With perfectly good reason.
Sensationalist media are
more a distraction than they are a contribution to reason.
Personally, I'm sick to death of being portrayed as just an angry aimless hater by journalists. Are they really that clueless as to the plight of our nation today? If they are not clueless, then why are they being so incredibly intellectually dishonest?
To keep their jobs, perhaps?
Can you think of one historical example where the 'out' party has lost a presidential election "because it has come on too strongly against the incumbent"?
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"This is beyond normal partisanship. The feeling in the Democratic base about Bush's presidency is that he's a dangerous leader, as opposed to a bad leader."
Simon Rosenberg/New Democrat Network
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From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Sept 6:
**Note: I agree with presidential historian Allan Lichtman:
Mobilizing the voters
"While the "angry Democrats self-destruct" scenario has some currency among political analysts and insiders, there's an alternative school of thought.
"I don't buy that for a minute," presidential historian Allan Lichtman said of the notion that anti-Bush passions are counterproductive for Democrats.
"I can't think of a historical example where the 'out' party has lost because it has come on too strongly against the incumbent," Lichtman said.
"You cannot win unless you get your base energized and mobilized. Let the Democrats nominate whoever they're most enthusiastic for and not worry about being too strident or too left-wing," he said.
In other words, the nominee will do what all nominees do: nail down the base, then adapt for the general election.
When it comes to Dean in particular, there's another dimension to the argument. Is he a stock liberal with niche appeal or - as he and his campaign contend - is he harder to pigeonhole, with some stands (balanced budget, gun rights, pro-death penalty) that defy stereotyping and a temperament (combative) that makes it hard for conservatives to define him as too soft to protect America?
Independent pollster John Zogby said that in the key nominating battleground of New Hampshire, Dean's support is just as strong right now among independents as among Democrats - that as an "outsider," he's appealing to many non-ideological voters.
"He's not just throwing red meat to liberals. He's the John McCain," Zogby said, referring to the Republican senator who defeated Bush in New Hampshire four years ago."
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