Dean on H and colmes

[mrgorth]

He did well standing up to Hannity but he really should've done his homework on what Hannity would come out with and info to refute him. He easily could've had that nazi reeling.

[delhurgo]

1. He did OK.

But as you've stated, he wasn't able to answer Hannity's attacks re weapons systems, nuclear freeze, etc... I thought he was campaigning for Kerry now. Shouldn't the campaign have provided him with talking points to counter these attacks? And its the same ones every time; they're in Bush's ads too. And it seems like there still isn't anyone countering them. I guess you have to blame the campaign for that tho and not Dean. His endorsement of Kerry seemed luke-warm to me too; sort of 'the lesser of two evils'.

I have to say that I think Dean showed once again that he may not have the temperament to be President. He got testy when Hannity asked him questions about Kerry quotes, then continued to seem annoyed for the rest of the segment. He really does have a problem with getting easily angered. That could've been a disaster had he been the nominee. The primary voters definitely made the correct decision imo.

[madfloridian]

2. Dean did not show annoyance.

He was quite nice to them. But you are right that he should have had the talking points on these issues. He did counter with attacks on Bush.

[mrgorth]

3. Agreed MF

and that's better than nothing but it's the "lesser of 2 evils" arguement. To us, Kerry is clearly the lesser but to most of H&C's audience, he isn't. If Dean could've exposed Hannity's distortions it might have snapped a couple people out of their right wing hypnosis.

[madfloridian]

4. I just watched the tape again.

The things Hannity quoted Kerry as saying were accurate. He did say those things about Saddam being dangerous, the weapons being a danger to us...etc. There is not that much Dean could do about the fact that he said them.
Dean did keep turning the issue back to Bush and his failings.

[mzmolly]

5. I like how Dean kept saying "Kerry is a far better choice than Bush"

I think this must be tough for Dean who is so principled to defend Kerry who is so nuanced.

I think Dean is in a tough place because he is an honest man who realized that many of his supporters will never support Kerry. He want's to keep all of us involved in the process somehow, but want's Kerry to win the election.

It's a tight rope to walk.

[mzmolly]

6. dup

[mrgorth]

7. I understand that

and I'm sure he did say those things. Remember this, Dean is campaigning for Kerry now AND Dean, himself, has no chance of being the President...more's the pity. It's up to the Governor to say something to the extent of "John Kerry was not against taking Saddam out of power and is not now taking an anti-war position. He believed the same intelligence Bush and Clinton did that, frankly, I didn't have access to. John Kerry IS against the haphazard, dangerous way in which Bush went about and is going about this war". Something like that.

[madfloridian]

8. I think that you are looking at it only one way.

I just watched the tape again this morning because NewsMax pulled stuff out of their rear ends and misquoted.

Dean could not possibly have responded to every one of those things that Kerry did say. Kerry said Saddam was a danger, and he did say the things they attributed to him. He is the one who said Dean was not qualified to be president because we said the world was no safer with Saddam in custody. Remember?

I did not believe that before the war, and if you were here at DU you would have seen that most did not fall for it either.

That is water under the dam. Dean takes full responsiblity for things he has said, and he can NOT take responsibility for denying that Kerry said something.....because Kerry did say those things Hannity quoted.

There may be more to some of the issues...I am sure there is more to them. However, Dean's role is to take the issues back to how bad Bush it. And he did that very well. If Kerry does not like the way he handles things, I am quite sure he will banish him....Don't you think?

[Qutzupalotl]

9. I didn't see it, but

Kerry's quotes about Saddam being dangerous and his weapons threatening us were based on bad information that was bruited about by the Bush administration. So he could have said, "Bush lied to Kerry and the rest of us, now we're stuck in a war we didn't need; Bush has to go," or some such.

[madfloridian]

10. Yes, that is about what he said and did.

It was all he could do. He spoke well of Kerry and slammed Bush.

[wubbathompson]

11. Dean did well

He basically kept saying that no matter what, Bush would be worse. And in an effort to be correct, Kerry also relied on info held over from the Clinton era.