Dean at CDF: A Thing of Beauty

Calling Howard Dean “the indie rock star” of the Democratic race, Garance Franke-Ruta writes in The American Prospect that Howard Dean “makes you feel like you’ve been waiting your whole life for someone to say what he says.”

The article analyzes each candidate’s performance:


  • Kerry: “surprisingly unimpressive, almost listless”
  • Sharpton: “a boon to the race, [despite] his faults”
  • Edwards: used “cloying, pre-fab phrases that make him sound like anything other than ‘regular people.’”
  • Kucinich: “got a new haircut” (really, that was the best Franke-Ruta could say)
  • Lieberman: “has no chance of winning the presidency”
  • Gephardt: “slow and steady”
  • Graham: “needs a breakout moment, and Wednesday wasn’t it”
  • Moseley Braun: “gracious gentlewoman”

Dean’s concluding statement? “He finished off on a high note with what should become known as his ‘I am a liberal’ speech. It was a thing of beauty and should be emblazoned across T-shirts, postcards and buttons in the year ahead. And I hope he puts it up on his campaign site as soon as possible, because I got so wrapped up in listening to him at that moment that for the first time all evening, I forgot to take notes.”

(If you want to watch his concluding statement, follow this link and fast-forward to 1:49:42. It’s a brilliant two minutes.)

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