Meek,mild,apologizing Dean is BORING! Firebrand Dean=Front Runner

[patricia92243]

I have sent money (twice) to the Dean campaign and am (was??) a Dean fanatic.

He has let himself become just another politician. He has lost that fire that fired everbody else up to make him stand out in the crowd. If I had seen this Dean, I would never been attracted to him.

He is going to lose the nomination by "playing it safe" and letting the pubs put him on the defensive - instead of the attack.

[SahaleArm]

1. The safe Dean is what you will see from here on out n/t

[DakotaDemocrat]

13. That will not win over his...

bats and fans. He needs to continue what he's doing. Like a prevent defense in football, he's playing NOT TO LOSE...

We shall see if politics is like football in that regard.

[bearfartinthewoods]

2. gee...and there was no one around trying to warn you guys, ehhhh?

[wndycty]

3. Dean is now playing not to lose. . .

. . .thats going to be tough to do as other candidates step it up.

[Jack_Dawson]

12. Dean is playing the "Prevent D"

Football fans know how well THAT turns out...

[Clark Campaigner]

4. Dean is just trying to bide his time now

He's figured he's gotten as much milage as he can out of his "firebrand" talk. He's got all the supporters and media attention he's going to get out of it.

Now he's got to work on making everyone else forget what he's already said.

[stickdog]

5. He's being attacked from all sides relentelessly. The media is bending

every word that comes out of his mouth against him.

He just needs to attack back carefully and stay on message while being true to himself. Right now, he's taken aback by the viciously destructive Dem on Dem violence.

To me, that makes him a real person.

[KissMyAsscroft]

6. No one is immune to the Dem bashing...

The entire country is at his throat. Considering that I think he is doing a fabulous job.

What is it with Dems...you support your candidate! Period!

[wndycty]

7. Clark is not attacking Dean. . .but Dean is sure attacking Clark. . .

. . .and the campaign is admitting as much.

[Renew Deal]

8. He is getting it from all sides

because he has attacked all sides. He has attacked the right, the center and even the left. Why would he attack Clinton? That was a stupid mistake. Carville was good to Dean, but now even he isn't holding back. I saw Begala go after Dean. Dean pissed off the Kucinich people. He attacked Ted Kennedy. It's Dean against the world. Bad strategy. Having too many enemies means they will work together to beat you. He still has more enemies than friends.

[farmbo]

9. His opponents have conspired to dub him the "angry" candidate.

Both Rove and the Olde Dems are using that scripted talking point 24/7...and the (rat)pack journalists-- like Howard Fineman and Chris Mathews-- are beating that drum in solid unison. (Look for another Hardball "Dean is a Hothead" theme show tonight).

He needs to move into the final phase of Iowa and NH with a calm, positive message, and he will... possibly to the distress of many of his supporters who admire his feistiness.

Take heart...read the thinkpiece, "Running On Instinct" by Mark Singer in this week's New Yorker for an intellectual analysis of his success...and keep sending money!!

[kerry-is-my-prez]

11. His supporters dubbed him "angry" and encouraged him to be so.

They gave him reinforcement for it by sending him money every time he had an outburst.

Do we not have any Psych Majors here: When you reward a particular behavior - it will be reperated.

In fact, every time he "slips up" - his supporters send him money. Think about the behavior you're reinforcing.

[blm]

14. He CHOSE to use anger as his campaign tactic to beat up the others.

He was applauded and awarded for it.

It didn't hurt Bush one bit, but now look at the Dem party and how divided it is, and look how the media portrays the Dems thanks to dean..."the angry left"...that's it.

[molly]

15. I think the word you are looking for is

enabling. His supporters enable his behavior - thus becoming co-dependents. I'm not a psych major - I went thru this with my older son.

