Dean Looks to Revitalize His Campaign

Associated Press via Guardian UK ^ | Tuesday January 20, 2004 11:31 PM | By NEDRA PICKLER

[weegee]

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - A calmer Howard Dean emerged on the campaign trail Tuesday, trying to revitalize his campaign with a subdued style focusing on policy issues that contrasted with his scrappy outburst to a stunning Iowa loss.

``Those of you who came here intending to be lifted to your feet by a lot of red-meat rhetoric will be a little disappointed,'' Dean said as he began a toned-down speech to New Hampshire voters who will help decide his fate Jan. 27.

The Dean campaign was regrouping after a distant third-place finish in Iowa, a stunning turnaround from his co-favorite status at the start of the year. The former Vermont governor was trying to restore credibility to his outsider campaign with a win in New Hampshire, where polls show him in the lead but his once-commanding advantage long gone.

``We need to win here in order to prove to people that their vote matters and that we can elect somebody who's not from Washington who's willing to stand up and say what's right instead of just what's popular,'' Dean told reporters.

Dean's new focus relies less on an outrageous appeal to Democratic passions and more on policy ideas and his record as Vermont governor.

Dean said he was giving his own version of the State of the Union address in advance of Bush's speech to Congress Tuesday night. He painted a bleak picture of life under Bush - about 3 million jobs lost in the last three years, more than 40 million people without health insurance, an $8 trillion increase in the debt and bankruptcy at a record high.

He said he was able to solve similar problems in Vermont by providing health care for nearly every child and balancing the budget without cuts to education or other key services. He made his signature argument that Bush led the United States to an unnecessary war and that the Washington Democrats he is running against supported it.

Dean aides said the sharper new message, perhaps to be echoed in an upcoming ad, are a subtle jab at John Kerry and other rivals with Washington ties. The aides argue that Dean's stance on civil unions and the war show that he is willing to take stands when polls show them to be unpopular.

Dean plans to spend tens of thousands of dollars in the next week on TV, radio and mailings to argue that while his rivals are suddenly promising change, he has produced it during his political career.

``I promise you that if you make me the president of the United States, I will restore the honor and the dignity and the respect this country deserves,'' Dean said. The audience responded with a 45-second standing ovation that broke up the otherwise seated, polite response to Dean's new style.

These are the same arguments that Dean has been making for months. But he made his case in the measured tones of a debate champion instead of his customary fist-pumping shout.

On Tuesday, Dean found himself having to explain his bellowing, guttural response of the night before at a post-election Iowa rally. ``We will not quit now or ever,'' he shouted to supporters, his hoarse voice rising to a scream.

``You've got to have some fun in this business,'' he said Tuesday in appearances on the talk shows.

Later in the day, at a rally in Concord, N.H., there was shouting but not from Dean. Hecklers interrupted his speech at least five times, including one at the start of the speech who was dragged out while throwing punches.

Dean stayed calm though each disruption and during one responded by singing the national anthem into the microphone. The crowd, which included rocker Joan Jett, joined in the singing to drown out the heckler's yelling, then followed by chanting, ``Howard Dean! Howard Dean!''

Dean, the financial front-runner among Democrats with more than $40 million raised last year, made another appeal for cash, telling donors he needed $1 million by next week's New Hampshire primary.

Dean spokesman Jay Carson said that doesn't mean the campaign is short on money. He declined to reveal how much it has on hand, beyond saying it has plenty. The candidate has opted out of public financing, freeing him from spending limits.

Voter surveys in Iowa Monday night held surprising news for the former Vermont governor, whose Internet-driven candidacy attracted scores of young supporters.

In Iowa, Dean underperformed among several groups that were supposed to be key to his success. Kerry beat him among young adults, liberals, heavy Internet users, those who strongly disapproved of the war with Iraq and first-time caucus-goers.

Dean's distant third-place finish erased any air of invincibility around the campaign. His advisers argued Michael Dukakis recovered from a third-place finish in Iowa in 1988 to win the New Hampshire primaries, although Dukakis didn't have competition from another lawmaker from a next-door state. Although he won the nomination, Dukakis lost in November 1988 to George H. Bush.

Dean was governor of neighboring Vermont for nearly 12 years, while Kerry has represented next-door Massachusetts in the Senate for 19 years. Dean hopes his new underdog status will help him in famously independent New Hampshire.

[weegee]

I posted this article mostly for this brief excerpt. It is a new account of the "brawl" "scuffle", er whatever it was between Joan Jett and a heckler. This downplays the violence even more (indicating that the heckler was throwing punches as he was being tossed out).

Later in the day, at a rally in Concord, N.H., there was shouting but not from Dean. Hecklers interrupted his speech at least five times, including one at the start of the speech who was dragged out while throwing punches.

