Reply #4: I think you mean DEAN is no McAuliffe. Dean has actually worked for 4yrs to strengthen the party's

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infrastructure that McAuliffe and prior chairs had left to collapse since 1995.

THAT is the biggest difference. BTW - did you know in 2002 and 2004 Axelrod was advising Dem candidates to NOT challenge Bush on national security and to stick to domestic issues? See....the post 9-11 climate in 2004 is not even remotely similar to the post Katrina, post Iraq Civil War climate of 2008. And Axelrod is a perfect example.

You're right about media spin, but the other big difference is that the left has more media flexing some muscles they didn't have at all in 2004. Plus, the Dems too cowed by Bush and Rove at their most powerful in 2004 are more willing to show up on tv and back up Obama this time around, now that Bush and Rove have been diminished.