Arrogant, Shrill, Ambiguous: Dean on Foreign Policy (Cathryn Crawford)

The Washington Dispatch ^ | December 19, 2003 | Cathryn Crawford

[Scenic Sounds]

Governor Dean strikes again! He’s the picture of grim determination, if only he can be quite sure what exactly to be determined about. This week has been hard on the poor Governor. He can’t quite figure out what to think about Saddam Hussein’s capture. Is it good? Is it bad? Will Hussein be eligible to vote in 2004? All these are burning questions. Dean was forced to revamp a foreign policy speech on Monday, since the main focus of his speech was to have been how incompetent the Bush administration is at foreign policy. Now, not only does Dean have to deal with the capture of Hussein, but he must also find a way to explain why James Baker was so successful this week when he appealed to the French and German governments to forgive Iraq’s debts owed to them. It’s tough when circumstance negate your platform.

Not that Dean is inspiring a whole lot of confidence in his abilities in the foreign policy arena. The ads that the lobbying group Americans for Jobs, Healthcare and Progressive Values (a group that supports Dick Gephardt) is running in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina regarding Dean’s lack of foreign policy expertise must be hitting pretty close to home, because Dean has thrown a royal fit to have them pulled from the airwaves. Dean supporters everywhere have called the ads false, saying that Dean has traveled to more foreign countries than had Bush in 2000. This whiny comeback doesn’t make much sense – are they implying that traveling to a foreign country makes someone an intelligent and reasonable diplomat? Perhaps Dean should go on a couple of those OneVoice tours of the Middle East with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. That should make him a foreign policy expert.

Dean’s ultimate problem with the ads, however, is that they make it appear that the Bush administration is proficient in foreign policy, and that the President will not be a push-over incumbent, as Dean and his staff like to frantically tell themselves and anyone else who will listen.

Dean, on the other hand, doesn’t make a pretense of caring about most foreign policy issues. When asked questions about relevant issues, issues that as a candidate he should at least show a menial knowledge of, Dean seems dismissive, as though it doesn’t really matter. As a matter of fact, he told Chris Matthews that it didn’t matter. When Matthews asked Dean whether Osama bin Laden should be tried in America or at The Hague, Dean said, “I don’t think it makes a lot of difference.” When asked the same question about Hussein, Dean replied that The Hague, “suits me fine.” Wow, what insightful, passionate, and articulate expertise.

It also appears that Dean can’t make up his mind on certain foreign policy issues. Dean recently said, “I never said Saddam was a danger to the United States. Ever.” A pretty strong statement from the Governor, especially considering that in September 2002, Dean told CBS’s Face the Nation that, “There is no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat to the United States.” This is an interesting contradiction from a man that spends his days discussing how President Bush misled a country into a war. He seems to have no qualms about giving misleading statements himself.

Remember Dean’s “most interesting theory” comment? This is where he solemnly talked about Saudi Arabia warning Bush about the terrorist’s attack of 9-11-01. He says now that he doesn’t believe the theory (if it can be called that – a better term would be “unsubstantiated rumor”), but not believing it obviously doesn’t stop him from intellectually perusing it publicly. He calls it “interesting.” He’s right, it’s pretty interesting. But I find it more interesting that Dean is getting his foreign policy advice from people who are advocating such views. Unreliable (and misleading) seems to be an understatement in this case.

Dean feels that his image as a metrosexual, good ol’ boy peacenik will translate into some sort of stirring, deep, religious conviction that yes, this is the next President of the United States. He believes that somehow, in some way, everyone will simply fall to his feet and thank him for saving them from President Bush. However, as time goes by and the veneer wears thin, his attitude simply becomes more airy, more flippant, and more arrogant.

Cathryn Crawford is a student at the University of Texas. She can be reached at CathrynCrawford@WashingtonDispatch.com.

[Scenic Sounds]

Cathryn Crawford's latest!

[Cathryn Crawford]

Ping...

If you want on or off this ping list, let me know.

[PMCarey]

Join the express to a brokered convention.

[Scenic Sounds]

Dean feels that his image as a metrosexual, good ol’ boy peacenik will translate into some sort of stirring, deep, religious conviction that yes, this is the next President of the United States. He believes that somehow, in some way, everyone will simply fall to his feet and thank him for saving them from President Bush. However, as time goes by and the veneer wears thin, his attitude simply becomes more airy, more flippant, and more arrogant.

Yes, Cathryn, you've hit the nail right on the head - he is just too airy, flippant and arrogant for the American public.

Another great column!! ;-)

[Scenic Sounds]

Do you think that the Democratic Party "powers that be" will be able to deny Dean the nomination? If so, who would the bigshots pick?

[wizardoz]

Home run! Yeah, Dean's a nut. I especially like juxtaposing these two of his remarks about Iraq: "Iraq was no threat to us" and "if the UN had asked us to be part of a coalition, I wouldn't have hesitated."

Got that? If the UN told him to, he'd attack anyone, even if they were no threat! Isn't THAT an interesting stance.

[gcruse]

metrosexual,
good ol’ boy
peacenik...




My brain hurts.

