CAST AWAY:

Gore alone (Robert Novak, December 13, 2003, Townhall)

Veterans of Al Gore's 2000 campaign see a clear resemblance between his decision-making process in the Howard Dean endorsement and the way he prepared for his first presidential debate with George W. Bush.

In each case, Gore kept his own counsel and did not inform advisers (with the probable exception of his daughter Karenna). Critical 2000 campaign veterans contend that this isolation led to faulty tactics in the debate and to a questionable decision in the recent endorsement.

Gore's seclusion and desire for complete secrecy led to the aspect of Dean's endorsement that produced the most criticism in Democratic Party circles: failure to give advance notice to Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Gore's 2000 running mate, as well as Rep. Richard Gephardt and Sen. John Kerry, both of whom had vigorously supported Gore's contested presidential nomination.

C'mon, it ain't easy beaing Al[pha].

MORE:
Gore, Dean Form 'Anti-Clinton' Party, Well Left of Center (Mort Kondracke, December 12, 2003, Real Clear Politics)

Dean was not only different from other major 2004 candidates in opposing the war - he also differed from Sen. Clinton, who voted to authorize President Bush to go to war and then voted for the $87 billion to finance occupation and reconstruction operations in the aftermath.

Sen. Clinton appears to be setting herself up as a presidential candidate - like her husband - who can appeal to both the Democratic base that comprises 30-odd percent of the electorate and to the Independent 40 percent that it takes to win general elections.

Following Gore on the Harlem program, Dean made it clear that he's mainly about solidifying the base, not reaching out to Independents.

"In 2002, we lost a lot of races in the Democratic party because we decided that we were going to go to the swing votes and we were going to try to get them and our base was going to come along later on," Dean said.

"I think it's important in this campaign that we recognize those people who were with us all along," he said. "And so we made a conscious decision to start with women, to start with the African-American community, to start with the trade union movement," as opposed to following what he said was the losing strategy of voting 85 percent of the time with President Bush.

Ba'athism, Buggery & Big Government.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 13, 2003 7:27 AM