The one thing you don't do in politics is live up (down) to the media's caricature of you. When Bob Dole in '88 snarled at Poppy on TV to "stop lying about my record," it was the beginning of the end of his campaign. I didn't catch a snippet of Dean's speech until this morning. In response to the meme that he is too angry or out of control, what does he do when he knows his clip will be seen by millions who haven't seen him before? He gives a snarling, pep rally performance not suited for the small screen. Even worse, to the average voter, he came across as "unpresidential." By doing that, he lived up (down) to the media's meme. And by doing that, he showed that he didn't have the political "smarts" I thought he did.
I was never a kool-aid drinker. I supported Dean because I thought he had the right message and was the person who could best deliver it. Now it's clear to me: right message, wrong messenger. I think he's shown with last night, and with other tactics and incidents the past month, that he's not ready for the heat of the battle of a campaign. That he's not ready for prime time. I know I'll get flamed, but I think he's not the right person to carry the battle to Bush. I don't mind losing if the candidate takes positions that prove to be unpopular. But I do mind losing when the candidate himself is the problem.
I've switched my support to Edwards. I flirted with supporting him a while back. Although he was wrong on the war, he's far preferable to me than Kerry. Edwards is a true populist, a first-rate campaigner, and someone who is great on TV.