Reply #62: Heh! Great statement [View All]

I think you nailed it right there! Using dumbass stereo types does NOTHING to get you closer to the folks who need your support.

Jesse Ventura did the same thing when he was governor, commenting on the street layout of St. Paul. He said they were so screwed up, they were laid out by a "drunken Irishman". Not an overly huge deal, but he said this on Jay Leno.

Needless to say, a fair number folk of Irish descent didn't appreciate him reinforcing that stereotype.

Dean's whole comment reminds me of Ross Perot addressing the NAACP in 1992, when he referred to African-Americans as "you people". That pretty much blew any chance Perot had of any support in the black community.

Sure, Dean may not have meant any harm by his statement, but it did come off as paternal and very "we know what's best for you"-- which is NOT what the electorate wants to hear, especially from some "New England Liberal Elitist". Voters don't like to be talked down to. They want to be addressed as EQUALS.

I don't think Dean really meant to be cruel with his statements, and IMHO it's not as big a deal as the media has made it. But he seems to forget that words mean things, and that his supporters will treat his words different from his prospective supporters.