Here's a key insight from deanindependants.org, which also highlights my biggest fear, that in their eagerness to reposition Dean by emphasizing his seriousness and experience, they will muzzle him. The critical quote is "Dean can go from too hot to too cold on the stump, or they can jump on and ride this tiger"
BTW, the real eyewitness stories of what happened Monday night are here:
http://archives.annatopia.com/000530.html
spread the word.
(continued)
From Todd at
http://www.deanindependents.org/archives/000246.html:
What is remarkable is that Dean has totally overshadowed Bush's SOTU after Bush scheduled the SOTU to overshadow the Iowa caucuses.
This is a rare phenomemon. Money can't buy this kind of exposure, not even Bush's $200 million campaign chest. This is a monster of a tiger. Either Trippi can complain about it and Dean can go from too hot to too cold on the stump, or they can jump on and ride this tiger. It is a defining moment. Thinks of Dean's name recognition now. Either he is dead by remaining the joke, or he turns it to his advantage while the eyes of the country are on him. If he can, it could be the pivotal point of the story of how Bush was beat.
But how? Suggestions? I think he could go on the late night talk show circuit and have good humor, but explain the "speech" in terms of sports analogies. A modern campaign is like a football or hockey team, and he's the coach. His team has been bloodied in the first quarter. What would you do? And make the distinction between campaigning and governing.
Anyway, there is one hell of a danger here, and also one hell of an opportunity. Ride the tiger.
UPDATE: Dean is on Letterman tonight. After the debate and a Dianne Sawyer interview on ABC. Clutch time
Clearly humor is essential, but just as critical is that Dean claim his identity as a fighter, as someone who is not afraid to say what he thinks. Explaining the real context of Monday night, the deafening crowd, might be good; criticizing the media should be a must.
I think what he consider saying something like this (on Letterman, or if the crowd and the moment is right, even at the debate; key is he needs to get applause):
"Of course, my voice was a bit hoarse, and it was hard to be heard -- this is the truth -- above the roar of the crowd that night, and so I was shouting and at one point I did mis-speak. And I want to apologize for that right now. What I meant to say was
YEEAAHH !!!"
[optionally preface or follow with explicit words about taking on Bush]
