What was the deal with Dean's reaction to those laughing at him at debate?

[cryofan]

I may be mistaken, but it looked to me as if he came very close to an angry reaction to an UNexpected mirthful reaction to one of his statements by some of the crowd at the debate today.

[janx]

1. They weren't laughing at him.

They were laughing with him. It was funny.

[bearfartinthewoods]

35. yeah...riiiiight

[windansea]

48. ITSA award winning

[kerrygoddess]

58. NO! THEY WERE LAUGHING AT HIM

Are you clueless?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

70. This was the joke, I saw it

Dean said he would balance a budget in the "six or seventh year" of his administration. It was funny because he was sounded like he had just assumed he would be nominated, elected, and re-elected. Al Sharpton has used this kind of joke on numerous occasions, and he always gets a laugh.

Of course, Dean WAS serious, didn't understand why everyone was laughing, and kind of spread his hands and said "what"?

Not a big deal either way you look at it, in my opinion.

[Hoppin_Mad]

2. "he came very close" ? would that be irked ? What a NON issue ! -eom-

[incapsulated]

3. It was a less than happy moment

For Dean.

He was saying "What? What?" and looking around as they laughed, it was like he was playing the straight man in a skit.

Doesn't matter, media will ignore it.

[DuctapeFatwa]

12. he IS playing the straight man in a skit

:evilgrin:

[MercutioATC]

4. I didn't see it that way at all. They were all laughing (Dean included)

and he gave the crowd a kind of "But, seriously.." look before he answered the question.

[AP]

8. He looked surprised and confused.

[janx]

9. He does that kind of thing from time to time.

His expressions, though! His expressions are unbelievable! He'll say something fairly subtle, and then he'll get that comical expression. This campaign has been a joy to watch. Let's just hope we can watch it all the way to November.

This guy's a fireball. No doubt about it.

[MiniMoog]

13. Answer in Post #11

They were laughing AT HIM not WITH him at his answer regarding balancing the budget.

MiniMoog

[janx]

26. Answer in post #22.

n/t

[anti-bush]

33. Wrong answer in post #22

Edwards said (paraphrasing):

"Anybody who tells you an exact time they can balance the budget is not being straight with you, it's not that simple"

Dean said (paraphrasing):

"I agree with what John Edwards said ... I will balance the budget between my sixth and seventh year"

The crowd laughed because he said he agreed with Edwards, and then went on to prove he wasn't being straight. He didn't understand why the crowd was laughing. He didn't realize what he had said. Plain and simple.

[AP]

36. Exactly. That's is pretty funny.

[janx]

38. Feel free to interpret it

as you please, if it makes you feel better.


By the way, this was Edwards's very best debate yet. He was excellent.

[MercutioATC]

44. Don't you get the "between my sixth and seventh year" reference?

That would imply that he's going to be a 2-term President. I think both the crowd and the other candidates got it, based on their reactions...

[AP]

47. He was giving precise date, the notion of which Edwards mocked. Dean ...

...introduced this by saying he agreed with Edwards.

So, it looked like his listening skills aren't all that great. Members of the audience who have better attention spans thought Dean was silly.

[MercutioATC]

53. Considering our different perspectives, I'm not surprised we saw it

differently. I hear what you're saying, but I sincerely don't agree. I saw it completely differently.

[bitchkitty]

67. WOW! You

actually read the audience's collective mind? I'm soooo impressed!

[anti-bush]

54. I get it ....

but that's not what the crowd was laughing at. They were laughing because Edwards says you cannot set a date by which the budget will be balanced, and then Dean said he agreed, but then went on to give a date.

[Tinoire]

57. That's exactly why I laughed. It implied he would be a 2 termer

before he had even won a Primary to go compete against Bush to get to the first 4 year term/

It was hilarious. I think Dean misunderstood the laughter & thought people were laughing that he could balance the budget. I was rolling on the floor thinking "wait, slow down, you haven't even won the first election yet".

Not a gaffe but one of those innocent things you say that comes across differently than what you meant.

[indigo32]

5. Angry? not hardly

he was caught off guard but was NOT angry.

[BootinUp]

6. Need a replay

I missed that part.

[MiniMoog]

11. *ahem*

"I will balance the budget in the SIXTH or SEVENTH year of my administration."

