response 25 of 68:

Jul 22 21:27 UTC 2003

I like the fact that Howard Dean is a medical doctor, a physician who 
used to share a practice with his wife.  Health Care IMO is THE big 
issue not national security.  With the huge record numbers of people in 
this country who are going to become senior citizens in the next decade 
and beyond, and medical expenses skyrocketing, there is going to be a 
real crisis with health care.  At least symbolically, electing a 
physician president is a way of demonstrating a mandate for health care 
reform being made the highest of priorities in years to come.  

That said, the most electable candidate is probably Senator John Kerry 
of Massachusetts.  Dean is a relatively unknown former governor of a 
small state who hasn't yet been worked over by the national media.  You 
take a risk not knowing for sure how he'll respond.  Of course that 
didn't hurt Jimmy Carter when he ran in 1976 and was even less known 
than Dean.  Kerry is a veteran politician who is a highly decorated 
vietnam war hero (doesn't hurt having that on the resume)  Kerry was 
known for participating in vietnam war demonstrations when he was 
younger, including one where he threw his medals away (threw them over 
the white house fence in a symbolic gesture to show his disgust with 
the war)  Kerry however voted in support of the war with Iraq.  

Lieberman is too conservative to get the Democratic nomination.  
Edwards of North Carolina is too green, he needs more seasoning and 
experience and the Democrats would probably lose his seat in the Senate 
if he got elected.  Gephardt has too much baggage and represents (in my 
view) too much of the old guard establishment and the Democratic 
leadership in Congress.  

I suspect the nominee is likely to be Kerry, or Dean if continues to 
run as well as he has been, becomes the alternative candidate, and 
takes out Kerry in New Hampshire.  It should be an interesting primary 
season. 

response 27 of 68:

Jul 23 01:34 UTC 2003

Kerry has The Hair(tm). He will win. 

response 29 of 68:

Jul 23 02:14 UTC 2003

I think "President Dean" sounds silly.  Two titles in search of a name.  I
suppose he could be "Doctor President Dean".  "Mister President Doctor Dean?"
Let's just nominate Kerry and avoid all that.

response 31 of 68:

Jul 23 14:45 UTC 2003

RE:#10
"A lot of Clinton's fiscal/business policy was essentially Republican,
 though"
That is the only reason he had any economic success.
 RE:15
That was then....and this is now.
klg corrected you on the other issue.

response 35 of 68:

Jul 30 16:31 UTC 2003

re:  "#17 (mary):  And I haven't been as enthusiastic about a 
Presidental candidate since McGovern.  Go Howard Dean!"


According to today's NYT article on Dean as governor of VT he sounds 
like a Republican to me:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/30/politics/campaigns/30DEAN.html?th

"Over 11 years, he . . ., cut taxes, forced many on welfare to go to 
work, abandoned a sweeping approach to health-care reform in favor of 
more incremental measures, antagonized environmentalists, won the top 
rating from the National Rifle Association and consistently embraced 
business interests. . . He remains a fiscal conservative, he believes 
gun control should be left to the states and he favors the death 
penalty for some crimes."

response 47 of 68:

Jul 31 04:13 UTC 2003

Holy shit!  A true ironic remark that is actually funny and posted by 
polytarp!  I never thought I'd see the day...

response 49 of 68:

Aug 6 19:41 UTC 2003

Dean is on the cover of Time and Newsweek this week.  he seems to be
hot at the moment...