Clark and Edwards - playing the nice guys?

Is it just me or have these two played it cooler and calmer than the rest? Maybe it's the southern thing, but I've noticed in debates they really haven't gone as gung ho and negative on the other candidates.

To be honest I appreciate them for that. I really think the party may be greatly weakened if either the moderate elements or left elements drift after a more bitter primary...

It's refreshing after seeing Dean bashing everyone, and everyone else bashing Dean about medicare, Israel, and whatever else.

nice guys finish?

As in on the ticket as Veeps.

But I'll be surprised. Actually, Clark/Edwards has a nice ring to it...

finished?

I'll take the nice guys, the good guys, the winners.

"Nice guys," or candidates who project amiability, often finish first.

starts to exhaused things after a while. I've been angry since 2000, and am now more than ready to chill.

While the angry guy gets a lot of attention and gins up the masses for awhile, history shows it's the candidate that makes us feel better about ourselves, each other and the world is the one who wins in the end. Bush won (or got close enough to steal) the election in 2000 because he appeared to be a nice guy, one who'd be more fun to have a beer with than Gore. Clinton - well, we all know about that. Reagan was sunnier and more upbeat about our future than Mondale or Carter.

Voters don't want to spend the next four years looking at a scowl and a sneer.

Dean has been attacked from everyone during this campaign:

Dean Statement in Response to DLC's Charge that Public Servants are "Fringe Activists"

“Once again, the DLC has chosen to put their own political agenda ahead of the progress needed to unite the Democratic Party. This election has barely begun, and the DLC has repeatedly dismissed people who attend caucuses, who get out the vote, and now the 1.3 million members of AFSCME as ‘fringe activists’ who do not reflect ‘the mainstream values, national pride and the economic aspirations of middle-class and working people.’

“The DLC staff can say what they want about me, but they owe an apology to the 1.3 million members of AFSCME. Our teachers, our health care workers, and our state and local public servants don't need a lesson from Washington insiders about the needs and concerns of middle- and working-class families. What they need is a Democratic Party that will stand up for them.”

Posted by Mathew Gross at 04:27 PM
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000206.html

Tell From and Reed of the DLC What You Think
Click here to sign a letter to the Democratic Leadership Council telling them that you're an active Democrat who supports Howard Dean. You can tell your friends about the link, too: www.deanforamerica.com/DLC

Posted by Mathew Gross at 01:29 AM
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000240.html

Fineman on the DLC Memo
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000213.html

Former DNC-Chief Steve Grossman to DLC: "Creating Conflict is Not Leadership."
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000225.html

Liberal Oasis on Howard Dean and the DLC
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000226.html

Will the Real DLC Please Stand Up?
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000228.html

Congressional Members Call on DLC to Stop Divisive Tactics
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000238.html

Activists Are Out of Step
By Al From and Bruce Reed
http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=251866&kaid=85&subid=65

The Real Soul of the Democratic Party
By Al From and Bruce Reed
http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=251690&kaid=127&subid=900056