foe. The GOP want colonial warfare which Kerry will give them, Dean and Clark offered guerilla warfare.

[Frodo]

7. You left out a few words.

Dean was dangerous to himself and the party because he didn't play by normal rules.

It was Dean's nomination to lose. He did.


And don't jump on me. I think we had a better chance with Dean than with Kerry.

[LuminousX]

11. I do agree to a point

One of the things that was supposed to protect Dean was a rapid reaction team to counter media spin. They did a poor job - reacting to the wrong things and not coordinating enough to be effective against Big Media.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

8. exactly

Dean is EVERYTHING Bush is not. He is essentially anti everything Bush is about, and vehemently so. Kerry's just a politician. The Dems bought the media's electability issue hook-line-sinker-pole and boat, and thus supported Kerry. Regardless, Kerry's going to whoop the shit out of Bush next year.

[blm]

19. HAHA....Dean was FOR deregulation of energy - just like BushInc.

Didn't anyone READ the article?

This article shows how Dean and Bush are right in line on some issues.

[Mile Hi]

29. Exactly

That's why the GOP feared him
He could get Republican votes as well as Democrats.
Kerry can only get Democrats

[blm]

33. HAHA. So tell that to those here who think Dean is a REAL Democrat.

A REAL Democrat would be treated with disdain by the CATO Institute.

Dean is respected by them BECAUSE he promotes Republican viewpoints. Dean LIED to primary voters about reregulating industry. He LIED about caring for the environment. He LIED about being from the "Democratic wing of the Democratic party."

[polpilot]

35. You're exactly right. He was the one who could trounce Bush and destroy

the repub/demo good ole boys network. The pro-war DLC was about to lose control as was the republicans. The establishment DLC needed an establishment candidate and knew that Dean had a pocket full of pink slips for them. Now they have their boy.

Dean '04...

[Malikshah]

3. It's Florida 2002 all over again

They get the Democratic ldrship to dance to their tune.

Back in 2002-- Jeb ignored Reno--knowing full well, she'd have provided a threat.

Instead-- the focus was on McBride--

The tactics differ now re: Kerry/Dean-- but the core issue is the same--

Define the race

Get others to react as opposed to act.

The Democratic Party and its supporters need to wake up.

[randr]

4. The GOP is afraid of ideas

from anyone outside of their fold.

[rumguy]

12. Wrong - Kerry has always polled significantly better against Bush

than Dean - there was a reason the White House was hording clips of the "angry Dean" they were going to hit him very hard with them in the fall - all they were doing was goading him on

[LuminousX]

14. And was the GOP attacking Kerry anytime during the primaries?

[rumguy]

17. THEY ARE RIGHT NOW!!!!!

And they were when he was the front runner before...don't remember all the mockery they hailed down on him when he dared to eat a philly cheese steak the wrong way?

Ed Gillespie has given speeches about Kerry, attacking him. They have their talking points ready, and are giving them out at every opportunity. Where do you think this Fonda shit is coming from?

[LuminousX]

18. LOL

They ran ads against him somewhere or are you just talking about the punditry?

[rumguy]

20. I'm talking about Ed Gillespie, head of the RNC

and Sean Hannity, Drudge, Limpballs, and the whole crew of media attack dogs they are foaming at the mouth and going at Kerry full bore as we speak...the same way they did Dean they will try to do Kerry....

[LuminousX]

21. But if they wanted to go against Dean, why didn't they hold off

like they did against Kerry?

Yeah, okay, this is going to go in circles and it all rests upon perception.

To me, the GOP wanted to go against the guy who they prepared to go against. Dean and Clark were flies in their ointment and needed to be dealt with. Kerry is still a tough candidate for them, but they have had their scripts written against him for quite some time.

[rumguy]

31. I just think they attack whomever the front runner is...eom

[blm]

24. Corporate media declared hiscandidacy dead which dried up his fundraising

and labeled him a loser for months...that's all.

Or have you FORGOTTEN most of last year and the beginning of this year?

Kerry had to fuckin' WIN A PRIMARY before he got any fair coverage.

Revisionism seems welcome here at DU. But, many of us won't let the truth die.

[BL_Zebub]

15. Weakly Standard is a PNAC publication, FAUX News is the PNAC network

WS was clearly afraid of Dean, now FAUX is funding Kerry. Coincidence?

Yeah, and I'm still the first chair harp player in Heaven's symphony orchestra :eyes:

[paulk]

16. you perpetuate a myth

The media trashed Howard Dean? The media had all but coronated him prior to Iowa! It was Democratic voters who rejected Dean, not the media.

Club for Growth is a right wing tax advocacy group. They attacked Dean on his tax hikes because he looked, at the time, like the presumptive nominee. Since all the other Democratic candidates also advocate getting rid of Bush's tax cuts, rest assured they will attack them also.

[candy331]

26. Democrats have all the information they need

to win, AWOL, WMD, Cheney, Plamegate etc. and yet they can't put it all together for a win. Really sad and pathetic to be handed a win on a silver platter and can't obtain it. If Democrats win it want be because they have the balls to do so but will be because the Bush cabal is imploding on a daily basis and can't recover.

[paulk]

27. the election hasn't happened yet

Bush's approval ratings are in free fall, and the things you mention are part of the reason.

[tabasco]

28. I agree with you.

The media had nominated Dean before a single vote was cast. Many of Dean's supporters even stated that it was clear who the nominee was going to be and it was best to get behind Dean. BEFORE a single primary!

[MaineDem]

22. Umm, welcome to DU

I gather from all your posts that you're not a Kerry fan?

:eyes:

[AP]

23. Weekly Standard loves Dean. This is where that Cato talk story was ...

... printed in which Dean was described fondly.

They like the fact that he seems to be a libertarian.

[Gman]

25. The GOP has always been scared to death of Dean's message

but saw him as having the greatest liabilities in a general election. And, politically, rightfully so.

[NashVegas]

36. I'm not sure I agree with your second line

but the first one, yes.

I saw a Freeper thread once where a guy expressed abject terror at the idea of giving Dean the opportunity to place his 'liberal' agenda before the public for 6 months.

[shance]

30. Hey, why the past tense? Quit buying the media hype! Nobodys quitting!

Except all of you who give the media divine power.

They DONT have the power unless we give it to them.

Howard Dean is still strong, despite the Iron Curtain of our networks. We just have to get the truth out and not let them continue to spread lies and create false images.

BTW, thank you for the post****

[eyeswideopened]

34. They want Kerry because he will play Washington Games

He has lots of experience with compromising to go along with the crowd. He will be easy to beat because he knows the rules of government games and when to say when. Whereas Dean just won't play the game. He scares the crap out of them.

[NV1962]

37. Dean supporters, we've been scr@wed

Your guy, our guy - and DK as well. The Democratic party should change its name - it's blasphemous to carry the Greek name of People's Government.

[John_H]

38. So scarlborough, Tweety, Ceci, Paula, Novak, Cristol et. al

suddenly became Dems when they were pushing him? That doesn't wash.