You know, normally I would call this sort of thing "fringebaiting," i.e. taking some random message thread from Free Republic or Democratic Underground and spouting about it. That is, after all, like shooting fish in a barrel.

But this is, once again, the actual Dean campaign web site and, moreover, it's the site through which they've done most of their online campaigning, about which they've bragged endlessly to the press, and which they uphold as an example of how modern and cutting-edge and 21st-century they are. Bragged about how the folks in these message boards form the very essence of what makes their campaign so great.

But this is, once again, the actual Dean campaign web site and, moreover, it's the site through which they've done most of their online campaigning, about which they've bragged endlessly to the press, and which they uphold as an example of how modern and cutting-edge and 21st-century they are. Bragged about how the folks in these message boards form the very essence of what makes their campaign so great.

Your observations are pretty accurate, although I think you're confusing content with distribution.

Overnight, the conventional wisdom has become this: "Momentum trumped Organization," meaning that the Deaniacs couldn't deliver the 40 thousand hard-core Deaners to the designated caucus sites.

Was it because of a flaw in their organization (held together by their network distribution infrastructure) or was it a loss of momentum ( failure to overcome the sneaking suspicion that Dean is un-electable)?

The Democratic party doesn't need another Dukakis. Please spare me the thought. He was so bad he lost even to George Bush Sr., the worst, phoniest, most ineffectual President in my lifetime next to Jimmy Carter (and I was born under Eisenhower, so I've seen a fair number of Presidents). If Lloyd Bentsen had been at the top of the ticket that year, instead of Dukakis's running mate,, we'd have been much better off in my opinion.

Congrats -- you're as shallow as your opponents. Three cheers for the middle!

What is with people on the leftI not being able to just chalk up a loss as a loss? It always has to be "dirt tricks" or that the opponent is stupid for some reason or another. I guess it happens on the right as well I just have never done it and I am on the right so I like to think it doesnt happen. But they are still clammoring that Bush didnt win the election POTUS and now some are using the same tactics to belittle Kerry's victory in Iowa. When will it end and have us all just swallow some pride and say the guy ran a better campaign than me and he won. You know maybe an "I wish him the best" gesture like the true class act of a man like Gephardt did yesterday.

The idea has come over me that Howard Dean is a product of his own blogsite and his hysterical, resentful and thoroughly sophomoric mob, rather than the other way around. He reminds me more than a little of Adolf Hitler spouting off to an adoring multitude at Nuremberg or whevever:

"All that I am, I am through you. And all that you are, you are through me."

Fortunately for Dean and his family, he will never have to poison his dog and his wife, then shoot himself while sitting on a couch staring at a picture of his adoring mother, while hiding in a basement of the White House.

Because now, the closest he shall get to the executive mansion is as a tourist.

Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI

I remember a long time ago my sweet grandmother sat me down on her lap, leaned over to whisper gently in my ear, then screamed at the top of her lungs: "FUCK A BUNCH OF HOWARD DEAN! YOU NEED TO POP A POLITICAL CAP IN HIS SORRY ASS!!!"

Ok, she didn't actually say that.

Arnold, Tim:

You guys crack me up!

Ha! Ha! I agree. Tim the Soldier and Eel-Master and Arnold Harris, together, blogging for Dean (but which Dean? the Good Dean or the Evil Dean? and which is which?). What a team.

The word here in Iowa is that after seeing H Dean get all snarky and pissy all over the state for the last two weeks that some of his "maybe" voters thought better of putting this guy in charge of the country. Let's just say it's hard to imagine a candidate with a hair trigger, tantrum thrower goin' off every other day personality having a presidential bone in his body.

His farewell address to his troops here in Iowa last night was a real screamer (wink/wink-nudge/nudge)

Having a reactionary, binary thinker like John Kusch call my wife "shallow" is too funny. John, you're as deep as a parking lot puddle and as profound as a poodle.

But by the way, Ara? I'm not confusing content with distribution because, once again, these are the people Dean brags about and plays up to. He therefore gets the reputation he deserves.

I'm not confusing content with distribution because, once again, these are the people Dean brags about and plays up to. He therefore gets the reputation he deserves.

Agreed. But his fate shouldn't invalidate the paradigm that his campaign popularized. But it may yet happen. If it does, then web logs will have taken a hit too.

After all, if you think that this infrastructure NECESSARILY encourages candidate-moonbats, then what does that say for web logs in general?

Sure, there are callow, misinformed, immature idiots out there at either end of a network connection; we've seen that recently in what happened to Rosemary and you.

But there are lots of good people, too, with solid ideas. We've seen THAT as well. You can't confuse content with distribution; if you do, then what's next? Abandoning cell-phones because people talk too loud when they use them in the public square?

It would be a shame for future campaigns to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Dean reminds me of some doctors I've had contact with over the years, he seems to have that 'I am next to God, so do what I say or else' attitude. I've also seen a couple of other doctors have screaming fits at people. Reminds me of the fact that being good at one thing does not mean they're worth crap at something else.

I agree that seeing this kind of crap on his official site is not a good selling point for him.

Ara, I still don't see how Dean has set a paradigm in his "grassroots support" and internet-based fundraising. It's not a new idea, and other candidates are doing it to various degrees.