following is one possible interpretation of the media's relation with the Howard Dean campaign this past year:

Howard Dean: the emperor has no clothes!

Media: hey, a new interesting fresh face!

Howard Dean: the emperor has no clothes!

Media: why is this guy so angry?

Howard Dean: the emperor has no clothes!

Media: why is this angry guy attracting a following? this must be some kind of a hippie-internet cult.

Howard Dean: the emperor has no clothes and nobody is saying nothing!

Media: gee, an outsider; the Democratic establishment must hate him.

Howard Dean: the emperor is naked!

Media: waffling flip-flopper!!

Howard Dean: the emperor has no clothes!

Media: this is a one note campaign that's peaked; an anti-Dean with tons of experience will emerge to take him down.

Howard Dean: the emperor has no clothes!

Media: well, as governor, Dean once went swimming wearing only a swimming trunk; he's also been known to have taken showers, without any clothes! what a hypocrite!!

Howard Dean: the emperor has no clothes!

Media: well, heck, he'll lose in a landslide in the general.

following is what may happen next year (hey, is't possible):

Howard Dean: the emperor has no clothes!

Media: wow, he won! he's a genius! we knew it all along; but he's gonna have problems governing...

well we'll see.

cheers

tensor