[Rose Siding]

14. I think the crowd was appreciating his unaffected optimism

He didn't even question the possibility!

[madfloridian]

17. The crowd loved it, the ones on stage were laughing as well.

I am not sure of their motives, but I don't think it bothered Dean especially.

[janx]

41. We were laughing here at home

as well. :shrug:

[janx]

22. It was deliberate. He was heading for overkill.

The audience got it.

[BootinUp]

15. I mean I wanna see the video for the full effect

I am in a state of disbelief already on Deans tax plans, and I remember seeing this quote posted in the debate thread. Should be interesting in the GE....

Predicted Repub spot
"...So Dean will raise everyones taxes and still not balance the budget for 7 years. Just another tax and spend democrat. Nothing new here, vote for George Bush he believes you should decide where to spend your own money."

[janx]

24. Jim, you might check CSPAN (if you receive it)

later tonight. Sometimes they repeat these airings later at night or even the next day.

You'll see it. It was pretty funny. (The timing was a little off, but it was still funny.)

[bearfartinthewoods]

62. it's priceless

it's like the first instant the emperor heard "but mom, he's nekid"

[madfloridian]

16. You don't need to be secretive.

Two terms is 8 years. I thought it was funny. The rest of them say what they would do when they become president, and they should not have laughed at his saying that.
That was his timetable for getting it balanced.

My husband and I thought the others were rude to laugh, as they talk the same way.

It is called confidence and planning.

[MiniMoog]

20. It can also be called presumptous and

arrogant (no nomination yet but he's been relected???).

Humor, no.

He honestly didn't understand his "mistake" and what it implied.

JMHO

MiniMoog

[madfloridian]

23. They all talk in those terms.

:hi:

[Webster Green]

32. That's ridiculous!

He knew exactly what he was saying, and it WAS funny. He was being cocky, but so what. Its akin to a football player saying his team is going all the way. People are making way too much out of it.

[AP]

43. Edwards said anyone who gives you a date is lying. Dean gave date after...

... saying he agreed with Edwards.

Dean sounded silly and the audience laughed at the silly man.

Dean must be seeing some polls which show Edwards picking up ground (or at least seeing that people have Edwards second) and Dean was in automatic "soft on Edwards" mode, and threw in the "I agree with John" line without thinking hard enough about what he was saying.

[Webster Green]

51. Yeah right.....Edwards Rocks......Dean Sucks..............

Whatever!

[AP]

52. True, but not the point of my post. Edwards made a well received statement

Dean agreed with it by doing exactly what Edwards was criticizing...he gave a precise date. Wasn't Dean listening? The audience was and they laughed at the guy.

[Webster Green]

55. That's just nuts

He didn't give a date. He gave a vague, it will take quite a while response, ie; in his 6th or 7th term. Nothing specific about that. He was re-enforcing his original comment about not being able to set a date. That was his whole point. I guess we all see what we want to see.

[anti-bush]

59. Don't you mean

6th or 7th year. (you said 6th or 7th term)

By the way, the AP agrees with the take that he was in fact setting a date and didn't understand what he had said.

[burning bush]

60. Hey AntiBush, Please Loan Me $1000

You want to know when can I pay it back? And you want me to give you an exact date?

Gee, well...hmm...how about sometime between 6 and 7 years from now?

Is that exact enough for you?

[bitchkitty]

68. Dictionary time!

A precise date would be exactly that, precise. I don't see how anyone, even someone blinded by their hatred for a candidate, could call "between my sixth and seventh year" a precise date.

[AP]

7. Maybe he was surprised they were breaking the addiction which

is driving his campaign.

They're getting the monkey off their back.

[pasadenaboy]

10. Dean continues to be a Rorschach test

What one sees in his actions tends to reveal a lot more about the viewer than the object.

[madfloridian]

19. Chuckle

That's funny.

[MiniMoog]

25. I couldn't possibly agree with you more! (n/t)

[worldgonekrazy]

63. You hit the nail on the head

He is a very interesting guy to watch. I'm a supporter but I CAN see how others might perceive something different from him.

[killbotfactory]

18. I was listening and it sounded like they were laughing with him...

You know, like when Gephardt said "thanks Howard" for having all the other candidates fall in line behind his candidacy?

[shance]

21. **psst!** i think i saw it too!! I could have sworn I saw a slight grimace

coming from Howard Deans face.

