WP: Dean's appeal: He's a John Wayne hero in a Jimmy Stewart field.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43182-2003Dec30.html

<snip>

I have in mind the Wayne characters in "The Searchers" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." In these movies, Wayne plays historically transitional figures -- the ultimate tough guy who defeats the forces of darkness and disorder, in no small part by becoming, or just being, very like them himself, but for whom the forces of light then have no further use. In "The Searchers," he spends five years hunting down a Comanche tribe, and when he finds it, he scalps the chief. The conclusion of "The Searchers" sees Wayne heading off to wander in the desert as the door to his family's home closes behind him. In "Liberty Valance," he guns down bad guy Lee Marvin -- and renders himself obsolete as soon as the smoke clears. With their safety secured, the townsfolk don't need the Wayne character anymore; they go off and anoint the distinctly less rambunctious Jimmy Stewart as their hero.
<snip>

You get the Democrats' John Wayne, on a mission to hunt down George W. Bush in no small measure by becoming, or being, the Democratic candidate most like Bush. Dean has the Duke's contempt for all those citified fellers -- the Washington Democrats -- who took forever to realize that Bush was gunning for them and never quite figured out how to fight back.

Alone among the Democratic candidates, Dean understood that the law hadn't come yet to Dodge, that the party needed a tough guy who could unleash its long-suppressed animal instincts. And so Dean has pursued the same strategy that Bush has followed, but that his fellow Democrats have shunned: Cultivate the base. He gave the core Democrats, and the unaffiliated young, a meaningful vehicle to oppose the war and Bush's shredding of the social contract at home and international alliances abroad.
<snip>



I'm sure this post will inspire its share of "...but, but, but...Dean is a DraftDodger!"... flames, but it does explain, on a metaphorical level, why Dean has such wide appeal among Democrats who watched the Washington wing of the party lead us into the 2002 massacre.

Swaggers up to the bar in a west texas salon. Twin hypodermic needles hanging low from his belt for quick draw.

Pushes a 22 gallon hat back on his head.

Jangles his spurs.

"I'll have one of those NeHi Grapes, pardna"

... and magically transformed himself from a Rockefeller Republican to a "hell bent for leather, base stoking populist--using Trippi's old recycled slogans "Take Back America" and "You Have the Power!"

And some of the base have fallen for this "basically unrecognizable from how he governed in Vermont" Howard Dean.

Instead he keeps getting caught with his pants down.

while other dems remained mild-mannered and subserviant, Dean saw the fight and took it up.

I prefer someone who needs to be goaded into the fight than someone itching for a fight. Dean is the man who is slowly seeing the town ravaged by a cattle baron who is running the town through the use of brute force and fear. Dean isn't asking for the fight but he knows he is the only one with the skills and ability to clean out the vile forces that have overtaken the town.

A wonderful movie and an apt anology. Thanks for that. :-)

A beautifully written analysis by DU's own "Maha"...
Lengthy, but well worth your time.

Snip:

No doubt all manner of instruments exist to measure electability, factoring in height, weight, comb of hair, and color of tie. But I say it all boils down to the Masculine Mystique. Put another way, “It’s the cojones, stupid.”

Just consider most of the past several presidential elections in terms of a John Wayne factor. War hero Dwight Eisenhower beat out egghead Adlai Stevenson, twice. In the Kennedy-Nixon debates, the televised image of the handsome, confident, robust JFK won over sweaty, shifty-eyed Tricky Dick, although those listening to the debates on radio thought Nixon did the better job. Later, Commie-fighter, tough-on-crime Nixon beat the progressive Hubert Humphrey and the pacifist George McGovern. In spite of his age, tall-in-the-saddle Ronald Reagan was the personification of testosterone itself next to opponents Jimmy Carter and Fritz Mondale. Poppy Bush beat out Michael Dukakis on manliness, particularly after the unfortunate tank video, but the rakish Bill Clinton clearly out-manned Poppy.