[templar]

Dean is the Anti-Bush. Whatever Bush presents/represents Dean is anti to it. Does Dean actualy stand for anything himself? Bush will not win the election for the Republicans, Dean will lose it for the Democrats. Bush could probabably beat any of the other Democratic contenders, But Dean will defeat himself without Bush having to do much (if anything).

BTW, this is fairly impartial observation here, I'm not a Bushbot. I don't even like Bush very much.

[DeFault User]

but he must also find a way to explain why James Baker was so successful this week

Of no importance whatsoever, just like Saddam's capture and now Kadaffy's capitulation on WMDs. {smirk}

You almost have to admire the faith of the Deaniacs, who will keep insisting the world is flat until the end.

[optimistically_conservative]

It will be interesting to see if this hurts Dean. I hope not, I still consider myself a staunch Pubbie for Dean or Sharpton.

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll. Dec. 15-16, 2003. N=356 Democrats and Democratic leaners nationwide who are registered to vote. MoE ± 6.
					.
"Next, I'm going to read a list of people who may be running in the Democratic primary for president in the next election. After I read all the names, please tell me which of those candidates you would be most likely to support for the Democratic nomination for president in the year 2004. . . ." Names rotated
		12/15-16
		%
	Howard Dean	27
	Joe Lieberman	12
	Wesley Clark	12
	Dick Gephardt	7
	John Kerry	7
	John Edwards	6
	Al Sharpton	6
	Carol Moseley Braun	3
	Dennis Kucinich	2
	Other/None/No opinion	18
					.
		12/11-14	12/5-7	11/14-16	11/10-12	10/24-26
		%	%	%	%	%
	Howard Dean	31	25	17	17	16
	Joe Lieberman	13	10	13	15	12
	Wesley Clark	10	17	17	14	15
	Dick Gephardt	8	14	13	12	12
	John Kerry	10	7	9	10	10
	John Edwards	4	7	6	7	6
	Al Sharpton	5	3	5	3	6
	Carol Moseley Braun	3	5	4	4	4
	Dennis Kucinich	1	2	3	3	1
	Other/None/No opinion	15	10	13	15	18
					.

[Cathryn Crawford]

My brain hurts.

How come? LOL

[G.Mason]

May Dr. Dean live a very long life, and throughout that long life, may he, and those that supported him, be constantly reminded of the humiliating defeat he suffered in November of 2004.

[GreenHornet]

Home run! Yeah, Dean's a nut. I especially like juxtaposing these two of his remarks about Iraq: "Iraq was no threat to us" and "if the UN had asked us to be part of a coalition, I wouldn't have hesitated."

I saw a similar example last week while channel surfing: Dean, in a very indignant voice, is saying to a reporter "Whatever gave you the impression that I was 100% in favor of NAFTA"? The scene then switches to an earlier interview showing Dean as he says "I am 100% in favor of NAFTA"! (this was shown on one of the alphabet networks, no less!). I loved it.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning Cathryn. How's it going?

BTTT!!!!!

[Cathryn Crawford]

It's going all right. How's it going with you? :-)

[TheGeezer]

Wesley Clark would be the choice of the Clintons and McAwful. Wesley Clark is the Clintons' hand-picked sure looser who allows the Clintons to retain control of the Democrat party: Clark is only an expendable nomination placeholder.

If Dean obtains the nomination, he'll wrest control of the party from the Clintons and make Hillary's campaign in 2008 more challenging. To prepare for that development, as Rush Limbaugh noted a couple of weeks ago, the Clintons have already arranged for diversion of significant amounts of funds from the DNC into PAC-controlled issue committees that the Clintons can easily influence, if not control. This will give the Clintons crucial leverage for their re-emergence after the Dean debacle as DNC/DLC powerbrokers (if Karl Rove masterminds the coming campaign as I think he will, energizing the Republican base) .

Interestingly, if Dean is elected, he will push Hillary off the stage until at least 2012, when the old girl will probably be totally irrelevant (if not also fighting off a radical mastectomy). That means the Clintons must work to defeat Dean's nomination, help defeat Dean in the election if he is nominated, or somehow have Hillary run this year (there are fear and loathing threads out there already regarding this possibility).

Then again, if Dean wins the election, he might also strangely and unexpecterdly commit suicide in a Washington, D.C. park, after a couple of years, too... Strange things like that have happened, you know. ;)

Regards.

[Lady Jag]

A picture of Dean's grim determination

Sorry folks, that's as smart as he gets.

[gatorbait]

Good article and outstanding analysis of Dean's affestions. I believe Dr.Strangehate has the same base values as do the Caligulas, none. It'll be fascinating to watch the Dims ' brokered convention as another poster to this thread so shrewdly foresees it.

I do believe we need to remain open eyed to the machinations of the Leftists.A good case in point is their shrill keening that capturing Saddam is not the big deal they were shrill about it being a fortnight ago.

[uncbob]

Yes, Cathryn, you've hit the nail right on the head - he is just too airy, flippant and arrogant for the American public.

If a complete DORK like Gore can win the popular vote don't bet on the American voter

[E.G.C.]

Goin O.K. Cathy. A little busy doing some web surfing right now and bumping some stuff from the FR ping lists I'm on.:-D