I mean Im not sure or anything, but I think I may have possibly detected a ever so subtle and slight scowl his face,

wait! and there was also the moment he seemed to laugh a few seconds too long,

and remember when he looked over at John Kerry when he shouldnt have?
oh, and one more thing,

I counted his overall blinking average which I found to be higher when he was waiting to respond versus when he was responding, which I found pretty suspect. <sigh>

So, Im just not sure I can vote for him now.

I mean everyone seems knows what an ANGRY person Dean is,

because George Bush is saying it and Joe Lieberman is saying it, and then there is John Kerry who agrees and I think Tim Russert is saying it, so I guess it just must be true.

[flaminbats]

27. A bunch of rich, fat, old bastards who paid to laugh at 6 men & a woman.

A nice turnoff for any young person who might consider voting Democratic for the first time, and a slap in the face to all faithful primary voters. But who cares? This freak show was brought to you live by corporate America..it's not like the airwaves are public domain! :smoke:

[janx]

28. YEAH, dammit! We should de-fund PBS right now!

Right now! /sarc

[flaminbats]

31. Maybe they should only allow caucus voters to attend the debate..

not fat lobbyists and campaign contributers! But this must be asking too much of the media. :wow:

[janx]

39. Well at the very least they should have put some of those

people on a DIET before letting them in.

[flaminbats]

45. why?

I would prefer a crowd of sadistic, fat, rich Republican pigs than some interested, hungry, working-class Democratic caucus voters.

[windansea]

29. this will be in SNL

next week...if they only had an actor that could do Howard

[janx]

30. If they don't yet...

they will! I'm looking forward to it. It was so much fun the last time around.

[Demobrat]

37. I am too. It will have to be someone good, though

to catch his subtle expressions. Some of them are priceless.

[janx]

40. Hammond.

Give him awhile. He could do it.

[windansea]

56. bring back Myers

Hammond IS Gore

[hellhathnofury]

34. You forgot the line, it should be that Dean's neck veins turned red

with great furious anger.

They were laughing with him.

[janx]

42. Then his eyes popped out and fell on the floor.

And then he ran offstage in a blind fit of torpor.

[killbotfactory]

46. Didn't he grow a couple horns, too?

And sprout a Hitleresque mustache?

I think I remember that.

[janx]

49. Shitchyeah.

Smoke was rollicking forth from his nostrils!

[bitchkitty]

71. hahahahaha!

It's 4:30 a.m. here and I have a toothache. You're making me laugh! STOP!

[cryofan]

50. Oh, you are just going to LOVE this (heh heh heh)

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/05/politics/campaigns/05IOWA.html

I have started a new thread about this article....

[TheWebHead]

61. an amazing amount of dissection on this miniscule point

I'm almost getting to the point where I think this "Dean anger" concept will morph into some sort of reincarnation of Bill Bixby, and we'll be waiting for Dr. Dean to turn green and start throwing the podiums at the debate audiences...

[Padraig18]

64. Over-reaching for 'subject matter'.

The 'issue' raised in the initial post borders on ridiculous.

[Shanty Oilish]

65. For my next trick I will balance the budget between

...your 6th and 7th vertebrae. On the necks of the working class he could balance it.
This issue alone is going to sink him and there's nothing funny about it.
That said, I took it as a deliberate, humorous note of confidence. The fact that this is so arguable points to Dean's ESL disorder. (English=second language). He regularly talks before his brain's engaged, we hear something about it almost daily. I've heard this man flatly contradict himself in a single interview.
I'll be hearing it a lot, once the Bush ads begin.
I see a light at the end of the tunnel...

[cryofan]

66. Yes, I think the contradiction thing may have happened last night, too

I may be mistaken, though. Yeah. It's funny. Bush has some kind of weird kind of pseudo-dyslexia or something, which is obvious to everyone. But Dean also has some sort of disorder, or something, which you have, I think, touched on here. More research is definitely warranted....

[BootinUp]

69. After reviewing the tape

I recorded the 12:00 replay on cspan, and just reviewed the tape. The audience was laughing because he contradicted himself. And he was quite shocked, (hey I'm the frontrunner, whats up with that!). It was classic. You know Dean just wasn't very sharp yesterday for him anyways. I think most people that watched the debate would agree.