A great Midwesterner, the late Gov. Adlai Stevenson, D-Ill., said that truth is to a newspaper what virtue is to a lady, except that the newspaper can print a retraction. In that spirit, I wish to address the last column I did before break, a column wherein I endorsed Howard Dean for president.
Over a long thought process last semester, I came to realize that Howard Dean had gone from an obscure figure to front-runner for the Democratic nomination because he was the first candidate to recognize that if Democrats were to become a majority party again they would have to be firmly grounded in their convictions. He understood that President Bush's foreign and domestic policies were taking us over the cliff, and that grassroots Democrats were tired of the equivocation of the Washington establishment and that the American public would never accept such behavior as sincere. Howard Dean was right.
As a result, Dean quickly rose up as regular people flocked to his campaign and some establishmentarians followed along. His off-the-cuff remarks, while sometimes controversial, were so refreshing in today's discourse that they only furthered his success. He spoke in plain language, ran a campaign open to anyone who wanted to be a part of it, and gave voice to the entirely justified grassroots anger against Republican rule. His Internet-driven fundraising model will change politics for generations to come.
Unfortunately, a campaign is not simply about ideas, but is also about the candidates themselves. Dean came to a great height because his ideas were right. He decisively won the \invisible primary,"" leading his opponents in money, supporters, notable endorsements and polls before any votes were cast. However, when it comes to actually casting ballots, people are taking a new look. I am one of them.
The aftermath of the Iowa caucuses, where after much hype Dean took a distant and disappointing third place, is putting much of his campaign in perspective. His finish was so poor because of the negativity in the campaign between himself and Congressman Dick Gephardt, D-Mo. The two former Iowa front-runners attacked each other so much that stragglers Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and John Edwards, D-N.C., who were far more bright and positive, had incredibly strong finishes with an electorate sick of dirty campaigns. For Gephardt, the finish was so poor that the one-time giant of Democratic politics was unceremoniously forced from the race. Dean's campaign, which has built itself up so high on the grassroots anger of Democrats, is nevertheless a campaign of anger, a campaign of negativity. A negative campaign cannot command the loyalties of the American people, and neither can Howard Dean.
Even worse was Dean's reaction to his poor finish. He disregarded his own disastrous showing and any reason why the people rejected him. He proceeded to rant and rave about all the states he would go on to win, at one point letting out what can only be described as a chilling primal scream.
Dean's behavior in Iowa demonstrated that he is mentally unfit to lead the Democratic Party. It's a moot question whether he is fit for the presidency. A man who exhibits such behavior will never become president.
It has become clear to myself and many others that while Dean came so far because his ideas were good and he was the first to articulate a message that appealed to so many, the ideas are secondary to the man. Howard Dean cannot recover from his negativity and erratic behavior. For the sake of the Democratic Party, our country and future, I can only hope that Dean cannot recover. He must lose New Hampshire and all subsequent contests.
It may look awful to retract a column a month after it was printed. Abraham Lincoln said that bad promises are best unkept. And so I must render a bad promise of mine unkept. I completely rescind my endorsement of Howard Dean. People should take a look at Gen. Wesley Clark, who could potentially retake national security for the Democrats. People should look at John Edwards, who exudes pure optimism and hope. People should look at John Kerry, who has served our country well and would be a good steady hand in the White House. People should vote for whoever they believe can lead the country, lead the Democratic Party and beat George Bush. That man is not Howard Dean. Dean himself has proven it.
Eric Kleefeld is a senior majoring in political science. Comments can be sent to opinion@
dailycardinal.com.
