"..extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! ...moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"Goldwater's emergence wrested the GOP away from the old Northeastern Republican establishment (Go along to get along). Conservatives were angry at the Washington wing of their party and Goldwater was the vehicle for that fury. Dean's success is much the same: Dems are furious at their reps in Congress for insufficiently challenging the president. Dean appeals to the "true" liberal leanings of the party...and its anger.Dean could easily say he's "a choice, not an echo".
Goldwater won 6 states. Dean may do better, but he'll do lasting damage to the Dems. For, unlike the 1964 GOP, Dems don't have a truly appealing figure like Ronald Reagan waiting in the wings. Reagan took what Goldwater tapped into and redirected it to an optimistic, muscular conservatism. There is no voice in today's Democratic party to do the same with Dean's message.
The most interesting question is whether Dean will embrace the Clintonoids. Will he keep McAwful at the DNC? He's got to know the party chieftans want him to lose so Hillary can run in '08. Will he allow them to stay and quietly undermine his campaign?
My guess is if Dean gets the nod, McAwful will be asked to pack his bags and vacate his offices. Wondering if Hitlery has a contingency plan? She really needs McAwful in there to protect her interests.