The New Stop Dean Candidate...Rival's attacks strengthen Dean

http://slate.msn.com/id/2089813

All year, Howard Dean has been gaining ground in the Democratic presidential race. And all year, Democratic centrists have been scrambling for a candidate to stop him. He's too liberal, they said. He's soft on defense, a Vermont lefty, an evangelist for expansive programs. To stop him, they turned to Joe Lieberman, then John Kerry, then Wes Clark. But the more Dean's rivals expose his record, the more I suspect that the centrist who's going to spare Democrats this left-wing nightmare isn't any of these guys. It's Howard Dean.
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You can imagine how angry I am, as a swing voter, to find out these horrible things about Dean. My hands are trembling so violently, I can barely write his name on the check.
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An interesting take from Slate political writer William Saletan... Every time Gephardt, Kerry or Lieberman attack Dean's record, it strengthens his standing as a strong, fiscally responsible centrist who can appeal to the Great American Middle.

I don't think candidate bashing is helpful at all. And we have a good chance of defeating Bushco. My boss told me today that we had to get rid of George Bush. I told him WHY I had Dean signs on my car. One step at a time.....

:toast:

which FOX and CNN execute during the debates. I think they know that it helps Dean and that's why they try so hard to put him at the center of the debate.

I've also notice that the media has pretty effectively dismissed Clark as a candidate. All that fanfare for him on the day he announced, and now where is he? Sure he's doing OK in a few polls, but I think the bloom on that rose is fading right now. And It think the media is repsonsible to a certain degree.

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