Gore, Dean Form 'Anti-Clinton' Party, Well Left of Center

Real Clear Politics ^ | 12/12/03 | Mort Kondracke

[bdeaner]

Al & Dean. What a pair.

Of losers.

[Cicero]

I don't really understand how you can consider clinton a "moderate," unless you are standing way over the to left. He pretended to be moderate, but I don't consider it moderate to veto a partial birth abortion bill or start out your first day in office by pushing gays in the military and forced abortions in third-world country at taxpayer expense.

[bdeaner]

If Clinton is "moderate" relative to Dean . . . Probably says more about Dean than it does Clinton.

[Theresawithanh]

Not that I mind - AT ALL - that Al takes the dems more to the left, because I think it's going to lose them lots of votes with so-called moderate dems, but this sounds like a shooting-yourself-in-the-foot scenario. If there is one thing that X42 did, and the article hits on it - he is a liberal who knew how to work both sides, and how to sound more moderate, and that is how he got elected. Oh, that and Ross Perot, that is!

[bdeaner]

But, then again, watch Dean do an about-face if he gets the nomination. I predict he will quickly change his tune to appeal to more moderate voters. Not that it will be easy for him to do, now that he's pretty much backed himself into a corner. Nevertheless, he's changed colors before, he will probably do it again when it is convenient.

[Verginius Rufus]

Zell Miller was on TV Thursday evening and explained that the Democratic Party is divided into two factions--far left and far, far left. Gore and Dean represent the far, far left. He excused his support for Clinton in 1992 and 1996 by reciting some of the moderate-sounding slogans Clinton had used.

[Steel Wolf]

Has anyone started a betting pool on the Democrats in 2004 yet?

Who will be the nominee? Who will be his running mate?

(If Dean, then how long before he self destructs)

[ConservativeMan55]

This is starting to sound more and more like Pro Wrestling.

Dean and Gore have formed a Coalition against the Clinton side.

[rintense]

This may completely backfire. If Dean/Gore are the saviors to the far left, who will save the middle? Uh huh. You know who will sweep in and unite the party... that big, ugly bird that feeds on the carcasses of stupid jackasses... you know, Hillary.

I may be a little tin foilish, but we should all be very careful what we wish for with a Dean/Gore marriage. It only sets Hillary and Bill up as the saviors of the party. And the desperate, leftist masses will fall for it hook, line, and sinker. And probably some of the misguided centrists too.

[ozzymandus]

So why do all the RAT pundits keep telling us dean is a "moderate" or even a "conservative"? Could they be typical lying RATs?

[ConservativeMan55]

The only person other than Dean the leftists will be voting for is Ralph Nader.

[mrfixit514]

Finally, something I agree with the Dems on.

[rintense]

Yes, and when they lose miserably, who will be left to resurrect the party??? We all know who is positioning herself to do so. She's already started by hitting the Sunday talk shows and taking a more centrist tone with issues she had previously slammed Bush left and right. The woman has made a deal with the devil. And we'll be getting a 2 for 1 deal with her.

[bdeaner]

So why do all the RAT pundits keep telling us dean is a "moderate" or even a "conservative"? Could they be typical lying RATs?

A few possibilities:
1) Wishful thinking
2) Backpeddling spin (aka, lying RATS)
3) They're dumb as a box of hammers

All of the above?

[ConservativeMan55]

You're talking about in 2008 right?

I'm hoping by then we will have Jeb Bush and a couple other good candidates to take over at that point.

[bdeaner]

Not completely tin foil, actually. Not the first time I've heard that scenario.

[bdeaner]

It is Dean's race to lose at this point.

I have no idea who he'll choose for a running mate. Could be the beast herself, but I doubt it, with the way he's positioned himself in opposition to the Clinton team.

[Monti Cello]

Do you suppose that this might be purposeful cooperative triangulation for Hillary's sake.

Kondracke is describing triangulation perfectly if you don't assume Dean and Clinton are enemies here.

Could it be a set-up with Algore as the dupe?

By autumn, the Democratic Party may 'suddenly decide' it needs a candidate with more 'gravitas' than Howard Dean.

Could the Clintons have engineered Dean's rise?

Then I hear Chris Wallace on Hannity today musing how 'nothing seems to stick to Howard Dean' in terms of the media reaction to his recent gaffes.

Maybe I need to adjust the tinfoil -- something smells fishy to me.

[sirchtruth]

You know who will sweep in and unite the party... that big, ugly bird that feeds on the carcasses of stupid jackasses... you know, Hillary.

It's too late for that now or in the future. Everyone knows who Hillary is and what she would do...

The Dems are toast for decades to come as long as the Clinton's are around.

[hosepipe]

Mort get you're head out of there.. THATS DIRTY....