If there's 1 guy who could take all joy outa Dean's collapse, it's Kerry

[Bombtrack]

I never discoverd Jonathan Chait's "Diary of a Dean-o-Phobe" blog on the TNR website until today, but he wrote one paragraph that is pretty much an exact expression of my opinion of what the race has become. Exact.

http://www.tnr.com/deanophobe.mhtml?week=2004-01-27

Finally, John Kerry takes all the fun out of Dean-o-phobia. Indeed, if there's anybody who could make Dean attractive, it's Kerry. Kerry is a miserable candidate, bereft of political skills, and possessing of a record and a persona tailor-made for Karl Rove. The Republicans will merely have to say about Kerry what they said about Gore--that he wants to be on every side of every issue, that he's culturally out of touch with mainstream America, that he's a pompous bore--and this time the sale will be easier, because all these things are far more true of Kerry than of Gore. I'd love to see the Democrats nominate Wes Clark, who still has great potential as a general election candidate, or John Edwards, who has great potential not only as a candidate but as a president also. (For months I've been saying Edwards would make the best president and Clark, due to his unbeatable resumé, the best nominee. I'm now thinking Edwards's skills may nearly make up for his less-formidable resumé.) Failing that, I'd take Kerry over Dean, but it's a choice of defeat over disaster, akin to--as my colleague Frank Foer puts it--the Republicans selecting Bob Dole over Pat Buchanan in 1996.

----------

That comes from the final posting of the blog evidently. He is spot on about everything in it in my opinion. Me and Mr. Chait seem to be cut from the same cloth. I too believe that Edwards would make the best pres but Clark would make the best candidate. And if you read his "What is Diary of a Dean-o-Phobe?" entry, those feelings I had about Dean are perfectly expressed. http://www.tnr.com/deanophobe.mhtml?pid=1109

[Cuban_Liberal]

1. You're not allowed to post things like that about Sen. Kerry.

Speaking bluntly about his shortcomings as a candidate is frowned upon; I would suggest paraphrasing that entry using a thesaurus, so as not to offend some delicate sensibilities here at GD-P2004.

[lastknowngood]

2. Pat Buchanan spoke for the base of the republican party

just as Dean speaks for the base of the Democratic party and in each case the power brokers destroyed the candidate of the people and imposed a puppet loser rather than let the people have any power.
Let that sink in and then realize how far we have come from democracy into a fascist state. And your cheering them on.

[ChrisNYC]

15. Yes, Pat Buchanan would have been great

Clinton would have gotten 80% and the GOP would have been run out of Congress. Power to the people!

Brilliant strategy, simply brilliant...

[Blitz]

25. You're saying that the Republicans promoted fascism

by rejecting Pat Buchanan??? Are you serious? Pat Buchanan did not speak for a majority of Republicans. He spoke for Pat Buchanans and assorted whack jobs who bought into his xenophobic, isolationist, bigoted rantings. He no more spoke for the base of the Republican party than Kucinich or Dean or Sharpton speak for the base of the Democratic party. The Democrats are speaking in state after state and they're telling you you're wrong.

Power brokers destroyed Dean. Mr. $41 million. Mr. "look who's endorsing me today." Mr. "Here Senator Harkin, hold my coat while I pump up the base with a calm, reasoned talk about our future plans." What a laugh. Dean destroyed Dean and you should thank your lucky stars that he did it before he got the nomination.

[MaineDem]

3. TNR? Translation please before I decide I want to read it

I don't give this BLOG much credence, thanks.

[MAlibdem]

21. The New Republic

By and large it's a pretty good magazine.
However, many may take issue with the fact they whole-heartedly supported the war (I agreed with their justification by and large)
AND
Their endorsement of Joe Lieberman for the nomination.

[Monte Carlo]

4. Is Sen. Kerry REALLY that bad?

Unless a great many of the national polls around are off, Kerry is already seeming quite well against Bush in November.

This article is cute and everything, but it's all a bunch of very questionable assertions. What would Kerry be burdened with that couldn't be said about any other Democratic candidate by the GOP in the general election? Pompous bore? Hasn't every Democrat been a pompous bore?

[lastknowngood]

8. The rove machine and the press are giving him a pass and

he barley beats the shrub. Once they turn on him he will be down 20 points and then the shrub can bring out OBL or CIA planted nerve agents any time he wants to. That will push the shrub up 20 points which will give him the larges victory ever in our history. Wake up people do a little bit of thinking and don't believe the pro Kerry pols being pushed out today by the same media that will destroy him with equal ease.

[Monte Carlo]

13. Objection - assumed facts not in evidence.

And I appreciate your efforts to wake me up.

[Bombtrack]

17. Kerry changing the subject to Nam would become a joke real quick

the fact is, even though Kerry has been MY senator since I was a year old, I've never had him as my first choice because, as someone who grew up in a low income family for much of my life, I could never, ever relate to him. Windsurfing, hockey, luxury Italian motorcyles? That doesn't endear me to him, it reminds me just how much he's clueless of what my family and I have lived threw. And I think he earned my respect with what he has done over his career and service. But the golddigger and Mr. Howell digs are based in the reality of how he has lived. I've seen how much elitists like him, but there are way more people in the electorate with an anti or reverse-snobbery bias, that would work harder against the democrat than the republican, and he would have no margin of error electorally

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[patricia92243]

5. That is why the "establishment" want Kerry- Dean was actually going to....

beat Bush....Opps! Better get a candidate pubs like - so they can be positive they beat him in the GE!

[einniv]

16. naw

Kerry has cross-over appeal due to his service in Nam and his making sure the Congress was taking proper care of vets.

It would be foolishness for the GOP to "want" a candidate with cross-over appeal to steal votes from their own man.

Dean has extremely little cross-over appeal. One reason is that Dean was speakling out against the war from early on. Some potential cross-overs might agree with him now but it is likely that ego might get in the way of them actually crossing over. At least with Kerry they can continue with the illusion of "well everyone thought the war was right at first" and not be reminded of all the people who knew better (and probably told them so at the time).

[Bombtrack]

23. it's sad what a candidates propaganda can do to a persons logic

The democrats who support Kerry think he can win, and so do I, but Clark has a better chance

[thedudeingeorgia]

6. Clark is the best choice

I couldn't agree with you more about Kerry......

I believe Clark's resume is far superior to Kerry's, and I think Clark is a more viable option to Edwards. Over the last couple of days, I have seen Clark get more aggressive on the campaign trail, attacking Edwards for his votes in the Senate as it pertains to Veterans. I don't think Edwards is going to be able to duck his voting record as it pertains to veterans.

Both Clark and Kerry are veterans, but that is where the similarities end. Kerry is a career politician, ranked #1 in terms of special interest money taken over the course of his career in the Senate. Clark, on the other hand, is a novice politician, an outsider. That is why I believe that Clark is the only alternative to Kerry for the nomination, and why I believe that Clark is the best option for the nomination.

[blm]

7. Chait is a longtime supporter of John Edwards. He's entitled to an opinion

He wants his guy to win.

[Mass_Liberal]

10. are you joking?

your post confuses me. If a Dean supporter had said what he just did, you would be all over him.

[joshcryer]

12. Since he apparently doesn't like Dean.

It's A-Okay, obviously.

[blm]

14. Because I think Dean is a fraud.

I don't think Edwards is a fraud.

[Bombtrack]

19. That's a valid point, but his theory about the order of electability,

Clark, Edwards, Kerry, Dean - - - seems to be the one increasingly shared by the best strategists and pollsters in the country, on both sides, who's opinions have been either revealed or written about themselves

There was a WP story a few weeks ago that said basically the same thing.

That the whitehouse politcal team was split about whether Clark or Edwards would be harder, but they know they'd rather face Kerry than either of them, and they'd rather face Dean than Kerry

[Skwmom]

9. Edwards the best president?

How does being a personal injury attorney for a majority of his life prepare him to be president? Give me a break.

[lastknowngood]

11. Well you must admit most Americans have bee personally

injured by the shrub and his minions.

[Bombtrack]

20. It comes down to who he is as a person, a role model

Edwards would be an inspiration to all who aren't born into power of what they could do and who they could become when you are a good person and if you are strong.

His legacy would set a higher bar and better opinion for the democratic party, because his platform is the best in the field. Read "real solutions for America". It's a common sense, progressive, and innovative improvement for our country.

[Bombtrack]

22. bu

mp

[Bombtrack]

24. bump

ef