"STOP DEAN!"
And here we have Schneider on Woodruff on everybody all over Dean from today's Inside Politics:
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN HOST: The '04 Democrats are trying to put union muscle behind their campaigns, courting AFL-CIO leaders in Chicago today. Some could use the help more than others, as Howard Dean mania sweeps through segments of the party. With the race heating up on a couple of fronts, the gloves are coming off. We begin our coverage with Bill Schneider and tough new efforts to stop Dean in his tracks. (begin VIDEO)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Typically, the year before an election, a frontrunner becomes established: Walter Mondale, Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, George W. Bush.
Then an insurgent emerges and pulls an upset in the New Hampshire primary: Gary Hart, Paul Tsongas, Pat Buchanan, John McCain. After a scare, the party establishment quickly regroups and secures the nomination for the frontrunner. But the Democrats don't have a frontrunner for 2004. The party establishment, mainly among Joe Lieberman, John Kerry and Dick Gephardt. An insurgent has emerged anyway to challenge the establishment.
HOWARD DEAN: Rank and file Democrats are almost as mad at the Democratic Party as they are at the Republicans because they don't feel like the Democrats in Washington have stood up to the president.
SCHNEIDER: Many Democrats fear what could happen if they nominate Howard Dean.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN: It could well be a ticket to no where. He could take the Democratic Party out into the political wilderness. (NOTE from Scott: Thanks for the advice, Joe, but I'd rather wander in the wilderness than be led blindfolded by Rove and the DLC, yet again, into the Lion's Den.)
SCHNEIDER: Talk about front-loading. The insurgent is surging six months before the first primary. Dean's already made the cover of "TIME" and "Newsweek." That's not supposed to happen until he wins New Hampshire. What's he done? In Iowa, Dean has surged into a narrow lead over the local favorite, Dick Gephardt. In New Hampshire, Dean has surged into a narrow lead over the local favorite, John Kerry.
Democrats are just beginning to wake up to the fact that if Dean beats Gephardt in Iowa and then Kerry in New Hampshire, the former Vermont governor may be unstoppable, which is why a "Stop Dean" movement is beginning to materialize. The "Stop Dean" movement has an argument.
LIEBERMAN: Only a candidate of new ideas who runs from the center out can defeat the president. (NOTE: Is "me, too!" a new idea?)
SCHNEIDER: But it doesn't have a candidate. Actually, it has too many candidates. As long as three or more candidates are splitting the anti-Dean vote and the party does not close ranks behind one, Dean can't be stopped.
The party chairman says not to worry.
TERRY MCAULIFFE, DNC CHAIRMAN: This is very early in the primary process. I remind people that Bill Clinton didn't even get into the race of October 4 of 1991. We have plenty of time.
SCHNEIDER: No, they don't. Primary elections will be earlier than ever this year. And the process could shut down before a "Stop Dean" movement could even get started. (end VIDEO)
SCHNEIDER: Democratic insiders fear a Dean versus Bush contest would turn the election into a referendum on the Iraq war and gay civil unions and tax cuts. (NOTE: Schneider sounded, when he said this, like it was perhaps an over-simplified fear, or just campaign rhetoric from Dean rivals.) Not necessarily the Democrats best issues, in their opinion -- Judy.
FINAL NOTE from Scott: Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that we were dimissed as a flash in the pan, and now we are doing so incredibly well that we are either "peaking to early" or "we must be stopped?" Yeah, well, lalalalala, can't have it both ways. What this transcript can't possibly relay was the tone of tantalizing delight in Schneider's voice as he delivered this report. I think we may have just picked up another fan, though Judy and Bill have covered Dean quite well for weeks. Lately, though, Dean is on nearly every day. Set your VCR to record, 1:00 PDT / 4:00 EDT.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN HOST: The '04 Democrats are trying to put union muscle behind their campaigns, courting AFL-CIO leaders in Chicago today. Some could use the help more than others, as Howard Dean mania sweeps through segments of the party. With the race heating up on a couple of fronts, the gloves are coming off. We begin our coverage with Bill Schneider and tough new efforts to stop Dean in his tracks. (begin VIDEO)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Typically, the year before an election, a frontrunner becomes established: Walter Mondale, Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, George W. Bush.
Then an insurgent emerges and pulls an upset in the New Hampshire primary: Gary Hart, Paul Tsongas, Pat Buchanan, John McCain. After a scare, the party establishment quickly regroups and secures the nomination for the frontrunner. But the Democrats don't have a frontrunner for 2004. The party establishment, mainly among Joe Lieberman, John Kerry and Dick Gephardt. An insurgent has emerged anyway to challenge the establishment.
HOWARD DEAN: Rank and file Democrats are almost as mad at the Democratic Party as they are at the Republicans because they don't feel like the Democrats in Washington have stood up to the president.
SCHNEIDER: Many Democrats fear what could happen if they nominate Howard Dean.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN: It could well be a ticket to no where. He could take the Democratic Party out into the political wilderness. (NOTE from Scott: Thanks for the advice, Joe, but I'd rather wander in the wilderness than be led blindfolded by Rove and the DLC, yet again, into the Lion's Den.)
SCHNEIDER: Talk about front-loading. The insurgent is surging six months before the first primary. Dean's already made the cover of "TIME" and "Newsweek." That's not supposed to happen until he wins New Hampshire. What's he done? In Iowa, Dean has surged into a narrow lead over the local favorite, Dick Gephardt. In New Hampshire, Dean has surged into a narrow lead over the local favorite, John Kerry.
Democrats are just beginning to wake up to the fact that if Dean beats Gephardt in Iowa and then Kerry in New Hampshire, the former Vermont governor may be unstoppable, which is why a "Stop Dean" movement is beginning to materialize. The "Stop Dean" movement has an argument.
LIEBERMAN: Only a candidate of new ideas who runs from the center out can defeat the president. (NOTE: Is "me, too!" a new idea?)
SCHNEIDER: But it doesn't have a candidate. Actually, it has too many candidates. As long as three or more candidates are splitting the anti-Dean vote and the party does not close ranks behind one, Dean can't be stopped.
The party chairman says not to worry.
TERRY MCAULIFFE, DNC CHAIRMAN: This is very early in the primary process. I remind people that Bill Clinton didn't even get into the race of October 4 of 1991. We have plenty of time.
SCHNEIDER: No, they don't. Primary elections will be earlier than ever this year. And the process could shut down before a "Stop Dean" movement could even get started. (end VIDEO)
SCHNEIDER: Democratic insiders fear a Dean versus Bush contest would turn the election into a referendum on the Iraq war and gay civil unions and tax cuts. (NOTE: Schneider sounded, when he said this, like it was perhaps an over-simplified fear, or just campaign rhetoric from Dean rivals.) Not necessarily the Democrats best issues, in their opinion -- Judy.
FINAL NOTE from Scott: Wasn't it just a few weeks ago that we were dimissed as a flash in the pan, and now we are doing so incredibly well that we are either "peaking to early" or "we must be stopped?" Yeah, well, lalalalala, can't have it both ways. What this transcript can't possibly relay was the tone of tantalizing delight in Schneider's voice as he delivered this report. I think we may have just picked up another fan, though Judy and Bill have covered Dean quite well for weeks. Lately, though, Dean is on nearly every day. Set your VCR to record, 1:00 PDT / 4:00 EDT.
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