Straight talking Howard

Howard Dean has portrayed himself as the straight talking nonpolitician of the primary season and asked us to support him on that basis. He has said he doesn't tailor his speeches to his audiences, but tells it like it is to each and every one. Well many can and will dispute that and there are certainly numerous examples one could use to make the point. (His changing views on Nafta, social security, and medicare are but three examples). But the latest example takes my breath away. Dean recently told the Boston Globe that as the campaign moves South he will start talking more about the role of Jesus in his life. This statement is idiotic on two levels. One that he's a straight talker who doesn't change his message to please his audience. If this isn't changing one' s message please tell me what it is? To be fair nearly all politicians do this to at least some degree. But Dean has based a good part of his campaign on the fact that he isn't the typical Washington insider and that he doesn't pander to the masses. So he should be held to higher standard.

The more ridiculous aspect of this statement is that he made it at all. What was he thinking??? If you are going to pander go ahead and do it but don't point it out for all to see. That's like the bank robber calling the police and telling them he's going to rob such and such bank at two p.m. Not a real smart move on his part. Discuss it in-house. Strategize about it, but for pete's sake don't announce it in the papers. One must assume this is another example of Dean's mouth outrunning his brain. I can't believe his campaign advisors knew that he was going to say that.

This again brings up a point that I have suggested in previous posts. Is this man qualified to be president? Have we now reached a critical mass of missstatements and contradictions such that the candidate is no longer viable? Certainly the majority of his supporters would say no. They love him for his contradictions. "That's just Dean being Dean " they say. But the rest of us out here-- good Democrats all, charter members of the ABB club -- are beginning to have serious doubts. When my dear wife looks at Dean on television making one of his belligerent or whiny statements and says "I don't think I can vote for this man," then we are all in big trouble.