David Yepsen, Des Moines Register: Buyer's Remorse regarding Dr. Dean?

[flpoljunkie]

http://desmoinesregister.com/opinion/stories/c5917686/23193094.html

By DAVID YEPSEN
Register Political Columnist
01/08/2004

Howard Dean has come an awfully long way for a guy who has yet to put one vote on the boards. Yes, he's captured a lot of the anger in the party. Yes, he's raised lots of money from small donors. Yes, he's attracting lots of young people. That, in turn, has generated a lot of media buzz, which, in turn generates even more money, bigger crowds and more buzz.

Ordinarily, candidates like all that. But in this case, we could see buyers' remorse, too. A new poll conducted by CNN/Gallup and USA Today shows President Bush would defeat Dean 59 percent to 37 percent. Such Mondalean numbers should cause rational caucus-goers to ask if they're doing the right thing by signing on with the Vermonter. (In fact, two-thirds of likely caucus-goers were undecided or were with another candidate even before this poll, and it's evidence a number of Democrats have reservations about Dean, despite all the ballyhoo.)

In the poll, Bush gets favorable ratings from 65 percent and has unfavorable marks from 35 percent. By contrast, Dean gets favorable marks from only 28 percent while 39 percent rate him unfavorably. There are 17 percent who don't know him. Bush's positive ratings are growing. So are Dean's negatives.

[bearfartinthewoods]

1. it's not too late...

[molly]

2. The ONLY candidate

who did not support some sort of war RESOLUTION was Dennis Kucinich. Howard Dean supported the Biden-Lugar amendment.

[9119495]

3. Yes and Clinton doesn't have a chance against Bush in 92.

[slinkerwink]

4. the high favorables are suspicious, and CNN ignored their own recent poll

where they had Dean behind Bush by FIVE POINTS. Can we say media spin?

[Rowdyboy]

5. This is surprising from Yepsen

Last I heard from him he was praising Dean...I've never particularly liked him anyway. Were he not from Iowa, he'd be a total unknown.

[9119495]

6. He likes Kerry quite a bit but since he is a Republican, I think

he just wants a bitter fight to the nomination. He wants a broken-down, broke, Dean, Gep, Lieb, Clark, Kerry to get trounced by bush.

[blm]

7. The media has wanted Dem chaos as their goal.

They needed the serious opposition marginalized. They were pushing to chaos all last year by peddling PROCESS stories instead of real serious issues presented by serious-minded candidates.