Dean Tries to Beat the Odds Against Outsiders

[Freddie Stubbs]

Latest insurgent bid for the presidency shakes up Democrats. Rules favor insiders.

WASHINGTON — Obscurity. Electricity. Momentum. Opportunity. Disappointment.

For more than a quarter of a century, that has been the life cycle for the sort of insurgent presidential candidacy that former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has fashioned in the race for the 2004 Democratic nomination.

From Democrats Gary Hart, Paul Tsongas, Jerry Brown and Bill Bradley to Republican John McCain, candidates who have run as outsiders — criticizing their party's direction — have stunned the political world by generating more excitement and amassing more support than appeared possible when they entered the race, as Dean has done in recent weeks.

But since Jimmy Carter rode the post-Watergate demand for reform to the White House in 1976, every subsequent insurgent candidate has failed to win his party's nomination. Each lost to a candidate who had greater support among the party establishment.

[sgt_knuckles]

1. link?

[Duder]

2. Link...

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-insurgent9jul09,1,4093360.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[ProfessorPlum]

3. Quaking in their boots

about him, aren't they?

Also, I don't think Clinton had a lock on the nomination when he ran the first time.

[keek]

4. Dean's supporters are as die hard as Bush's

why on earth would the establishment not want someone who has broken records for fundraising and clearly has the largest and most solid grassroots support system in place so early in the primary? Look at the base of support Bush has, however crazy they are, they are rock solid. Dean has the same thing. Eveyone thinks we are crazy and we are rock solid support. Look at what's going on with the Meetups. And of course in today's political climate, with everything going so far to the right, anyone who is going to beat Bu$h in 2004 will be an insurgent. And as the midterm elections should have taught us, we can't win the election by being Bush.

If this party is going to survive, it needs to stand up to Bush and the neo-cons. Anyone who thinks that this election is simply politics as usual, and tries to compare the campaign to others in the past, is making a dangerous and completely wrong historical analogy and as a result is underestimating how awful of a pResident Bush has been. This is a different world, a lot has happened inside and outside of our country in the past 3 years that have changed everything.

[stickdog]

5. The Dem Party's "direction" has never been so invisible and compliant

over the last 20 years at least.

[Desertrose]

6. what better way to get in the person you want...

nominated, than to act like you don't want him...

...kinda like the press is doing with Dean. They know how dems think- if they make us think they are against or afraid of a person...they know we'll say "hey...he must be good cause the media is coming down hard on this guy"...when in reality this was their plan all along.....

Now I get a bit more curious when they act like a candidate doesn't exist...or never bring up the fact this person was speaking out & fighting for the people all along...the way they do with DK
and yes, my avatar gave me away....

I am suspicious that the media wants Dean for a reason...not the reason we would want either.....

but hey- just my 2cents :shrug:

Peace
DR
edit for clarity

[stickdog]

7. Look at the money, the national polls, the Iowa & NH polls.

Now could there be any other reasons why the national media isn't talking too much about Kucinich?

[Desertrose]

8. OK- look at the endorsements...

look at the fact DK is not accepting corporate money into his campaign...look at the message that he has repeatedly been saying and sticking to regardless of the political winds about this regime, WMD,Patriot act & so much more....look at the facts that his grassroots campaign is picking up tremendous momentum....

well it is kinda hard to look at when it is not reported to the extent the other candidates are.... I'm just curious...is it because Dennis is saying things the rw media doesn't want to have hear? .....I think there are a lot of people who are quite ready to hear what Dennis has to say...maybe more than many care to consider...

and about the polls....they change on a daily basis...DK just beat Dean in the most recent democrats.com straw poll....

trust me...everyone is going to be hearing a lot more about DK in the weeks & months ahead...Peace
DR