You've nailed it, 'Tator. Dean has exceedingly poor situational awareness and apparently little respect for the power of broadcast media. Edwards, lightweight that he is, has been well-schooled in how to present oneself in the cool medium. As a successful trial attorney, he's also mastered the art of putting the "jury" at ease up close and personal.
Edwards is a far more dangerous candidate than Dean in this regard. Nevertheless, Bush has these same qualities (telegenic, engaging, friendly one-on-one as well as across the depth and breadth of a broadcast audience) and would more than match up well against Edwards.
More than anything else, it is Dean's broadcast media awkwardness and incredibly poor situational awareness that has had Rove salivating for Dean's nomination.
Exactly. Looking and sounding like a president is half the battle. Sometimes, even when Dubya proposes things that mortify me, I want to believe in him, simply because he is so refined and likeable. I wish that he was a lot more conservative than he is, but he's so good at "playing the president" that I can't help but love him. He is mild-mannered yet authorative. If the nut-cases on the other side could only work that into their agenda, they'd fare much better.
Thankfully they won't! Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
The candidates the Unions supported and put their money behind did not do well. What we have is both the members of the professional unions(Teachers govt workers) and the members of the working class unions (Auto AFL, teamsters) not voting the way the union bosses say.
The largest factor in 2000 was the way union workers voted the union line. In Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Pa, and Iowa for example the union workers voted the union line in 2000. They did not vote the union line in 1984 and they didn't in Iowa this year.
If I were a Democrat that result from yesterdays caucus would scare the heck out of me. When the Rank and file won't vote the way the union, says Democrat Candidates are in a heap of trouble.
It will be something to watch. Click her for my take on negative campaigning in a 4 way race I think with 4 viable candidates in a race negative campaign spots are the dumbest thing a candidate can do. Both Gephardt and Dean did them a lot.
Click her for my take on negative campaigning in a 4 way race I think with 4 viable candidates in a race negative campaign spots are the dumbest thing a candidate can do. Both Gephardt and Dean did them a lot.