after Wisconsin

Dean has rightfully drawn a line in the sand for Wisconsin - but let's think for a moment beyond a victory there. Dean will have won a state, but still will face a hostile media, an establishment friendly to Kerry, and other candidates drawing blood.

It's time to start thinking about strategy again, instead of tactics. And one strategy that needs to be put on the table is to sweeten the deal for voters wondering why they should choose Dean. The answer is simple: Dean should choose a Veep running mate.

That running mate needs to be Southern, to compete against Edwards. And a military man, to compete against Kerry. The natural candidate would be Clark, but unless we win Wisconsin we can't make a decent argument to his camp as to why they should settle for #2. A Wisconsin win however will give Dean all the operational advantages - money, grassroots, and delegate count. Clark and Dean are competing for the same voters, just as Edwards and Kerry are (and I predict a Kerry/Edwards ticket on the horizon in practice if not in name soon enough). Dean needs to address the issue of basic survival with Clark, and point out that together they may yet stand whereas apart they fall.

Kerry/Edwards is going to be a compelling ticket. Certainly far better than Dean/X or Clark/X. But Dean/Clark is something else entirely - a civil union, whose whole is greater than the sum of their parts. The writing is on the wall for Clark and Dean regardless of wins in OK and WI - unless they find a way to make a bold move that freshens them in the eyes of voters who collectively yearn for Anybody But Bush.

Dean/Clark is our natural next step after Wisconsin. The media buzz and coverage will be a natural boost to Super Tuesday, and the operational and logistical advantages of the two top-funded candidates will also be a powerful argument to the mass of undecideds out there who still buy into the "electability" meme. It's our only hope.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Gay Saudi Arabia

Five Things Dean Supporters Can Do Right Now to Fight Terrorism