Ipsos Cook: Candidate's heat could burn him

[Nicholas_J]

WASHINGTON -- Howard Dean is the hottest of the nine Democratic candidates for president -- in more ways than one. Hot as in mad. And hot as in very successful.

The former Vermont governor has emerged as the angriest of the pack, angry at the war in Iraq, at President George W. Bush, at Republican policies in general. He's angry at the leaders of his own party as well, for not standing up to Bush.

At the same time, he's jumped into the top tier of candidates with a real chance to win the nomination. Dean surged ahead of his rivals in second-quarter fund-raising. Early polls suggest he's the only candidate who could win either of the first two nominating contests, in Iowa and New Hampshire.

A national poll by Ipsos/Cook Political Report released Thursday showed Dean gaining 5 points among likely voters since May, the biggest jump of any candidate, though he still placed only fourth in a tight top quartet led by Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and including Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri.

Yet the very edge that's propelling Dean's candidacy today could hurt him later. The heat that excites liberal Democratic activists now could singe more temperate swing voters later when they tune into the 2004 campaign.

http://www.freep.com/news/politics/dean4_20030804.htm

note: freep.com is Detroit Free Press.

[DJcairo]

1. Smells like burnt toast to me

[chaumont58]

2. Yeah, and if cows could fly, we'd all be covered....

with shit.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

3. Okay, yeah, sure...

Off to Meetup!