Posted on 04/11/2008 1:07:57 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Thursday that swing voters participating in focus groups commissioned by the D.N.C. bring up John McCain's age unprompted.
"We didn't bring it up, but they volunteered it," said Dean who explained that voters have two concerns about McCain's age. "One was a health concern, the other was, and this is really interesting . . . that his views are old-fashioned."
At the age of 72, McCain would be the oldest newly elected president in U.S. history if inaugurated in 2009.
Referring to what Dean characterized as the party's most conservative focus group in Charleston, W. Va., the DNC chairman said "the women in that group were shocked that [McCain] believed health insurance shouldn't cover birth control pills and they were shocked about his belief in abstinence only education."
While knocking McCain's "old-fashioned" views, Dean maintained that the Democratic Party was unlikely to invoke McCain's age in the fall campaign.
"I doubt we will bring it up in the election," said Dean, referring to the age issue. "There is somewhat of a higher ethical bar on what we do."
"We don't have any Lee Atwaters or Karl Roves on our side," he added.
"We don't have to," added D.N.C. spokeswoman Karen Finney. "I know the McCain campaign is saying he's a strong brand. He's not a strong brand. He's actually a pretty weak candidate."
"I don't think we have to bring up age," said Cornell Belcher, an Obama pollster who collaborated on the D.N.C.'s McCain poll. "I don't think we will."
Republican National Committee spokesman Alex Conant dismissed Dean's comments about McCain's age, saying the election would be about "judgment, character, vision and leadership -- all things voters associate with John McCain."
Dean made his comments to reporters at the D.N.C.'s "John McCain polling briefing".
Since the Democrats have not yet settled on a presidential candidate, Dean was joined in making the polling presentation by Belcher, one of Sen. Barack Obama's pollsters, as well as Allan Rivlin, whose polling firm does work for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.
This from a guy that snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory and was run over by John Kerry's Rolls Royce. I still can't believe the nutroots put this person in charge of the democratic party!
Screamin’ Howard Dean is a physician, how many points is that?
ABC acts as an uncritical outlet for democrat party propoganda from failed physician and psycho-lowlife Howard Dean.
Screamin’ Howard Dean turns 60 in a few short months—no spring chicken, himself.
Wow! Howard Dean may as well do a tap dance on the “third rail”.
That’s it Howard, you simple p.o.s. - - pee off the old folks....
Just not to the level that Dean's sanity plagues democrats.
Obama --> bigot/racist Louis Farrakan Muslim w/o experience
Clinton --> pathological liar, racist, who believes her stints as First Lady of Arkansas and the US qualify her to be president ( NOT )
The obvious racism of the two Democrat candidates makes them look much, much less progressive than they'd like to project.
LOL, he just did....then he extended his remarks.....no, he/they won't bring it up....MUCH!
Dean's on a propaganda offensive. Two or three nights ago, he was hogging the screen on Tavis Smiley's show, ripping off these two-liner campaigning points one after another, like he was porking out on corn on the cob at an Iowa campaign feedbag.
If you think this is bad, wait until the full blown media blitz hits McCain after the Democrats pick their candidate.
McCain is as full of holes as a 10 year old Muenster. They will have a hay day with him, and we will be appalled at the only option we were given to represent our party.
(Well, not so much “our” party anymore, more the “former”.)
“I doubt we will bring it up in the election,” said Dean, referring to the age issue. “There is somewhat of a higher ethical bar on what we do.”
:-D )))
“We don't have any Lee Atwaters or Karl Roves on our side,” he added.
:-D ))) :-D ))) :-D )))
No, we aren't going to bring this up in the election. No, we would never make a big deal out of the fact that McCain is 72 and that in 4 years he will be 76 and in 8 years he will be 80. No, we would never make a big deal out of the fact that he is really, really ancient and could die any day and leave the country in a crisis. No, that would be a terrible thing, talking about McCain's age and trying to make a campaign issue out of it. Although everyone in the country is very concerned about this, we will not take advantage of the age issue. Age is not going to be brought up by us. Age and impending frailty and dementia are not an issue.
"There is somewhat of a higher ethical bar on what we do."
That line is worth repeating! Remember the TV show, "Make Me Laugh"? This line would be a winner every time.
[Howard]Dean: McCain’s Age Worries Voters—Cites Health, ‘Old-Fashioned’ Views...
as opposed to b. HUSSEIN being schooled in madrassa and being a closet muzzie....that should NOT worry voters!!!!
Yep, McDole has wasted all this time, and tomorrow the Democrat Majority Press will be working even harder to drowned him out and get their liberal elected. 2 losers go back to the Senate.
Underestimating President McDole, he has enough spunk, just needs a James Carvelle to get him to point out the fiscally ignorant liberals on the Democrat side are going to smother the economy, abort the punishments(babies), use your money to pay some one else’s bills. Obama and Clinton won’t stand a chance with a Rudy Guliane attack dog as VP, someone who McDole can’t control.
If I were Howard Dean, and I thank God I’m not, I’d be more worried about having another psychotic episode. Then again, he is a gift that just keeps on giving.
Translation of Demspeak: "We brought it up so nobody had to volunteer it."
I no longer believe ANY public utterance from a Democrat to contain more truth than falsehood, and Howard Dean would be among the least likely of the lot to approach the 50% threshold.
Mr. niteowl77
YYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Howard has become the Dean of Irrelevancy, IMO. As long as he can’t effectively facedown the Klintoon Konspiracy, he’ll remain a footnote in history.
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