Posted on 06/07/2005 9:19:04 PM PDT by CHARLITE
If Howard Dean thought it would be a great idea to heighten his profile by becoming chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), he was making a big mistake. Since he was elected to the top party spot on Feb. 12, Democrats have been hiding him like the Clinton staff hid mistresses.
They've had big help from a national media blackout. As Dr. Dean traveled the country dispensing gaffe after gaffe, the national networks ignored him almost entirely. On Thursday, June 2, he cracked at a left-wing convention that a lot of Republicans "have never made an honest living in their lives." ABC, CBS and NBC ignored him for three days, until the Sunday morning interview programs, which have about one-quarter to one-half the ratings of the evening news.
John Edwards distanced himself from Dean on Saturday, and then Joe Biden did the same on ABC Sunday. Then, on Monday night, "NBC Nightly News" took up Dean's loose lips. Fourteen minutes into the show, with no promotion at the newscast's outset, anchor Brian Williams began: "In Democratic politics, he's hard to miss." Wrong. He's been easy to miss if you're watching network TV news.
But Andrea Mitchell's story was pretty tough, featuring a list of Dean gaffes, and a list of horrified Democratic reactions to Dean, from Biden and Edwards to consultant David Axelrod to former party chairman Bob Strauss. (Sen. Richard Durbin and an online statement from Edwards were brought to Dean's defense.)
But NBC's single story is the exception. The rule has been a pattern of blackout at the Big Three since the weekend Dean was elected. CBS hasn't mentioned the words "Howard Dean" since Feb. 20. ABC and NBC both ignored Dean for two months until they found Dean's critical comments useful during the mid-April controversy over Terri Schiavo's death. But Dean's gaffes were nowhere to be found. They also ignored Dean for the rest of April, and then May.
So when Dean was scheduled for a rare national TV shot on NBC's "Meet the Press" on May 23, they must have been passing around the Advil for the headaches to follow. The truly jaw-dropping moments came when Tim Russert made the obvious comparison that emerged from Howard Dean's mouth. On May 14, Dean said Tom DeLay ought to go back to Houston "where he can serve his jail sentence." But in December of 2003, Dean said we shouldn't prejudge the guilt of Osama bin Laden: "I've resisted pronouncing a sentence before guilt is found." Russert asked him to reconcile the double standard.
"To be honest with you, Tim, I don't think I'm prejudging him," Dean declared about DeLay, arguing that somehow a reprimand from the House Ethics Committee -- which in traffic-cop terms is a warning, not a ticket -- is somehow evidence of criminal guilt. He argued, "I think there's a reasonable chance that this may end up in jail." When Russert followed up by noting that even liberal Democrat Rep. Barney Frank thought the jail talk was out of line, Dean repeated: "As I said before, we're not speculating here." (We're not??) For giggles, he added: "We're not going to stoop to the kind of divisiveness that the Republicans are doing."
Russert also noted that at an ACLU event, Dr. Dean had mocked Rush Limbaugh by joking that Rush snorted cocaine between sentences on his radio show. Russert didn't note that Rush was treated for Vicodin addiction, not cocaine, but did ask if a physician ought to be mocking someone in therapy. Dean unloaded yet another volley, this time about conservative hypocrites, and then said -- get this -- "We ought not to lecture each other about our ethical shortcomings." What was it he'd just been saying about DeLay and jail?
It was a disastrous performance. Guess how many news stories that night and the next day on ABC, CBS, and NBC underlined Dean's meltdown? ABC and CBS offered nothing. NBC's Sunday "Nightly News" used only a bland Dean clip on the filibuster.
With the exception of Andrea Mitchell, the networks are also ignoring how Dean is performing off camera. He's failing to produce the financial windfall DNC members expected from fiery anti-war left-wingers. Federal election reports show the DNC raised $14.1 million in the first quarter of 2005, vs. the RNC's $32.3 million. Dean drew about 20,000 new donors, while the GOP picked up 68,200. Republicans have $26.2 million in the bank vs. $7.2 million for the Dems.
