Don't Count Out Dean

The R worry is that Dean’s "growing pains" have come early, way early, and that this is part of the development of a larger relationship with the electorate. It is crucial that Dean now get out the message of his Montpelier governing style - which will piss off his base, no end, because it was centrist and snuggled-up to insurance companies as well all matter of (what they perceive-to-be) corporate wretchedness. He has already shored up the base, and plenty – pick their pockets and they are committed come what will, what may. He has the money to get that message out, and can go the distance based on cash alone. Kerry, nicknamed Senator Soundbite - meaning someday, somehow, he will actually craft one (Kennedy's is "A verb, Senator, a verb" both from Doonesbury). Remember that the party belongs to Clinton LLC, a New York corporation - actually a forced partnership of the two smartest (and most poorly matched) mega-lawyers in the history of matrimony. Clinton LLC knows that the Dean Machine, with their cash on hand, can go the distance regardless of outcome in the primaries. Dean is thus in a position to play “King-maker” and threaten crucial unity/ coming-together at the convention. Dean seethes over being "outed" by Sharpton about his Vermont Gubernatorial Cabinet – in effect playing the race card. Clinton LLC knows this, and is worried. They need to hold the party together within reasonable parameters, since the Democrats are a particularly fractious bunch in ’04, which they don’t talk about openly, but telegraph amply by constant hopeful “talk up” of the same concept with regard to Republicans. A Left Winger "outed" over race could, in turn "out" the whole party over race, given the current make up of party leadership - which is particularly poor in comparison to Bush’s Cabinet. And the looming reparations debate crisis within the Democrat elite. Is Dean that angry, they wonder? Democrats treat politics like civil religion, and core values are not to be messed with. Sharpton did some messing. Gephart did some messing, and fell on his Iowa sword to take Dean down a notch in the doing. That is all, to this point. Dean will (as he is smart and driven) do much better across the north and on the “Left” coast; Edwards (Senator Happy) will do great in the south. Clark is the guy who commanded Clinton's army at Waco, and then ordered the Brits to start WWIII in that little peremptory war in Kosovo - he is a guy who, just standing there, totally puts in checks any criticism of Bush's policy in Iraq. Clark is a liability walking, and if he was he a Republican would have been indicted by the Hague. He is also Hillary’s best hope for playing “pace track rabbit” for ’08, and Clinton LLC knew that when they messed with his mind and wound him up. A big mess this year brings the party back to Clinton LLC to be "fixed" in '08. Dean is too smart to fall for that, he is going to "run right" and put it back on track in the near term – hiring consummate D.C. fat cat lobbyist and insider Roy Neel proves that he will do whatever it takes. That he so easily trashed his own principles in doing so proves Dean is blindly ambitious, and is a real slap to the jaw of his own loyal base. It will be a Dean-Edwards ticket. And now concludes this Dick Morris minute.