Dean stayed calm though each disruption and during one responded by singing the national anthem into the microphone. The crowd, which included rocker Joan Jett, joined in the singing to drown out the heckler's yelling, then followed by chanting, ``Howard Dean! Howard Dean!''

It may seem like a mountain out of a molehill but some Democrat operatives have been trying to propagate the original report (which was pulled off the web and toned down). They are trying to spin hate (calling the Republicans "blackshirts", don't they know ANARCHISTS are blackshirts?).

[weegee]

History:

Political Rally Ends in Shoving Match (Joan Jett article redux)

Political Rallies End in Brawl

[weegee]

PING

[Spok]

"A calmer Howard Dean emerged on the campaign trail Tuesday,"

Self prescribed Prozac?

[CounterCounterCulture]

On Tuesday . . . Later in the day, at a rally in Concord, N.H., there was shouting but not from Dean. Hecklers interrupted his speech at least five times, including one at the start of the speech who was dragged out while throwing punches.

Dean stayed calm though each disruption and during one responded by singing the national anthem into the microphone. The crowd, which included rocker Joan Jett, joined in the singing to drown out the heckler's yelling, then followed by chanting, ``Howard Dean! Howard Dean!''

Wha----? Another scuffle? Instant replay of Saturday?

[BenLurkin]

Notice how much the famous Dean Yelp sounded like Peter Boyle in Young Frankenstein?

[SubMareener]

Dean on plane out of Iowa:

A picture is worth 1000 words! Even 1000 angry words! ;-)

[Spok]

Too much Prozac...or not enough?

[maro]

His anger is weird, but his calm is even weirder.

[GOP_Proud]

Can't revitalize something that was never vital anyway.

[SubMareener]

Howard Dean throws a temper tamtrum! USGS Reports:

Magnitude 2.2 NEW HAMPSHIRE 2004 January 20 17:11:53 UTC

[CounterCounterCulture]

LOL!

[newgeezer]

By far, the most satisfying aspect of Dean's flop in Iowa is the fact that he was enthusiastically endorsed by our esteemed senator, Tom "Dungheap" Harkin.

It's always a pleasure to imagine the Dungheap eating some humble pie.

[Wissa]

Maybe Gore will advise Dean to change his image with lots of makeup.... like Gore did in the one debate. Dean could be the new painted lady.

[blackdog]

That Unger guy really caused Dean to give everyone a good look-see didn't it?

Hey Howie.....Want some Vermont Cheddar on that toast?

[weegee]

Here's another account:

Local Dean fans not so happy

(excerpt)

Republicans haven't gone unheard in Iowa. Weinberg saw dozens of college-age supporters of President George W. Bush crash Saturday night's Dean bash at Drake University, which featured rock singer Joan Jett and comedian Janeane Garafalo.

Weinberg was close to the stage with a video camera and taped some of the Republicans who came in with signs, banners and chanted Bush's name. They grabbed signs from Dean supporters and one of them bumped Jett, Weinberg said.

"She said, ‘You can hit me, but don't mess with my guitar,'" Weinberg said. "It was absolutely incredible."

Dean supporters started singing the national anthem to drown out the Bush people, who were finally ushered out by security, Weinberg said.

[HardStarboard]

Dean has the eyes of a madman.

[OldFriend]

So according to Dean the only votes that matter are the ones for him???????

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Dean Looks to Revitalize His Campaign

In related news, Trent Lott is rumored to be considering a primary run against Pres. Bush.

[weegee]

[Roscoe Karns]

"Yeeeaaaahhhh!"

[Tempest]

Well I for one hope Dean gets the nomination. He'd be great to make fun of this fall.

[Cultural Jihad]

LOL! How do you come up with these associations?

[weegee]

Well he told his supporters that he was going to take "America back". I never left America when Bill Clinton was president even though he hounded and harassed conservatives (blaming OKC on "talk radio", auditing his critics, etc.). I wanted to see a Republican administration "take back the White House".

Just what does Herr Dean have in store for those who like the current administration? Will we been thrown out of America too?

Howard Dean is not a leader for "all" Americans by his own words. Such a man is unfit to serve.

[weegee]

I didn't make that one, credit goes to End_Clintonism_Now.

Caption Crazy Howard Dean

[weegee]

"Yeeeaaaahhhh!"

[COBOL2Java]

Self prescribed Prozac?

Wifey-poo's arrival was curiously well-timed, wasn't it? It's not hard for me to imagine some frantic calls from Mad How's campaign manager preceded it.

[sergeantdave]

With Kucinich gone, Dean should appeal to those voters.

"Elect me and I will eat your lawn."

