Dean’s Late-Night Battle Cry Likely to Echo From Here On

LATIMES ^ | 01/21/04 | Mark Z. Barabak and Faye Fiore

[Pikamax]

Dean’s Late-Night Battle Cry Likely to Echo From Here On

By Mark Z. Barabak and Faye Fiore, Times Staff Writers

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Howard Dean's overheated concession speech in Iowa could prove a damaging turning point in his campaign, intensifying concerns that Vermont's former governor is prone to outbursts and fits of pique that make him unqualified to be president, analysts said Wednesday.

The image of Dean repeatedly punching the air in a performance some likened to an emotional meltdown has played endlessly on cable news networks and offered instant fodder for late-night comedy monologues.

"He's a very rational, pleasant human being, but he looked like a rabid dog," said Charlie Cook, publisher of a nonpartisan Washington political newsletter. "To say he appeared unpresidential is an understatement."

The damage was immediately quantifiable. Surveys showed a fall in Dean's approval ratings and a tightening race here in New Hampshire -- where he faces a major test in just six days, when the state hosts the nation's first presidential primary.

Adding further insult, the medium that had been the most powerful force for delivering his campaign message was being used to mock him Wednesday as samples of his Iowa speech were turned into shrieking sound tracks on the Internet.

[xrp]

YEAGH!

[weegee]

Some songs using the sound sample can be found here:

Keyword: howarddeanmp3s

The man is now a laughing stock among the masses. We've been laughing at him for months now. Of course, we also knew that Bubba Jeff Clinton was a liar the first time we saw him speak.

A FReeper had a song composed THAT night.

[LasVegasMac]

Vermont's former governor is prone to outbursts and fits of pique that make him unqualified to be president

Vermont's former governor is prone to acting like a raving lunatic, scaring the crap out of normally politically disinterested - and even the dead - voters.

Sources, high in the 'Rat echelon - but wanting to remain firmly implanted in the collective Clinton rectum, and therefore anymoose, said that Dean's mental instability would probably make him unqualified to be president.

Those same anymoose sources also stated that they were, "very, very confident that another candidate would soon overtake "Mad Dean" as, "the lead clown of the 'Rat Party", letting him off the hook and have more free time for the doctors.

Jane, you ignorant s***, back to you...........

LVM

[Hildy]

I think this yell was blown all out of proportion. He was speaking to his very distraught campaigners. It was a rally cry. I truly don't see anything wrong with it. There's enough to pick at Dean about. This just seems so petty.

[kylaka]

I think Jay Leno captured it best: "I'm not an expert in politics, but I think its a bad sign when your speech ends with your aides shooting you with a tranqulizer dart". Its one thing to be passionate, its another to be angry, but quite different to be rabbid.

[jennyp]

But gleeful Republicans suggested Dean's image was damaged beyond repair.

"He'll melt and melt and melt until there is no more Howard Dean," said Sipple, the GOP ad strategist.

<sigh> well, we knew a Dean candidacy was too good to be true.