A middle view of Dean

I'm amused by those who treat Dean as the second coming and those who think he's evil incarnate.  I have a mixed view of him.  I like the way he's encourgaged the party to stand up and fight, the way he opposed the Iraq war and his "outside the box" thinking, such as his use of the internet and his fund raising strategy.  However, I'm wary of his focus on the budget deficit, and his plan to repeal the middle class tax cuts.  I'm also wary of how he has changed positions over the years on such issues as trade and Medicare.  And I'm concerned about how his personality will come across to the average voter.

In short, while I don't think he will be a disaster as a candidate, I think the minuses outweigh the pluses.  Of course, things could change.  He could modify his tax plan and improve his debate peformance.  So for the time being, I'll take a wait and see approach.  I still believe Clark, Edwards and possibly Gephardt would be stronger general election candidates.  But I'm open to being convinced otherwise.