Howard Dean: our man from Vermont

Star Telegram ^ | Dec. 07, 2003 | George Will

[sandlady]

This is the intellectuals' candidate?

Howard Dean is no fool. He is, however, not much of a thinker. His talk flows as rapidly as a mountain brook but is no deeper than one of those.

He is the candidate of America's professorate and others whose strongest passion is as much aesthetic as political -- intellectual contempt for George W. Bush.

But Dean's bantam-rooster pugnacity is not unlike Bush's shoulders-squared jauntiness that critics consider an enraging swagger. Bush's imperturbable certitude infuriates Dean's supporters because they believe it arises not from reflection but from reflex. Actually, Dean really resembles his supporters' idea of Bush.

[sandlady]

If Osama bin Laden is captured, Dean says, "it doesn't make a lot of difference" whether he is tried in America or the International Criminal Court. After all, "we are allowing the Bosnian war criminals to be tried" in the Hague.

Question: Is it relevant that the Bosnians' crimes were not committed in America?

This is a good article.

[sandlady]

bump

[MegaSilver]

Dean has said of his faith that "I don't think it informs my politics" and that he became a Congregationalist "because I had a big fight with a local Episcopal church about 25 years ago over a bike path."

I almost burst my side reading that sentence.

"[He] had read much, and although he generally forgot what he read, there were left with him from his reading certain nebulous lights, begotten by other men's thinking, which enabled him to talk on most subjects. It cannot be said of him that he did much thinking for himself -- but he thought that he thought."

You're right: this is a good article.

[DesertDreamer]

Good article from Mr. Will. Of course the low level of intellectual activity taking place within Gov Dean's cranium is no surprise to anyone who was witnessed more than 30 seconds of his campaign by diatribe.

[SouthCarolinaKit]

Dean's deciding on his religion based on bike paths is certainly defining of his depth.

[GulliverSwift]

But he didn't, though. Religion likely never meant anything to him at all. That's why he changed churches of such an absurd triviality.

[sandlady]

I saw Dean's interview with Matthews and George Will has a way of bringing the big picture into fine focus.

[sandlady]

Democrats love him, though--I know, I know--the intelligence factor -- but they vote!

[Verginius Rufus]

Agreed, a fine article. Zell Miller has also commented on Dean's shallowness.

[x]

Great article. Nice Trollope quote: [He] had read much, and although he generally forgot what he read, there were left with him from his reading certain nebulous lights, begotten by other men's thinking, which enabled him to talk on most subjects. It cannot be said of him that he did much thinking for himself -- but he thought that he thought.

Dean doesn't seem to be very disciplined, directed or focused. It's the West Wing type fantasy of the President who tells you that he was just reading Kierkegaard and starts to talk about existentialism when he should be keeping track of the budget or the army. Dean apparently still wants some kind of status or recognition that being a millionaire's son, governor and presidential candidate didn't give him.

[onyx]

The Hague doesn't recognize CAPITAL PUNISHMENT --- odd isn't it, that Dr. Dean supports infantacide, but NOT the death penalty.

Dean is anti-American.

[sandlady]

The Hague doesn't recognize CAPITAL PUNISHMENT --- odd isn't it, that Dr. Dean supports infantacide, but NOT the death penalty.

His whole persona is odd--all that you mention and then a grudge against a church over a bike path....?

[sandlady]

Dean doesn't seem to be very disciplined, directed or focused.

Seems to me that he says whatever he thinks the person sitting across from him wants to hear. He better be careful or Clark will be on the ballot next November.

[Graymatter]

Good commentary. Will writes:

Dean has said of his faith that ``I don't think it informs my politics,'' and that he became a Congregationalist ``because I had a big fight with a local Episcopal church about 25 years ago over a bike path.''

[185JHP]

He's exposing his personal traits more and more - did you read about his response to a "What's your favorite song?" question? He arrogantly said "It's by someone you never heard of!" It turned out to be by some creepoid rapster - violent in its creepiness. I'd like it if he voluntarily took some psych tests. I believe he's way out there.

[bvw]

"[He] had read much, and although he generally forgot what he read, there were left with him from his reading certain nebulous lights, begotten by other men's thinking, which enabled him to talk on most subjects. It cannot be said of him that he did much thinking for himself -- but he thought that he thought."

Okay, where is that a quote from? Dickens?

[bvw]

Aha! Hadn't read into thread to your sourcing of that quote.

Howard "Being There" Dean!

[bvw]

He's smarter than that, and so are his brothers.

[DesertDreamer]

Psych tests would be a good idea. He always looks like he's trying to control a facial tic.

[sandlady]

This is from the sourced article:

The Prime Minister, one of Anthony Trollope's parliamentary novels, introduces Wharton, who was, Trollope wrote, "no fool":

"[He] had read much, and although he generally forgot what he read, there were left with him from his reading certain nebulous lights, begotten by other men's thinking, which enabled him to talk on most subjects. It cannot be said of him that he did much thinking for himself -- but he thought that he thought."