If the liberal media wanted to look like they weren't reporting from inside the press-release shop at the DNC, they aren't helping their image with a Howard Dean blackout. Instead, they sound more like Pepto-Bismol. They're the medicine that coats, soothes, and protects the Democrats from the indigestion caused by their fiery, gassy leader.
I think what's really going on is Hilary is having Dean demolished so a Clinton crony can run the party.
All Howard Dean has done since becoming the DNC Chairman is insult every Christian Conservative all across this nation with his hate filled comments that do absolutely nothing but alienate himself from every God fearing American in all 50 States. Howard Dean is by far the biggest disaster the Democrats have ever elevated as their DNC Chairman. I thought Terry McAuliffe was bad, but Howard Dean makes Terry McAuliffe look like a Diplomat by comparison
I'm sad to say--Dean will go. He has been such an asset for us. Who will replace him?
The bent one?
Dunga Dean- http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1417502/posts- (For fan's of Kipling's "Gunga Din")
I still don't see a problem...
I say he should trot out the wife again----I mean look what an asset she was when he unveiled her during the Dim primary (smirk)?
The two got so lovey-dovey for Diane Sawyer, audiences thought they were going to experience connubial bliss on nationwide TV.
"I think what's really going on is Hilary is having Dean demolished so a Clinton crony can run the party."
My thought exactly.. and it's not just about chairing the DNC. Hillary is setting up Dean to discredit the entire MoveOn wing of the party (including Al Gore, Democratic Underground, MoveOn.org, Michael Moore, etc).
Then they'll be begging Hillary and Bill to "save" the party. The script is so predictable, yet the MSM will be reporting on every line and begging Hillary to impart a morsel of her wisdom.
Let's not yell too much - I don't want the Dems to replace Dean too soon. IMHO he's doing a real fine job as DNC Chairman. National Elections are all about getting out the vote and that takes money and planning. Thanks to Dr Dimwit the Dems coffers are bleak compared to the GOP
Now on Hillary - Strange thing, I was listening to Rush today (Tues 6/7/05) and he was playing some audio clips of Hillary.....I don't know why but her voice.....it is very high pitch and very grating. Like fingernails across the chalkboard.
We all know the MSM in their dying throes think Hillary is their last savior, and will do anything to pump her up. I hope she does run, a corpse could beat her. It will so easy to paint her for what she trully is
"TOTAL QUEEN B!TCH"
Not only that (that Dean's smarter and more innovative), but in addition I truly believe he is a force whose time has come. He is prescient himself, and usually a step or two or ten ahead of everyone else, and his heart is in the right place. He is a man of incredible integrity, and I truly believe that if ANYone can begin to lead us out of this quagmire, it's Dean. Not alone, of course, and he's no savior. But he IS a LEADER, a Leader Extraordinaire. I want people to watch. I think this Howard Dean is a Man for Our Times.
It could also be called the Hilery blackout. She has the brains of Dean that is why they do not have her on without a script.
She must be a ventriloquist, then, because he sure is shooting off his mouth. So, unless he's Charlie McCarthy and she's Edgar Bergen, then he's doing all of the damage to himself every single time he opens his mouth.
It is so bad that I'm wondering how he had the smarts to get through medical school. It's one thing to have a far left point of view. It's another to be uttering total bull hockey on major prime time programs which are televised around the world!
Michael Moron isn't any better, come to think of it. Same unreasoned nonsense comes out of his mouth......along with every chattering, "nattering nabob" on the left.
Char :)
That was one reason for which I'd hoped that Newt would run against her in '08.........just for the pleasure of watching the debates. Newt, the scholar and historian par excellence, would have her pants suits in a wad before the first 3 minute timer went off.
......however, Condi could do the same thing. What a show that would be!
Char :)
I wish I could get a Dean bauble head doll for my rear window. I live in Hawaii, a far left,liberal state and people would think I liked Dean but in fact I would be making fun of the jerk.
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