From where I sit, a fifty-something boomer old enough to have voted for McGovern and from the safe confines of Michigan, laughed like hell at Ronald Reagun when as a new governor he made a perfect ass of himself chewing out the University of California Board of Regents on national television. Older and wiser and now, living in Silicon Valley I've painfully garnered a good perspective through the looking glass. I'm a heavy Dean supporter though I think of him as a Kucinish-light and my wife is a Clark supporter.
I'm having serious doubts as to Deans ability to transfer his enthusiasm/anger to Joe six pack? After the Savings & Loan scandal, Enron, MCI, the 2000 Election Fraud, recent Mutual Fund debacle, I have to come to the conclusion, America is either brain dead, in deep, deep, denial or both.
This has become a battle for the democratic party with the establishment/Clintonistas willing to do anything to co-opt the energy of the newby Dean base and maintain the status quo. Should Dean fail to gain the nomination and it appear to be a result of nefarious actions by the democratic establishment, a large number of disillusioned progressives will abandon the democratic party. Ralph Nader won't have to lift a finger.
The biggest factor against Dean is America's denial; American's don't want to be reminded that Viet Nam was a national tragedy and don't want to see the striking similarities of Iraq, don't want to understand the consequences of a humongous deficit, don't want to know they are no safer now than before Saddam was apprehended. Americans don't want to know why for the last 50 years the price of gasoline goes up every summer and why the cost of pharmaceuticals are higher in America than anywhere on earth or how that lone mad cow is the only one of its ilk in America.
Howard Dean is an unyielding, in your face, reminder of America's deficiencies; My question to those of you that know Howard Dean, is he coachable? Can he turn on the charm and make America feel good about past accomplishments yet happily cajole us to accept the challenge to strive for greater accomplishments for the greater good.
Like it or not the electorate wants to feel good about itself and the future; is Howard the guy to do it?