By 2008 the Repugs won't have any moderate candidates to run: Rockefeller, Scranton et al are all dead, and the current crop are tying themselves by their votes to the crazies; if Snowe, Collins, Chaffee etc. don't switch parties, they'll be irretreviably stuck to Frist/Dobson's tarbaby forever. Sen. Allen's attempt today to become "compassionate" by regretting lynching was one of the most risible efforts by a wingnut to change colors I've ever seen; he won't be 2008's moderate.
Posted by Brian Boru at June 12, 2005 09:07 PMI like the phrase, "Give 'em hell, Howard!" I know it is a bit trite, but I like the Truman reference because it evokes a happier, more Democratic time. And connecting Dean's in-your-face style with an historical figure helps anchor his political conduct in the American political tradition.
For reasons best explained by the late Joseph Campbell, it's hard to get people excited about moving forward into the future. It's more effective to tell them that we are getting back to the Golden Days. And hammering Republicans like Truman did is getting back to the good old days.
Posted by James E. Powell at June 12, 2005 09:12 PMSteve:
Good post, with a good title. Dean should continuing telling like it is. And Fox and the rest of the right-wingnut media be damned. Also, we should phone or e-mail the lily-livered centrist Democrats that we will not support their campaigns unless they grow a spine.
Jonathan
Posted by at June 12, 2005 09:24 PMWell, finally someone has the balls to say what every pussy Democrat has been afraid to say. You go Howard! What took you so long. We have been waiting, and not too patiently I might add, for someone to start speaking the truth about the Republicans Party and this Administration. I would strongly suggest that all of us send Dean an email telling him that he has our support. Let the games begin.
Posted by Judith at June 12, 2005 09:30 PMntrtnng t sy th lst, s lft wng xtrmst brnds rght wng xtrmst nd dvsv bgts dvsv. Dn ndd brs th sl f th dysfnctnl prty.
[Editor: ignore=off]the only way the Rs nominate a moderate is if we take either house of congress next year. even then, they're so fixated on their own perfect images, they'll probably go with Jeb! or if we're really lucky little ricky
Posted by benjoya at June 12, 2005 09:34 PMI see a moderate Republican coming. As the right become even more conservative, there will be a split in the Republican party (if it isn't happening already). McCain will be able to get the nomination because he will be more popular during the primaries. You put McCain against most Democrats and he will win. The thing I would dread seeing is McCain vs Edwards. I like them both, so it would be hard to be terribly interested in the election, which I look forward to so much.
Of course, I thought that there is no way that the majority of people in the Democratic primary would think that Kerry, and not Edwards, was a better choice to run against Bush. 2004 really did some damage to my faith in American voters. Maybe my thinking is flawed...
Posted by Andy at June 12, 2005 09:51 PMGeorge Lakoff said something in Denver that put to rest the idea of a Moderate Democrat ever succeeding by playing to the mushy middle.
He said that swing voters in the middle are not mushy moderates, but voters who have both conservative and liberal attitudes on different issues. What the Rove/Bush GOP has figured out, is that a strong appeal to the right wing base will also energize the conservative instincts of swing voters.
Democrats who try the GOP-Lite approach will only drive these voters to the real thing. If Dems want to win over swing voters, they need to do it by appealing to their liberal inclinations.
Posted by ck at June 12, 2005 10:13 PMAs aiko commented over at Digby's earlier today.
"Not only does Dean speak for me but I think all this fuss is good for us.
I love being the base--it is about time!"
Posted by RossK at June 12, 2005 10:30 PMRossJ, I agree with you. Democrats haven't had this much attention in the press for a long time. I also think Dean should continue to dismiss Fox News as not worthy of his time or comments. As Rove clearly understands, negativity can erode faster than anything else.
Posted by Judith at June 13, 2005 03:00 AMDean needs to attack Dick Cheney. Who's going to stand up for a member of the Walking Undead?
Posted by Matt Davis at June 13, 2005 05:50 AMMr. Cheney made his comments on HANNITY and colmes. I am sure right after the "he has never won anything" snipe colmes jumped in to correct.
Did he or was he a good FOX liberal?
Posted by Richard at June 13, 2005 06:45 AMSorry, I missed this:
Entertaining to say the least, as left wing extremist brands right wing extremist and divisive begets divisive. Dean indeed bares the soul of the dysfunctional party.
Dean is coming to kick you in the head until your brain splodes' out of your ass. Hold on son, when this snaps back you'll be lucky to get a job servicing condoms in a gay brothel.
Posted by phidipides at June 13, 2005 07:38 AMdean calling fox news a propaganda tool for the republican party was a thing of beauty..that's exactly what it is...
Posted by dennis at June 13, 2005 10:06 AMAll of Howard's commentary is spot on -- ignore Fox News and treat it like the propaganda outlet that it is -- a comment long past due from Democrats.
But how many Liberals/Progressives here really believe that the DLC will endorse a non-"Centrist" (Corporatist) to run in '08? We could consider ourselves lucky just to get a House Representative as liberal as Paul Wellstone in '06 given the Dems politics.
As I've said on other blogs, this is a contrived "good cop, bad cop" effort. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if Lieberman, Dean, and CEOs from the worst Corporations didn't sit together at dinner to plan out their parts and their scripts for the week - in the same way that the Corporatists, Social Conservatives, & Neocons do.
Posted by Tampa Student at June 13, 2005 05:34 PMThere won't be a moderate Rethuglican candidate in '08. The fundies won't allow without destroying the party. They would run their own candidate in the general election, splitting the vote. This country is poised to make a strong move to the left.
Posted by roamer at June 14, 2005 12:23 PM