Polibore: why did the "dean scream" end howard's candidacy?

[Van Cruncheon]

i still can't figure out why howard dean's hyperactive scream of enthusiasm in the 2004 caucus debates caused the press to turn on him, and his numbers to drop so significantly. was it because the press decided that they were still really frightened of brownskins and wanted a quick out after their one night stand with dean -- and thus savaged him the day after? what the fuck was up with all that? mandark! tell me! i can't find a decent blog post about it that doesn't come part and parcel with lachrymose democratic hand-wringing: "why o why did dean make that yell? whhhyyyyyyy"

[ToxicAdam]

The whole "Dean Scream" was in response to the fact that he made such a disappointing showing. He wanted to show his supporters that he was not giving up and was going to "go all the way" (which is why he rattled off all of those states).  Going into that primary (I forget what state) he needed to finish a strong second so he could get national buzz (ie. monies) for the next round. He finished a meager third (if I recall correctly)


So, to be honest, even without that episode his goose was probably cooked. But for history's sake .. it's much more convienent to remember that incident of insanity.

I didn't google any of this .. so I may be off a little.

 

[Van Cruncheon]

YYYAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!

[ferrarimanf355]

YYYAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!

This thread is incomplete without the Dave Chappelle parody. 

[Ichirou]

He didn't do as well as expected in the primary, like ToxicAdam said, and he was trying to energize the people at the gathering...then he made that odd-sounding scream and the media ran with it, which sort of turned him from a serious candidate to a punchline.  I don't think he would've won either way, but the media really hurt him by repeating that video over and over again.  The media does this, damages candidacies with inane bullshit...they've basically done the same to Edwards by repeating the whole "$400 haircut" bit ad nauseaum.  They did the same thing to Gore in 2000 by repeating the lie that he said he'd invented the Internet.

[Van Cruncheon]

yeah, i get that, but WHY did the press turn on him? gore has always offended the press with his aloofness, but dean was dockin' dick buddies with most of the press core majors.

[Ichirou]

yeah, i get that, but WHY did the press turn on him? gore has always offended the press with his aloofness, but dean was dockin' dick buddies with most of the press core majors.

They're like sharks.  They smell blood in the water and they can't help themselves.

[APF]

Blood in the water + losing + comedy == people are interested == media rolls with it  == adults deal with it.

[Ichirou]

I still don't get why the media didn't run with Bush's "That guy's a fucking asshole." "Yeah, big time." microphone gaffe during the 2000 election.  I always found that pretty amusing.

[APF]

He was also talking about a journalist.

[Ichirou]

He was also talking about a journalist.

That's part of what makes it so funny! What about when Dick Cheney told a Senator "Go fuck yourself!" They didn't make a big deal out of that either...and yet it was hilarious when Cheney shot some dude, and that's something they didn't even have videotape of.

[APF]

They made a big deal of the go fuck yourself thing, but note that many news outlets have a (distinguished mentally-challenged) policy against printing expletives--and obviously the nightly news had to bleep it--so there's only so far they can go with that.

[Ichirou]

I don't get the media sometimes.  They focus on the dumbest things while ignoring comedy gold.

[Phoenix Dark]

It didn't kill him - his campaign lost all its steam when he lost that primary. The scream was merely the soundtrack to his failure

[xnikki118x]

It didn't kill him - his campaign lost all its steam when he lost that primary. The scream was merely the soundtrack to his failure

Hahaha the soundtrack to his failure.

[Mandark]

The media was already turning on him.  IIRC, he got better press as the upstart straight talker (reporters do love a maverick), but once he was clearly the frontrunner, there was a lot of news and analysis about whether he was electable, and whether radical MoveOn Democrats were taking the party too far left.  Remember the whinging about liberal blogs in '06.

The clip was a pretty dynamic image in a medium that's starved for that sort of thing during political campaigns, and it became emblematic of the narrative that was building for at least a month up to that point.

If there had been anything similar with McCain in 2000, it's possible that would have caught on the same way, as much as reporters loved him.  Remember the Bush campaign was pushing a "McCain has too much of a temper to be president" line for a while.

[Tauntaun]

For your viewing pleasure:

[youtube=425,350]KDwODbl3muE[/youtube]

[FlameOfCallandor]

I remember that. 

Why oh why did Kerry win  :'(

[Human Snorenado]

yeah, i get that, but WHY did the press turn on him? gore has always offended the press with his aloofness, but dean was dockin' dick buddies with most of the press core majors.

No he wasn't.  Everyday he had to answer about 400 questions that basically said "Aren't you too surly to be President?"

The press decides on a story and sells it to America. 

