January 10, 2004
SUNDANCE, AT BEST:
Butching up for Victory (RICHARD GOLDSTEIN, January 26, 2004, The Nation)
When the ballot hits the box in New Hampshire, Howard Dean will be the one to beat. How did the former governor of a sparsely populated state become the Democratic front-runner? The usual explanation is that he sprang from the Internet and took to the skies with a series of propitious political alliances. That may account for Dean's current standing, but it's not why he stuck out from the pack almost from the moment he announced. Dean did it, as conservative columnist George Will notes, by "discern[ing] what liberals want: attitude."It's also what attracted the media to Dean. A database search reveals that in December 836 newspaper pieces about him mentioned the a-word. Look beneath the surface of Dean's plucky, peppery attitude and you'll find the underlying reason for his success. He's butch--and many Democrats are convinced that's what it takes to beat George Bush. [...]
We may resent the fact that Americans regard the penis and its symbolic projections as synonymous with strength. But psychic reality cannot be denied. At this moment, most voters are looking for a leader who reassures them with a manly presentation. The trick is to be a man women admire, blacks find credible and white guys bond with. It's a hard job, but someone's got to do it or Bush will ride the backlash to the White House--with a real mandate this time.
Butch? The guy's like 5'6" and has the little-man syndrome to prove it. How can surpassing physical insecurity be butch? Posted by Orrin Judd at January 10, 2004 7:57 AM
Considering Richard Goldstein's usual rants and Dean's admission of his metrosexuality a couple of months ago, maybe the "butch" reference is Richard's sly way of annointing Howard as potentially our first lesbian president.
Posted by: John at January 10, 2004 9:27 AMCompared to Al Gore, Mike Dukakis, Walter Mondale
and Jimmy Carter, Dean does exude more of the so-called "regular
guy" traits.
Height is not an issue as long as he's not
particularly below average. Height has more
impact in person, since TV and film tend to diminish differences in height.
John -- So that's what MoDo meant.
Posted by: David Cohen at January 10, 2004 9:53 AMSeems like the author is saying Dean makes him think of penises .... not sure I want to know what that means ....
But Dean really fills out those shirts (which are too small, by design, for sure). And when he rolls up his sleeves, The Nation gets all sweaty.
Posted by: jim hamlen at January 10, 2004 10:36 AMIf you always roll up your sleeves, why don't you just wear short sleeved shirts? He's obviously impractical and doesn't make a good leader.
Posted by: NKR at January 10, 2004 10:41 AMDean makes me think of a pri*k.
Posted by: h-man at January 10, 2004 11:53 AMthe only man of the bunch is Sharpton, actually. Maybe Dean was a decent wrestler, at one point, and if so, props, but he is just as much a whine as the rest of them, and, as it is, everyone of them are just boring whines.
Posted by: Neil at January 10, 2004 8:59 PM