Centerfield

Don't Forget Dukakis

Dean is not McGovern, say his supporters. He's really more of a centrist. Gary Hart, who was McGovern's campaign manager and now supports Kerry, says:

"It's a kind of political journalism shorthand to say that Dean is the George McGovern of this year," said Hart, who has run twice for the Democratic nomination and has endorsed Dean rival John F. Kerry. "It paints a portrait of McGovern which is not true. He was a regular Democrat who got elected twice from a conservative Midwestern state, and you can't do that if you're a far lefty. On social issues, Dean has been all over the lot. You can put three or four of his positions together and paint him as a liberal, but that doesn't make him a liberal."

McGovern then, arguably, was no more liberal than Howard Dean. But they both tapped similar currents that pull to the left. Dean's latest remarks on Osama bin Laden, don't help:

"I've resisted pronouncing a sentence before guilt is found," Dean said in the interview. "I will have this old-fashioned notion that even with people like Osama, who is very likely to be found guilty, we should do our best not to, in positions of executive power, not to prejudge jury trials." Dean added he is certain most Americans agree with that sentiment.

Later, Dean released a statement clarifying, "I share the outrage of all Americans. Osama bin Laden has admitted that he is responsible for killing 3,000 Americans as well as scores of men, women and children around the world. This is the exactly the kind of case that the death penalty is meant for.

I'm glad Dean added that he is outraged by Osama, because it seemed for a moment that all his outrage was reserved from the the President of the United States. In the unlikely event that Osama is captured alive, he will certainly receive a fair trial. But Dean's concern about procedure brings to mind Michael Dukakis concern for the hypothetical murderer of his wife expressed in one of the 1988 Bush/Dukakis debates.

Democrats, of whom I am not one, have got to stop, breathe, and realize that as matters stand now, Dean will go down to a solid defeat. The misfortunes of war that could get him elected are not anything we should wish on the country.

Posted by rickheller at December 26, 2003 10:47 PM