[OldFriend]

There has not been a single democrat, other than Zell Miller, that has not sought to divide this country by their hateful rhetoric.

They are all guilty of the things they falsely accuse our president.

[BenLurkin]

PERFECT

[alwaysconservative]

Both my hubby and I thought the singing of the National Anthem was BIZARRE, freakish, and inappropriate. What's he gonna do as President when Kim Jong Il ticks him off? Burst into an Andrew Lloyd Webber tune? This was almost as appalling as the "geography outburst" from yesterday.

[weegee]

Reportedly some LaRouchians unfurled a confederate flag behind him recently and he sang the National Anthem as a challenge to this stunt.

[Trueblackman]

To quote a famous doctor, "He's dead Jim."

[Ukiapah Heep]

Maybe he can get endorsed by Napoleon the 23rd (they're coming to take me away...)

[weegee]

Time Magazine put a doctored photo of Rush Limbaugh on the cover in the 1990s (when he was challenging the Democrat President's stance) and headlined "Is Rush Good For America?".

Later, the Unabomber was called a "Mad Genius".

Somehow I doubt that the angry rhetoric spouted by Howard Dean and others has been questioned as being "bad for America". They certainly have been divisive. Bill Clinton sought to put people against one another with talk of race envy and class envy.

The FBI's national security was made to seek out why we were having a "rash" of "racially motivated" church fires. Turns out we weren't. But Bubba got a lot of milage out of such talk.

People don't like to hear that we may one day have another civil war (not anti-government, but people at each other's throats). The left wing nuts sure are heading there. They've rioted in the streets after judicial decisions they didn't agree with. They've rioted in the streets during the "peace" protests. They are being agitated by blackshirt anarchists and don't realize it; those people DO seek to overthrow the government. They sought the same in 1968 too.

[Poundstone]

Don't write off Dean yet. Current tracking polls in New Hampshire show Dean leading the pack by a couple of percentage points -- and this is POST-Iowa! It could well be that Dean will emerge the winner in New Hampshire, throwing the Democratic pack into more confusion as they had to South Carolina, where SC-born John Edwards may have the advantage.

That would produce an interesting situation, and might even set up something the US hasn't seen since the 1950s: a convention where no single candidate has a majority.

[GulfWar1Vet]

I heard Mad Howard singing on the end of Brit's show tonight..he sounded worse when Roseanne sung the Anthem not that long ago..

[OldFriend]

I suspect the funding is coming from the same source as the communist funding during the 50s and 60s......there are those in our society who wish the violent overthrow of our government and the colleges have a wonderful supply of useful idiots.

It is up to us as parents to educate our children before they enter the college and the brainwashing begins.

[alwaysconservative]

Okay, but the only supposedly witty reply he could come up with was to sing the National Anthem? That's just. . .sad.

[End_Clintonism_Now]

Here's Another One...

[Vigilanteman]

he sounded worse when Roseanne sung the Anthem not that long ago..

Yeah, but did he grab his crotch?

[weegee]

I prefer this one I posted yesterday:

[Ciexyz]

I wonder if Dean's newfound Christian faith will help carry him thru these trying times. (/sarcasm)

[Cultural Jihad]

Don't write off Dean yet.

Dream on. Are you a Dean supporter, by the way?

[weegee]

Dean? Some Christian he is:

Dean Blows Stack During Iowa Q & A

Then, in a particularly ugly sound bite, the Democratic front-runner added, "It's not the time to put up any of this 'love thy neighbor' stuff."

[Cultural Jihad]

Are you so ashamed of Howard Dean and yourself that you can't or won't honestly claim to be a supporter of his?

[honeygrl]

oh give the newbie a break.. he/she has been very polite so far. We can handle polite people regardless of who they are supporting. It's the ones that get nasty that have to bye-bye.

BTW, it would be very interesting if none of the 7 dwarves won a majority. Maybe entertaining would be more accurate than "interesting" I guess.

And personally, I thought Dean sounded a bit intoxicated right after the screaming ordeal. His words seemed a bit slurred when he was thanking people. (that could be normal for him for all I know though) He seems like a very unstable person to me. The debate in NH should be fun to watch.

[AmericanVictory]

It's over, Howard, return to your planet of the ducks, the Guardian, for all its wishful thinking, cannot save you here. You were born to swerve, not to serve. Back to the slopes, you'll never wear well with the Snopes, as the lady in Iowa pointed out.

[Cultural Jihad]

Unstable is putting it mildly. He was detached from his surroundings, glazing over the crowd around him, not even seeing Sen. Harkin and the ex-Congressman standing right behind him. Being polite is fine. The newbie just needs to be honest, too.

[Cultural Jihad]

Coward Dean making his 3rd place 'victory' speech.