Outside the Beltway

A GOOD WORD FOR DEAN, A GIANT SLAM FOR GEPHARDT

James Joyner · Saturday, January 10, 2004 · 2 comments

I should note that for all the not-so-nice things being said here and there (including in this space) about Howard Dean, the idea that some non-trivial number of people think Dick Gephardt ought to be the next president is simply astounding.

Personality-wise, Gephardt is more “normal” than Dean and thus he comes across as more moderate. Plus, there’s a natural desire to come up with a plausible alternative to Dean. As Matt’s commenters note, though, Gephardt has been unprincipled on a host of important issues and just flat-out wrong on the issues where he’s been consistent.

FILED UNDER: 2004 Election, Howard Dean, Matthew Yglesias

About James Joyner

James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

John Lemon says:

Saturday, 10 January 2004 at 16:20

My most lasting memory of Gebheart (Streisand spelling) dates back to the 1970s. He was apparently upset by Detroit’s inability to compete with foreign automakers and he took a sledgehammer (or other blunt instrument) to a Toyota. Does anybody else remember this?
dick tuck says:

Saturday, 10 January 2004 at 21:55

Gephardt has been very consistent in advancing his constituents’ interests, especially Annhauser-Busch.

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