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So, I just watched Dean's speech [View All]

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ProfessorPlum Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Jan-20-04 03:34 PM
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So, I just watched Dean's speech
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that has everyone so worked up, and I have to say I cannot believe that anyone has any kind of a problem with this. Dean's supporters in Iowa I'm sure were looking for some kind of cue from Dean, and Dean, instead of coming out and acting like he had been defeated, came out and was celebrating his 3rd place victory! He was upbeat, energized, acting like it was a great accomplishment, which it was coming from someone who started from nearly no national recognition. He was clearly a bit hoarse from the campaign, and even though it was the night after a long, harrowing day, he still seemed energized - he was ready to get on a plane and go to a 3am rally that night!

One thing you have to give him credit for, he has tons of energy, and is clearly ready to expend it to take the fight to Bush.

He could have come out and somberly accepted "defeat" - what a cold shower that would have been. Instead he rallied his troops and was incredibly upbeat.

Those people in that room were celebrating a great victory - and 18% caucus showing for Dean in Iowa, and he celebrated with them and thanked them and encouraged them and got them even more fired up to take out Dubya.

All day today I've been reading about and hearing people talk about how he was a "madman" and "crazed" and "over the top". Buy into that talk, and the media wins again, just as they did with the Wellstone memorial.

Make no mistake, nothing scares the corporate media like seeing real people, Americans energized to do good to each other and the country, displaying passion and optimism and fight and real human emotion, ready to take their country back from the plutocrats. It scared them to death at the Wellstone memorial, and I'm sure it scared them to death watching Dean's speech. "Why won't the guy just lay down?" I'm sure they were asking themselves. Instead, he was energized and hopeful and genuine and passionate.

This is a turning point in this campaign. We will now hear from a million sources, over and over, about what a madman Dean is. Just as with the Wellstone memorial, this will be used as a club against Dean by people who NEVER EVEN WATCHED the speech. Opinions will be drawn about Dean, just as mine were earlier today, based on what others are erroneously saying about the speech - and they will come from people 1) deliberately lying 2) parroting the right wing take or 3) who don't like energized, encouraging, fired-up Democrats anymore than Karl Rove does.

Your definition of "presidential" behavior may differ from mine. When I watched Dean's speech I saw one hell of a campaigner, and someone who has drawn the Democratic party out of its navel-gazing fear and who has made it fun to go after Bush. He has breathed life back into this party. If the "proper" thing was for him to be a "nice loser" - being self-defeated and stunned about his loss (a la Gore wrt Florida), then I guess he failed at that. I'm sure that's what the corporate media had in mind for him.

Do not let the spin overtake the event itself. If you get someone talking about how bad this was for Dean, have them actually watch the speech. I cannot imagine how this is a negative for him - he was joyful, laughing and smiling, playing the room, drawing cheers from Tom Harken and all of his volunteers.

It was a CELEBRATION. And like the celebration of Wellstone's life which was twisted into something horrible by the corporate media, it needs to be mocked by them. The joke will be on them in a month or two.

link here:
http://www.c-span.org/VideoArchives.asp?CatCodePairs=,&Page=2
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