Here is an interesting analysis of the dean problem in thecarpetbaggerreport.com
June 08, 2005
Dean's message 'problem'
Posted 1:43 pm | Printer Friendly
I've been hesitant to weigh in on Howard Dean and his more colorful comments of late, but the problem doesn't seem to be going away and I want to add my two cents. I'm not prepared to blame Dean, but I believe it's up to him to make this situation better before it becomes an even greater distraction.
As all of you know, Dean's caused something of an uproar by offering some, shall we say, intemperate remarks about Republicans. Late last week, he said "a lot" of Republicans "have never made an honest living." Yesterday, with the media spotlight shining brighter, Dean told a California audience that Republicans are "a pretty monolithic party. They all behave the same. They all look the same. It's pretty much a white Christian party."
If anyone's surprised that Dean has a proclivity for provocative remarks about Republicans, they haven't been paying attention. His passion is what led so many people to like him in the Dem primaries in late 2003, and his aggressive style is exactly what helped him get the DNC chairmanship's job in the first place. We hired a pugilist; it's foolish to ask him to refrain from taking a swing now and then.
The question, of course, is how Dean should target those punches and what other Dems are going to do when a stray punch lands below the belt.
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I didn't support Dean during the Dem primaries, but I like a lot of what I've seen of him as DNC chair. I want him to be aggressive. I want him to go after the GOP with all he's got, even if that means going over the top on occasion. I just want him to be a little smarter about it with regards to message discipline.
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For better of worse, Dean's fiery side has put him in the spotlight. With just a little restraint and targeting, Dean can use it to his — and the party's — advantage.