BTW - I STILL do not have a clue who the REAL Howard Dean is - where does he begin when Trippi ends? :shrug:

[adadem]

19. And that's

the number one reason I left the Dean campaign. The anger went too far..took over everything that could have been positive. I despise attack politics and Dean started it .. now we have a Democratic primary campaign that's become as low and dirty as the McCain/Bush fight. It will only hurt the Democrats as a whole.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

10. He had to do that. He was starting to get the label of "unstable," angry"

bad temper. You cannot have that label as a Presidential candidate. You might be able to get away with that if you're a Senatorial or Mayoral Candidate. He has to expand his base. He cannot win with only 20-30% of the Democratic Party.

Haven't you ever heard the expression: A President "has their finger on the button."

If you were around then - THAT'S what did Muskie in (the label of "unstable") and also McGovern (he had a running mate who was labeled unstable).

We already have an angry aggressive person who "likes to fight" in office - look where that has gotten us.


Note: gawsh - what's the world coming to - a Clark/Kerry/Edwards person defending Dean.

[PATRICK]

16. Isn't the perception backward?

People familiar with Dean as governor say this is a "new Dean" and that the fiery stuff is not his base emotion but something that is part of his current campaign success. In fact, experience shows us that especially once elected, people revert ot their habits of record. William Jennings Bryan was no Progressive, yet he eloquently hijacked their platform and zeal with his "Cross of Gold" speech.

Bryan is a discouraging example, I know. If you support Dean it should not be as the zealot of the moment, but on his past record and character- which he will use I am sure in an attempt to mollify the moderate swing vote in the same risky fashion we often accuse the DLC of doing. I mean, on record and in character Kucinich is closer to the gold standard of liberal rabble rouser with clearer consistently supra-idealistic positions than anyone. If Dean's support is as an "electable" version of Kucinich you are in for swift disappointment. Unless Dean's support is broader than that among his legions of grass roots supporters, traditional Dems may be there loyally stumping while the miracle troopers of the primaries have taken their marbles and gone home. That may happen even if Dean wins the nod?

If you are committed to Dean's basic platform, basic stances, his record, you should be mature enough to see the others in the same light should the majority give them the nod instead. You will get fire aplenty from any of them, but the people have to be reassured to elect someone President. When Reagan put on his softy, reasonable routine it worked. The Conservatives didn't tear their hair out and bolt. They gritted their teeth and voted for Bushes when every notion of sanity knew they were being used by valueless plutocrats. So we are going to let the planet go to blazes for emotional satisfaction, for blind reasons laced with fantasies? There once was a time we thought we could afford such luxuries and still command the majority. We were wrong then;we are certainly more wrong now.

Our great excitement today is to build a devastating unity and purpose, greater than the candidates themselves for now. For some reason today I feel that power and am glad it has yet no hero's name to cling to or rely on. Our candidate will do our committments justice. Expand your faith.

[molly]

18. A very wise post - Thankyou!

"If Dean's support is as an "electable" version of Kucinich you are in for swift disappointment. Unless Dean's support is broader than that among his legions of grass roots supporters, traditional Dems may be there loyally stumping while the miracle troopers of the primaries have taken their marbles and gone home. That may happen even if Dean wins the nod?

If you are committed to Dean's basic platform, basic stances, his record, you should be mature enough to see the others in the same light should the majority give them the nod instead."

[slinkerwink]

17. Dean is still the firebrand on the stump when he's out there working the

crowds, but with the media, he's taken a more careful stance---that's what you have to do when you're the frontrunner and being lambasted on all sides by the stupid media.

[TexasPatriot]

20. With Time and Newsweek article poking at him

he has to wear the muzzle. a lot of the shallow dean support is going to be reading those, and asking themselves the questions the newsmags posit. Dean keeping his mouth shut for a couple days is probably not a bad campaign strategy.

I fully expect him to come back loud and hard before Iowa starts.

[Hep]

21. Don't worry

Dean is fine.

[poskonig]

22. Dean was firm in the last debate.

Dean looked very professional too. You don't have much to worry about.

The Dean campaign is not going on the attack on other campaigns (yet) because it raises the profile of the attacked.

[adamrsilva]

23. Dean is getting relentless attacked every minute of everyday

The man isn't superhuman. I'd break too...

[windansea]

24. cartoon...Dean as a Pinata