Marie Cocco: The Politics of Inauthenticy: Doomed to Fail

NY Newsday ^ | January 27, 2004 | Marie Cocco (aka "Cukoo")

[presidio9]

It is not coincidental that Howard Dean's reversal of fortune began not long after he won Al Gore's endorsement. The two share a Nixonian inclination toward political self-destruction.

Gore never figured out, during the 2000 presidential campaign, whether he should run with or against Bill Clinton. The nation was enjoying unprecedented prosperity. The voters had, by and large, recoiled at the Republican effort to remove Clinton from office for his sexual peccadilloes.

Yet Gore never wore comfortably the mantle of heir to the Oval Office. He treated the country to a series of public metamorphoses. First, he went through his brown period. Then he became the populist firebrand of the Democratic National Convention. The populist remained through the fall but so, too, did the patrician senator. This Gore reappeared most notably when he sighed, with a surfeit of condescension, during a debate with George W. Bush.

Now Howard Dean remakes himself. For the past week in New Hampshire, he has tried to banish Dr. Demento and replace the image of that Iowa stage with a simple snapshot of governor green eyeshades. "I got into this race on three core principles," he told supporters who gathered at a historic opera house in Claremont. "One is balanced budgets, another is health care and another is that I don't promise what I can't deliver."

Balanced budgets?

This is where Dean began. He would be the straight-talking, under-promising alternative to business-as-usual. Last summer, if you turned up at a Dean appearance at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast, you would, indeed, stumble upon independent voters who'd supported Arizona Republican John McCain in the 2000 New Hampshire primary and were drawn to Dean's no-nonsense message.

[JustPlainJoe]

When will those Dims realize that they can't jump horses during the race? It makes them look like they don't even know WHO they are for one thing. (true in most cases...)
What kills me is that they go and ANNOUNCE that they are changing personalities; they describe in detail how they are going to be different and then give instructions as to how the American public should receive their 'new' image. It's insulting, childish and pathetic. I'm glad I don't see the Republicans doing much of that. They are who they are and stick with it, to win or lose. At least their integrity stays intact.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I wrote this today.

Focus

Keep the faith and hang in there,
We need you, don’t lose sight.
Your support and yes your vote,
Will make this come out right.
It’s early yet but time moves fast,
So please don’t wait too long.
Let’s pull together once again,
To keep our country strong.
Kerry, Clark, or Howard Dean,
Who knows which one will be.
The one the democrats will pick,
To be their nominee.
The lucky winner gets to run,
A race he cannot win.
Yes come November Oh Oh Four,
George Bush it is again!

Conspiracy Guy 1/27/04

[sirshackleton]

When will those Dims realize that they can't jump horses during the race? It makes them look like they don't even know WHO they are for one thing.

I've heard loads of Dems parrot the "Anyone But Bush" line...which is interesting because for a group that claims to be so principled and independent, they seem to have given their vote to no one. It's pretty indicative of the level of simple hatred they have for Bush.

[KC_Conspirator]

It's pretty indicative of the level of simple hatred they have for Bush.

I think that a great point about the hateful, angry democrats. The only person that is not drawing the red-faced, shouting, maniacal crowd is Lieberman and I would bet that some of his voters will vote Bush in Nov.

[macrahanish #1]

I quit reading when she parroted the DNC tripe about Clinton's impeachment being due to sex.
Marie,listen and repeat as I say the following,"It was about lying under oath."

[NYCVirago]

I actually managed to finish reading a Marie Cocco column without gagging. There were even some good points in there. What has she been smoking? ;)

[dirtboy]

Wipe your chin, Marie.

[Revolting cat!]

Man, whatta babe!

[sirshackleton]

That's a good point, too. I don't find a whole lot redeeming about some of Leiberman's proposals, but he (and Gephardt to a certain extent) are both generally decent guys who really do exude an ability to govern and understand what it takes to govern (I still wouldn't vote for them...just because they could govern doesn't mean I'd want them to). If Dean learned anything about governing in Vermont, he sure hasn't shown it.

[shhrubbery!]

the Kerry who, in 2002, voted to permit what everyone knew was a new kind of war - a war of first resort - in Iraq

Balderdash, Marie. Just how many attempts at inspections, how many UN resolutions, and how many years passed, between the time Saddam Hussein refused to cooperate with the terms of the end of the Gulf War I, and the beginning of Gulf War II?

War of first resort, my arse.

[RJL]

The voters had, by and large, recoiled at the Republican effort to remove Clinton from office for his sexual peccadilloes.

Marie, Which article of impeachment targeted Clinton's "sexual peccadilloes"?

Of course there never was such a thing, the liberal gossiping class never worrys about the truth.

[MEG33]

The hatred is from the 2000 election .Democrats would want to win anyway but it is truly a grudge match.

It was fourth down,time running out and there was a controversial call that decided the winner.It doesn't matter if it was the right call"We wuz robbed" and "Wait'll next time"prevail.

They have forgotten the ref who made the call,they want to hurt the man who made the touchdown and won the game..