The actual transcript of the Iowa Caucus "Dean Tape"

[eyesroll]

Dean: On a Saturday, is it easy for me to go cast a ballot and spend 15 minutes doing it, or do I have to sit in a caucus for 8 hours?

Guest: This is a good thing, though.

Dean: I don't think so. I don't have the time to do it. It doesn't get people involved. It drives people out of the process, and leaves the people who are left in the process -- the professional people who get paid to be there.

Guest: Let the people in the neighborhoods convince you, say...

Dean: They can't convince me. I've got my kid's soccer game. I've got my second job. I've got all these other reasons that I can't do these things.

Guest: If that's the case, the 15 minutes you're going to devote to politics in your year is a pretty perfunctory involvement in politics.

Dean: Not necessarily. I read the papers, maybe I watch television. I form my opinions, I get to go exercise my opinion. But I can't stand there and listen to everyone else's opinion for eight hours about how to fix the world.

Compare this to the way it is reported on television:

NBC Voice Over: Dean even suggested the caucuses were a waste of time for ordinary people

Dean: “I can’t stand there and listen to everyone else's opinion for eight hours about how to fix the world.”

http://www.blogforamerica.com/
Ahh, the power of editing...

[killbotfactory]

1. Shocking! Absolutely Shocking!

That the media would twist this into a bash against Dean.

[Walt Starr]

2. I'm amazed an astounded that the media would demonstrate bias

Shocked, I tell you, SHOCKED!!!!!

[Armstead]

3. Yep

As usual the Dean "gaffes" are a sentence or two pulled out of context to make them say something different than was meant, or without the qualifying statements around it.

Like the "Bush knew about 9-11" crapola. Dean merely said this is an example of the theories flotaing around because of Bush's secrecy. He didn;t believe in it, but that's what Bush's refusal to have an open investigation leads to....A totally reasonable, moderate statement that has been twisted to make it seem like Dean is wearing a tin hat.

[Cheswick2.0]

4. again Dean is making a very rational argument

since such a tiny percent of Iowans participate I would guess they understand exactly what he was saying.

[w13rd0]

5. I knew this was more "cut-and-paste" selective journalism...

...when I saw it. He's totally right, a prolonged caucus process does drive people out of the system.

[rucky]

6. I can't stand here and listen to everyone's opinion...

about another out-of-context misquote of Dean.

[quaker bill]

7. Not shocking at all

There are no ratings in a short race. Therefore this week was Bash Dean Week. Besides, it's cheap, just jerk old stuff out of context and spin it for ratings.

[FubarFly]

8. The more they do it,

the more people will catch on. Many Democrats still have a bad taste left from the Cinton and Gore thrashings. Watch Dean's support grow over this. People are sick of bullshit.

[deminflorida]

9. Read back the part where he said he believed Bush would be a

two term president....

[killbotfactory]

10. He said it would be a mistake to assume he wouldn't be a 2 term pres

Do you think it's a good idea to underestimate Bush?

[dsc]

11. except that isn't what he said

and NBC actually even showed that. He said we shouldn't assume he wouldn't be one. You got already once playing fast and lose stop it now.

[eyesroll]

12. I don't have that transcript. So I can't read it back.

But I took the quote when I saw it last night as Dean simply saying "don't underestimate this guy's ability to get a second term."
If I see the complete transcript of that quote, I'll revisit my interpretation if necessary. (I'll admit it if my original interpretation is wrong. I'll admit it if Dean said something wrong. Promise.)

[Metrix]

13. I think it makes him look worse than the soundbites aired

What is wrong with people spending a number of hours listening to the opinions of their neighbors and engaging in their community? This makes Dean sound arrogant and stiff. I don't believe he genuinely cares about people other than at an intellectual remove. One of the reasons he wasn't that successful as a physician.

If you're a supporter, accept his backpeddling comments about how he's learned to love the Iowa caucuses in the last two years. Don't defend these dumb statements.

[RetroLounge]

14. Of course you do.

and this is only your opinion.

Do you have any proof that he doesn't "genuinely cares about people other than at an intellectual remove?"

Didn't think so, thanks for playing. B'bye...

[eyesroll]

15. I doubt Governor Dean had a second job. He was offering reasons

people would give to stay home.

Engaging community and talking to neighbors is all well and good. But should we disenfranchise people who have to work? Should we ask people to give up their children's activities to spend an entire day in caucus? What about homebound/bedridden/etc. people?

My grandmother's one of the most politically active people I know. She's run for office. She's a big reason I'm a Democrat. But she has breast cancer (in remission, thankfully). She lives in CA, so there are no caucuses. But do you think she'd be spending 8 hours in a neighbor's living room the day after she got her chemo? She tolerated it well, but it wiped her out. All she wanted to do is sleep. Should we be disenfranchising sick people?

I don't see this statement as dumb. It's entirely possible there were other exceedingly dumb statements in these tapes. If I see one, or get a transcript from a reliable source, in its full context, I'll call him out.

[Nazgul35]

17. I know for sure...

I wouldn't want to sit in a room full of DUers for eight hours hashing out most of the nonsense on these boards....how different do you think it is in a caucus?!

People have lives....why do you feel the need to have a debate about the candidates? Just frigging vote! You should already know what's going on, and guess what, if they don't they can still show up and not say anything and still vote the way they think they should.....eight hours later or not...

[glarius]

16. I saw Gov. Dean on this show a few times.....He impressed me as a

serious, well-informed man...He sometimes talked about the need for health care in the U.S.A...I stopped watching the show when they changed the moderator to Keith Morrison (the transplanted Canadian) of NBC....Morrison, to me is a phony and a right winger...After he took over the show there were many Canadian Alliance people on...They are Canada's right wing party....They seemed to predominate on the show even though they get about 12% support in the polls...The show is no longer worthy of watching in my opinion....But I wonder if it was through Morrison that NBC dug up these tapes???

P.S....by the way, the name of the show is "The Editors" and it is seen on PBS Buffalo, N.Y. also.....

[TexasSissy]

18. I don't think that's the whole quote. I saw the clip on TV. Dean...

used the term "special interests."

[poskonig]

19. I loath the media whores.

*Democrats* who cheerlead this kinda stuff need to wise up.