I suppose I should comment on the Iowa straw poll. For one thing, the poll means nothing. It’s a bunch of people sitting around in classrooms and living rooms, lobbying each other and putting some names down on a piece of paper for a completely arbitrary vote. Does anyone even remember who won Iowa in 2000? 1996? 1992? No, the guy who wins Iowa is the guy who spends the most time in the state pandering to its 35,000 Democrat caucus-goers.
But even New Hampshire has lost its cache, because the old rule that you have to win New Hampshire to win the White House has been proven wrong. Bush didn’t win NH in 2000. No, things won’t really get rolling until South Carolina.
However, the best part of primary night was Howard Dean going up in smoke, losing it, going nutso. Listen to this clip of Dean’s “concession” speech in which he whips out the torches and pitchforks and ends with a rebel yell. “Yeaaaaah!!!” Is this guy presidential? No. But he’s a barrel of laughs.
Oh, and why did Dean come in third? I think it’s because the major liberal players have begun to realize that Dean can’t win against Bush and in the past few weeks, they’ve started to take steps to push him out and push the establishment liberals forward. We’ll see if it continues to work.
Update: As someone in the comments noted, Drudge took down the Dean soundbite. I will post it here as long as it doesn’t overload my bandwidth. If people start linking to it from outside, it’s coming down again. Here it is.
I’ve listened to the Dean clip over and over. Now 5000 Al-Queda operative running loose in the US (CIA estimate) kinda unsettles me but this Dean clip makes me very nervous for the US.
A guy who plays hockey can’t be all bad. I want so much to vote for Kerry but I went to his website and read is views on abortion (pro-baby murder) and I just cannot do it.
I resigned to voting for the smirking Protestant frat boy because all the Catholics are dripping with blood.
2000? Bush and Gore (basically uncontested). 1996? Dole and Clinton (uncontested). 1992? Bush and Harkin (both uncontested). Doesn’t everybody know that?
I’ve stated on my blog (http://cinecon.blogspot.com) why I think Dean should still be the favorite. Also Dom, remember what line Billy Idol put right after “with a Rebel Yell …”
Hey I really pray that Dean get’s the top dog status for the Dem., after all then Bush won’t have any trouble being re-elected and this country may be able to pull out of all the trouble Clinton brought us.