A Doctor's Certainty

This is a weekend Washimngton Post story on Dean - another first-person narrative from someone attending Dean's speech at the National Press Club (Charles has previously blogged extensive coverage and photos of that event). Fairly straight forward coverage, cautiously optimistic, draws all teh usual historical parallels. The meat of the article is Dean's focus on his potential base of support:

"I intend to win," Dean says, which is what they all say -- except he lists his constituencies. One, of course, is gays, who are grateful for his signing of Vermont's civil unions law.

This could make white southerners see red, but Dean says those alienated could be balanced out by a showing by blacks, who he says "respond to my message that I want everyone to be free." One of his African American Yale roommates is organizing for the South Carolina primary.

He thinks he will appeal to fiscal conservatives, because he is the only Democrat in the field who has balanced a budget: He was governor of Vermont. He'll have doctors, he says. They would obviously like one of their own to preside in the overhaul of the health insurance situation.

A less defined constituency, and one that would not mind his deficits of fame and fortune, is that group of people who have a low threshold for guff in their political candidates. So far Dean is the class of the field in that respect. "They're looking for authenticity," he said.

I also liked the clever question, "Will he just provide therapy for liberals whose only comfort is derived from "The West Wing's" lefty Yankee president, Josiah Bartlet?" Guilty as charged, perhaps.