David Corn (The Nation): Iowa: Ten Talking Points

Jack Rabbit

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Tue Jan-20-04 10:17 PM
Original message

David Corn (The Nation): Iowa: Ten Talking Points

From The Nation
Posted online Tuesday January 20

Capital Games
Iowa: Ten Talking Points
By David Corn

1. It's not the movement, it's the man.
2. The war didn't matter.
3. Voters want to be reassured, not merely fired up.
4. Negative campaigning works.
5. Special interests are bad.
6. Is money enough?
8. Dennis Kucinich is not acquitting himself well.
9. Ban the caucuses.
10. The pundits know what they're talking about.

Read the reasons why . . .

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HFishbine

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Tue Jan-20-04 10:21 PM
Response to Original message

1. Duh!

8. Dennis Kucinich is not acquitting himself well. Kucinich's 1 percent does not provide much justification for continuing his progressive campaign. But he also committed a misstep when he struck a deal with John Edwards and pledged his voters to Edwards in caucuses where Kucinich would not reach the cutoff. Since Kucinich is running as an antiwar candidate--boasting he will pull the troops out of Iraq faster than the others--it was odd that he forged an alliance with Edwards, who has supported the war in Iraq. Why not Dean, who shares Kucinich's opposition to the war? In any event, this tactical move made little difference in the final results. But it did tarnish Kucinich's status as a stand-by-principles politician.

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AnAmerican

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Tue Jan-20-04 10:23 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. Utter nonsense

Edited on Tue Jan-20-04 10:25 PM by AnAmerican

Dean is no more more anti-war than any of the others. At least Edwards fights for the little guy. Edwards has become my new #2. A Dennis/Edwards ticket or vice-versa would wash the floor with the BFEE.

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9119495

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Tue Jan-20-04 10:48 PM
Response to Reply #2

4. Dean helped this little guy

Although to be fair, I'm really medium sized. Most of my friends are tall though.

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liberalnurse

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Tue Jan-20-04 10:35 PM
Response to Reply #1

3. The Kucinich deal with Edwards was a nail in his political coffin

Edited on Tue Jan-20-04 10:40 PM by liberalnurse

so to speak here in Ohio. I plan on reminding every democrat daily of his sell-out behavior....He is an empty suit. He lost big time with zilch/scant Ohio delegates for the DNC Convention in July. Dean has over 3/4 of them......

Wellstone would never, ever ever of done that crap.

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AnAmerican

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Tue Jan-20-04 10:52 PM
Response to Reply #3

6. Okey dokey

Obviously you do not speak for most Ohioans. That is your issue, not mine.

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Tinoire

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Tue Jan-20-04 10:53 PM
Response to Reply #3

7. And the people who've been bashing DK since the beginning-

still bashing him. What a shock.

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DrBB

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Tue Jan-20-04 10:51 PM
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5. Kerry is the Bob Dole of 2004

Corn's own comments make that quite clear:

10. The pundits know what they're talking about. Before the Dean movement--or bubble--fully emerged, political prognosticators pegged Kerry as the front-runner. He had the stature, the gravitas, the experience, the money. He was, many said (myself included), the default candidate. But Kerry ran a poor campaign and spent months failing to connect. He also devoted too much time and energy to swiping at Dean--which made Kerry look desperate and small. But once he stopped flailing, and once Iowa voters got closer to having to make a choice, Kerry returned to his pre-Dean spot: a by-the-numbers Democratic candidate acceptable (if not inspirational) to many Democratic voters. The pundits had that right. But after the surprising results in Iowa, they would be wise not to make any further predictions for the duration of the race.

I think this is really the most devastating thing that can be said about him, though it masquerades as (tepidly) positive. This is the kind of sacrificial candidate traditionally fielded against an incumbent. The guy whose turn it is. The war horse who gets to be the standard bearer but who is too familiar a face to really have a chance to energize swing voters or disaffected members of the other party in November.

The "Oh. Him." candidate.

Kerry as Bob Dole. Or, if you like, the Mondale of 2004.

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