And in the 50-50 election of 2000, Al Gore got points for kissing his wife but lost points by being prissy in the debates. Bush's only asset was his faux cowboy act, but that kept the election close enough to steal.

Please note that I'm not saying this is a good thing. I'm just saying this is how it is. The John Wayne mythos is alive and well and must be appeased if the Dems are to win back the White House in 2004.


Read it all here:
http://www.mahablog.com/id27.html

Thread in E&A:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=26969#27926

Or cynical manipulation and exploitation of Democrats' justifiable anger toward Bushco and the compliant media?

Instead of bashing Dean, why don't you tell us what a great president kerry would be. Oops, I forgot kerrys campaign is nothing but bash Dean



edit: spelling

exactly what has Dean demanded us to obey?

This was a very interesting article and discribes bush and his followers perfectly.

eom

No question. Hands down.

Though either would be fine. Especially compared to the walk-on extra we have in the role right now.

nuff said...

No, wait... John Wayne was an arch republican.

:)

Coop was all too happy to snitch out his colleagues to the House Un-American Affairs Committee. Not the analogy I'd use.
I say Clark is Paul Newman: Handsome, smart, tough, liberal and likable. The kid down the street who rose to the top of his profession through skill and lots of hard work. A guy you'd like to have a beer with.
John
But then, I'm a big Paul Newman fan. Big Clark fan, too.
ON EDIT: I'd take Jimmy over the Duke any time, as well.

:dunce:

What was that Paul Newman movie where he keeps trying to break out of prison?

I believe the best way to defeat Bush in 2004 is to adopt the rhetorical style and narrative of Alan Ladd's Shane.

The quiet and confident gunslinger. Rhetorically depict Bush as Jack Palance and he GOP as the cattle baron. It appeals to the populist sentiment and is a 'hero' that Americans can appreciate (Talk softly and carry a big stick.)

Right now, I'd really like to see Dean wield a stick on somebody, but being out of office he can't do squat.

Howard Dean is no John Wayne. The comparison is ludicrous, particularly in the extended analogy offered. His style is far more James Stewart but with a stronger punch.

Cary Grant is charming as hell, but he can be a badass.

But I'm sure it's illegal. :puke: What drivel.

can't remember the name, where he was a sea captain turned rancher and had to bring peace over a water rights battle between a cattle baron and a family of poorer cowboys.

Peck was a reluctant warrior who used his brains more than his fists.

if you know what I mean.
Although the doctor does have ONE thing in common with Wayne...

and the John Wayne analogy...forget about who these actors were or were not in real life...that's not the point of this piece.

And Meyerson makes an important observation:

The question, though, is whether Dean can transcend his inner Duke. In 2004 the Democrats need a Jimmy Stewart, too, who can persuade the townsfolk that he's not just good for battle but for building a better social order.

That doesn't mean Howard Dean needs to move to what many in Washington consider the center... But it does mean that Dean needs to find some Stewart-like magic that enables him to talk to Ohioans about family and security as though he were more of an old friend -- someone who champions their interests and feels at home in their culture. He doesn't need to cultivate a drawl, but he needs to broaden his repertoire beyond the bark.

And this is where Howard Dean, M.D., comes in - he's actually started this part of the program, although most of the press has yet to catch on...and most won't until the smoke begins to clear from the primary battlefield.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Harold Meyerson" <hmeyerson@prospect.org>
To: (me)
Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 12:44 PM
Subject: RE: Dean is the Marion Hero!


Of course, Wayne's "military service" applies to George W. more clearly than it does to Dean.

Thanks for the note, and happy new year -


Harold Meyerson

Yul Brynner (Magnificant Seven). Brynner was amazing. World traveler, spoke several languages, one hell of a dancer, played guitar like nobody's business (Really. Check out that movie he did with Ingrid Bergman. I forget the name.), and of course he was devastatingly handsome.