The Goring of Dean
For some reason, the press has decided that former Vermont governor (and, in my opinion, likely Democratic Presidential nominee) Howard Dean is “not ready for prime time” (see this representative smear by Marianne Means as an example of the emerging party line). And since when has being a clueless governor been a disqualification for the Presidency? 1976? 1980? 1992? Certainly not 2000, when the Supreme Court saddled us with the most lightweight and least-qualified candidate imaginable.
I’ve been watching Dean for a while, and though he needs a little bit of polish, he seems remarkably articulate, forceful and intellectually capable of understanding the issues, even if he’s not yet fully informed on every matter facing the POTUS. That’s what VP Wesley Clark, Secretary of State Gary Hart, SecDef Sam Nunn and campaign special advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski are for. If you believe that Bush has “grown presidential in the office” then clearly it can happen with anyone. Dean is at least starting on a higher plane than a few others in recent memory.
I think Dean is getting the Gore treatment so early and so hard because his success has a few people scared. Of all the Democrats running, he is the only serious contender who can claim true “outsider” status. He’s not as liberal as he’s being portrayed, but he still offers the greatest contrast with Bush and does not have the voting record of the various Senators as an issue in either the primary or the general election. He’s electrifying on the stump and has some interesting proposals around health care reform – a subject to which he brings some credibility as an actual doctor.
If he takes good campaign advice, he will stick to big themes and not get dragged into details. Specifics will only be used against him, and will not mean anything to most voters. He can also use this recent round of Goring to his advantage. After all, if it becomes conventional wisdom that he’s dumb and ill-prepared, maybe he can score a few victories by exceeding low expectations.
10:59:08 AM 
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