Democrats sense opportunity in '04

[Judi Lynn]

Democrats sense opportunity in '04
With packed slate, candidates try to stand apart from crowd


08/07/2003

By DAVID JACKSON / The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON – Democrats increasingly believe their presidential nomination will be worth having after all – assuming they don't split apart first.

The party's White House challengers see President Bush as more vulnerable as his once-lofty approval ratings slip over the economy and questions about the war in Iraq.

But at the same time, the party's liberal and centrist wings are waging an internal debate about how best to challenge Mr. Bush, a fight driven largely by the hottest name in politics, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean.

"We're coming to believe that we have a very good opportunity in 2004," said Al From, founder of the Democratic Leadership Council, which includes some of Dr. Dean's most prominent critics. "The challenge to this party is to make sure we take advantage of it."
(snip/...)

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/nation/stories/080703dnnatworthhaving.24a54.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. ...and not blow it

by having the DLC and not the people decide upon the candidate.

[iam]

2. Centrist?

Dean IS a centrist. Liberalism is centrist.

[CO Liberal]

3. Since the GOP Has Fallen Off The Right Side......

...everything else in the political spectrum is centrist.

[buckfush2]

4. No, Dean is NOT a liberal

Every policy and stance of his is moderate, except for being against the war, and that's not a liberal stance (see Buchanan and others) but a moral one.

[jamesinca]

5. Very true

He does have some left leaning ideas though, civil unions for one. But that is ok, he is here to do more good than harm.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. Being moderate is not...

a bad thing if you want to win a nation wide election! I see nothing wrong with wanting a balanced budget.
This country cannot afford to hold much more debt at this point!

[crissy71]

7. Too bad he's a lousy candidate

.