speak truth... LOUDLY

This article starts out with a cute anecdote about John Kerry's neighborhood on Nantucket:

As the ferry from Hyannis glides into Nantucket Harbor, it turns a corner at Brant Point Lighthouse. All worries vanish at the sight of this signature landmark as the old whaling village comes into view to offer its reliably warm embrace. Most regular visitors to the island, however, have already taken note of how much larger the mansions along the seaward side of Brant Point seem to have gotten since their last visit -- and how many more of them have been added, as far up island as the eye can see.

Conspicuous in their size are the summer manses of Tommy Hilfiger and John Kerry, located within a block of Brant Point (and each other), and looking like two beached, grey-shingled whales -- twin testaments to money and power. But if you look a bit more closely at the smaller homes between these two stately residences -- euphemistically called "cottages" though none would be purchasable for less than $3 million -- you will quickly notice something fishy about Sen. Kerry's next- door neighbor -- his yard is festooned with navy-blue-and-white "Howard Dean for President" signs. So is the hedge, the white picket fence and the bumper of the Jeep in the driveway.

Funny, huh? It's not just on the blogs that Kerry is being hounded by all things Dean. But this article makes a larger point - that volume matters, because these aren't ordinary stakes:

Let's get real. The 2004 election is not about liberal vs. conservative. It's about the future of American democracy, of America's once-benign presence in the world, and the long-term safety and health of American citizens -- all of which are in danger if George W. Bush is given four more years to wreak havoc. It's not a matter of if, but when, America's house of cards will collapse if this occurs.
...
Think about it. Kerry's neighbor, a rich Democrat, could have assured himself many future backyard hobnobs and glad-handing schmoozes with America's shakers and movers by simply not expressing how he really feels, by shaking hands over the hedge, maybe even sporting a "Kerry for President" bumper sticker on his Jeep.

Instead, he has chosen to shout his opinion to the rest of the world.

If rich Nantucketers are worried about a future with Bush, or Bush Lite, then I do believe the tipping point is nigh for Dean, or someone like him.