NY Times: Dean, Under Attack, Revives Feisty Style

[La_Serpiente]

Dean, Under Attack, Revives Feisty Style

SEABROOK, N.H., Dec. 23 — Swatting away attacks from all corners in the 10 days since the capture of Saddam Hussein, Howard Dean has returned to the combative posture that propelled his insurgent candidacy to the front of the field this fall. Denunciations of "Washington Democrats" once again dominate his speeches, even as he complains that negativity has taken over the primary campaign.

It is a clear contrast from just two weeks ago when Dr. Dean, buoyed by the backing of several major unions, former Vice President Al Gore and a swelling crowd of elected officials, was beginning to change his style. Smiling more than finger-thrusting, he fancied himself a frontrunner above the fray, experimenting — briefly — with a more moderate tone, as he kept one eye on the general electorate.

But the relentless battering has stymied his effort to look long range, forcing him to hunker down in the final month before the first votes.

"Ultimately, if I'm going to be the nominee, I have to broaden the message," Dr. Dean, the former governor of Vermont, said recently in an interview as his van shuttled between town-hall-style meetings on the snowy streets of New Hampshire. "I know that, and I was starting to do it. But you can't do it if every day you know Joe Lieberman is calling you incompetent and John Kerry is whining about something else. There's not much sense in broadening the message if I'm not the nominee."

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Dean, Under Attack, Revives Feisty Style

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[NJCher]

1. waits before returning attack

This article notes that Dean realizes he has to respond to attacks but does not do so immediately. Sometimes he has waited for five days before a response. Hardly anyone who "shoots from the hip."


Cher

[Dr. Wu]

2. Feist or divisive?

November will only tell how America views Dean.

[bearfartinthewoods]

3. Dean, Under Attack, Prays for Salvation.....

.

[HFishbine]

4. So now we are mocking religion?

We don't hear much about your candidate anymore. Who is that again?

[jonnyblitz]

6. your bitter sigline breaks DU rules I believe

I could be wrong ...

"Your may not use your signature line to attack any Democrat."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html#signature

[Scott Lee]

11. Hmmm, you're right.

[maddezmom]

5. This is funny

Dean calls people out for whining and attacking and the whole point of the article is that he attacks, also.

[otohara]

7. blah blah blah, mumble mumble mumble.

All these guys, they all voted for the war!" Dr. Dean shouted on Friday night at a high school in Davenport, Iowa. "Then all summer long, when all those people were being killed — they were our soldiers, nine in Iowa alone — oh, they were backing and filling, `Well, gee, you know, I meant, blah blah blah, mumble mumble mumble


This is pretty funny stuff...Go Dr.

[polpilot]

8. The pro war candidates bet, with our young men & women, and lost.

It's not complicated.

Dean '04...

[JohnKleeb]

9. All these guys?

Funny I recall one candiate who voted against IWR, and his name isnt Howard B Dean III, its Dennis J Kucinich. I know he means Kerry and co but wait, Clark is considered a frontrunner or top tier and he was against it I think not sure.

[maddezmom]

12. some candidates maybe, but DK and I'm sure a few others

were not for the war. And the constant drumbeat of only me, me, me...Howard Dean was against the war is not only false, but undercuts the other candidates.

[Skwmom]

10. Dean started the attacks

including push polling against the other candidates. His wanting to complain about the other candidates is hypocrisy in overdrive. In addition, most so called attacks by the other candidates do nothing more than disclose the truth about Howard Dean.

[maddezmom]

13. not sure he starts them all, but he has done his fair share of attacking

and then to complain about it calling other whimps, is too me funny.

[jumptheshadow]

14. "John Kerry is whining about something else."

Hoo boy, this is the guy who is going to energize the Democratic party, lead us to victory and then bring us world peace.

:argh: