Re: Howard Dean - Sheep in Sheep's clothing?

> When I started hearing all the media channels repeating the "Dean is
> unelectable" mantra I started to think that probably you were right, Steve.[1] 
> I mean, who is the damn media to tell people over and over again they should not
> vote for a candidate of their choice b/c he, according to the carefully screened
> and appropriately paid pundits, cannot win?

  I agree. The media shouldn't make the calls... "We report. You
decide." all that kind of stuff.

   He's not electable, but that's beyond the point. 

> The claim was, by the media, that Dean is too liberal.  But Dean is only as

  He is.

> liberal as the media makes him out to be.  If they avoid discussing his
> "liberal" ideas, then to the voters, he is not liberal.  Just like the media
> ignoring Bush's desertion made Bush not a deserter to the voters; the media not

  We technically he is not. And, okay, so he made some stupid mistakes
(see the ones below too). He did the same as a lot of others. I'm not
excusing them, but let's face it: that's just life. We all have
skeletons in a closet. The important thing is that whether they are just
that or if they are still alive and breathing.

  Aaron noted a few weeks ago that it was ashame our standards on
elected officials were so low. I agree. But, right now, I don't see
anyone standing up that's half way decent (honestly, America as a whole
has some serious issues at the moment -- maybe we're a society incapable
of producing as many great political figures as we once were).

   I mean, I can't recall who you were endorsing, but he had several
actual, recorded felonies on his record, if I recall. 

> In other words, it's like the old tree falling the forest story:  if Dean in
> fact made a bunch of liberal decisions and the media does not report it, is Dean
> a liberal?  The answer is, NO, in the US at least it only exists if the mass
> media (or the foundation-selected textbook) says it does.

  Dean:

   1. against the war.
   2. for raising taxes.
   3. larger government programs.
   4. passed first civil union law as gov.
   etc.

  How's he *not* liberal?

> Indeed in many ways Kerry is more liberal than Dean.[2]  While the media will
> admit that on occassion, they do not follow up with the same "Kerry is too
> liberal to be elected" pronouncement over and over and over and over again -
> which, if they were sincere the first time, they would be obligated to do.  This

  Kerry, who I don't like, has a major advantage: he doesn't have Dean's
anger. I actually somewhat like Dean in a few ways.

> [2] Interestingly the true story behind civil unions in New Hampshire is that
> Dean was opposed to them but the New Hampshire Supreme Court forced his hand, at
> which point he promptly punted to the legislature, which passed some legislation
> which Dean signed.

  Why does Dean say he supports them, then?

  -Tim

-- 
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Timothy R. Butler       Universal Networks      www.uninet.info
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