Howard Dean

First I have to commend Dean for staying in the D.C. primary, unlike the other spineless candidates that withdrew. Why don't they just face up to the fact they are going to lose to Dean eventually (he clearly has the momentum no else seems to be able to muster).

About his confederate flag remark, while it seems to be over-analyzed, I think the idea is good. Certainly if you just take it as one statement, and say he is appealing to redneck racists, then it was dumb. But he certainly had something else in mind. The Democrats have lost the south - all of it. If they are only going to try to attract pro-gun control, pro-choice, well educated electorate, then they are going to lose. The reality is that is not the (majority) of the south. And while they may be more into NASCAR then confederate flags, the comment certainly got a lot of attention, and talk. While a lot of people think he should have apologized, many think he should not have. Of course if the comment turns off a lot of people that need to be brought to the voting booth, then that is bad - but the election is still a year away, he has time to bring people in.

"My guess is that if the economy is neutralized as an issue by growth in 2004, the election will become a referendum on Iraq. More Americans already believe that the president is doing a poor job on Iraq rather than a good one. If things continue to deteriorate, the Democrats will likely gravitate to the left and to the candidate who was the most opposed to the war in the first place and who might most plausibly argue for withdrawal.
Question is: Can Howard Dean sell that to the guy with a Confederate flag in his pickup?" - Charles Krauthammer The Seattle Times: Opinion: Condescending Dean drops his Everyman mask