How Iowa Was Won
MSNBC has a vested interest in seeing its "Democratic Derby" as a horse race you will want to watch wire-to-wire.
That's the only excuse I can come up with for this -- a drawing showing Gephardt nose-to-nose with Dean and Clark closing fast on the outside.
In fact, despite all Bush's Weapons of Mass Distraction despite the supposed "Soviet Union" gaffe, despite every dirty trick Gephardt could pull, I think history will record this as the week when Howard Dean won Iowa and, with it, the nomination.
No, it wasn't our letters (although they're great), and it wasn't the inspiring "Common Sense" pamphlet (which will help against Bush).
It was two words: Leonard Boswell.
What are the great laws of politics? All politics is local. Follow the money. Are you starting to see what I'm talking about.
Look, Rep. Boswell has not even endorsed Doctor Dean, but he is the only Democrat among Iowa's five Congressmen. And when the Dean campaign learned Boswell had been targeted by the RNC, Joe Trippi sent us all an e-mail about it.
Within two days, over $50,000 poured into Leonard Boswell's campaign.
What better demonstration could Iowa's politicians have of Howard Dean's grassroots power. He practically snaps his fingers and money pours down from the heavens. Can Dick Gephardt get an embattled Iowa pol $50,000 by tomorrow? Can Wes Clark? Can John Kerry? Not without a personal check.
Dean didn't write Leonard Boswell a check. He didn't give him "dime one," as my old man used to say. He saw a Democrat in trouble, he told us about it, and we gave Boswell the money.
Regardless of whether Boswell stands on a stage with Howard Dean in the next few weeks and delivers his endorsement, what do you think his people are thinking, right now? What do you think the staffs of every elected officeholder in Iowa is thinking, right now?
You know what they're thinking. They're thinking, For What It's Worth:
There's something happening here.
What it is ain't exactly clear.
There's a man with Website right there.
Tells my foes they've got to beware.
It's time to stop (children) what's the sound, everybody look what's going down.
Or, to update the analogy a bit, It's Raining Money.
Lesson learned.
That's the only excuse I can come up with for this -- a drawing showing Gephardt nose-to-nose with Dean and Clark closing fast on the outside.
In fact, despite all Bush's Weapons of Mass Distraction despite the supposed "Soviet Union" gaffe, despite every dirty trick Gephardt could pull, I think history will record this as the week when Howard Dean won Iowa and, with it, the nomination.
No, it wasn't our letters (although they're great), and it wasn't the inspiring "Common Sense" pamphlet (which will help against Bush).
It was two words: Leonard Boswell.
What are the great laws of politics? All politics is local. Follow the money. Are you starting to see what I'm talking about.
Look, Rep. Boswell has not even endorsed Doctor Dean, but he is the only Democrat among Iowa's five Congressmen. And when the Dean campaign learned Boswell had been targeted by the RNC, Joe Trippi sent us all an e-mail about it.
Within two days, over $50,000 poured into Leonard Boswell's campaign.
What better demonstration could Iowa's politicians have of Howard Dean's grassroots power. He practically snaps his fingers and money pours down from the heavens. Can Dick Gephardt get an embattled Iowa pol $50,000 by tomorrow? Can Wes Clark? Can John Kerry? Not without a personal check.
Dean didn't write Leonard Boswell a check. He didn't give him "dime one," as my old man used to say. He saw a Democrat in trouble, he told us about it, and we gave Boswell the money.
Regardless of whether Boswell stands on a stage with Howard Dean in the next few weeks and delivers his endorsement, what do you think his people are thinking, right now? What do you think the staffs of every elected officeholder in Iowa is thinking, right now?
You know what they're thinking. They're thinking, For What It's Worth:
There's something happening here.
What it is ain't exactly clear.
There's a man with Website right there.
Tells my foes they've got to beware.
It's time to stop (children) what's the sound, everybody look what's going down.
Or, to update the analogy a bit, It's Raining Money.
Lesson learned.
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