Also, the "Dean Scream" incident is complete BS- when it was played back they played back isolated audio of Dean without the background of a room full of yelling supporters, which is why he was screaming in the first place.  WAY TO GO MEDIA, THANKS SO MUCH FOR GIVING US JOHN "HE'S ELECTABLE" KERRY.

[APF]

Oh please.  Dems rejected him, get over it.  YIIAAAH

[Human Snorenado]

Oh please.  Dems rejected him after the press told them to vote for a guy that has the personality of a tree, get over it.  YIIAAAH

fixed lol

[APF]

I think that's just a way to abdicate personal responsi...  oh wait, Democrats, right.

[Phoenix Dark]

The media often frames the debate in presidential politics. Right now it's clear they're attempting to give Hillary the nomination before a vote is cast. When you look at the time she's given when compared to Edwards/Obama it seems like all the media (MSNBC especially) cares about is what Hillary said/double talk'd, what she's wearing, are "the boys" being mean to her, etc. Edwards better convince his wife's cancer to come out of remission or he won't get any time of day. Same with Obama; maybe he should burn a flag

[APF]

Obama has gotten nothing but an amazing amount of positive press.  Hillary gets press re: analyzing her laugh, or how cynical it is to suggest people who were ganging up on her in a debate were ganging up on her in a debate.  On the other side, former front-runner and former press-favorite John McCain gets an overwhelming amount of negative press, more than any other candidate.

[Phoenix Dark]

Obama gets positive press, but it's often tinted with a "he's too nice to be president" angle. Which may or may not be true. The only time Obama gets any type of coverage is when he does something stupid; my mom's take on this is that he doesn't seem to realize he's black (lol), and as a black man he should know all his actions will be blown out of proportion. Eh, it's very hard for me to sympathize with any presidential candidate dumb enough to wear a Che shirt, express admiration for Hugo Chavez, refuse to salute the flag on "principle", or any other brain dead display of rebellion often seen in the 18-22 year old college asshat demographic

[APF]

Dude, Obama gets press for saying he might talk about his opponents.  He gets crazy good press.

[Mandark]

Even Tim Noah's given up the Obama Messiah Watch.  It's time to move on.

[Van Cruncheon]

i refuse to salute the flag on principle as well, asshat

[Phoenix Dark]

Dude, Obama gets press for saying he might talk about his opponents.  He gets crazy good press.

But duder, its always spun negatively and just comes back to Hillary. He's the sissy boy of the race and the media may be hiding his true sexual preference 

[APF]

I know *I* spin it negatively... I dono about the press however.

[FlameOfCallandor]

i refuse to salute the flag on principle as well, asshat

Just out of curiosity. What principle is that?

[Gay Boy]

I remember that. 

Why oh why did Kerry win  :'(

Kerry was a extremely weak candidate but he did far better than Dean ever would. Dean would have lost in a landslide.

[Van Cruncheon]

i refuse to salute the flag on principle as well, asshat

Just out of curiosity. What principle is that?

just out of curiosity, my pale white ass. however, i'll bite: i don't swear oaths or show respect for something i did not make an active decision to select. i don't hate america, but i also don't believe that the unselected geographical location of birth automatically assigns any special responsibilities or honor to me. i'm not proud to be an american; i simply am one by birth. if america does something worthy of my deep and abiding respect, then perhaps i will choose to demonstrate that respect. socially coerced respect is worth nothing in my eyes.

[Mandark]

Eh, it's very hard for me to sympathize with any presidential candidate dumb enough to wear a Che shirt, express admiration for Hugo Chavez, refuse to salute the flag on "principle", or any other brain dead display of rebellion often seen in the 18-22 year old college asshat demographic

What candidate is this?

[Human Snorenado]

Eh, it's very hard for me to sympathize with any presidential candidate dumb enough to wear a Che shirt, express admiration for Hugo Chavez, refuse to salute the flag on "principle", or any other brain dead display of rebellion often seen in the 18-22 year old college asshat demographic

What candidate is this?

Well, minus the Che shirt it's me, but I can't legally run until 2012.

[Phoenix Dark]

Eh, it's very hard for me to sympathize with any presidential candidate dumb enough to wear a Che shirt, express admiration for Hugo Chavez, refuse to salute the flag on "principle", or any other brain dead display of rebellion often seen in the 18-22 year old college asshat demographic

What candidate is this?

It was an example of "what NOT to do" as a presidential candidate, which Obama of course pulling the flag "protest".

I'd vote for Raoul over Hillary and Paul

[Human Snorenado]

Wow, someone who would vote for me really doesn't know shit about shit.

[APF]

Better than Colbert.

[FlameOfCallandor]

just out of curiosity, my pale white ass. however, i'll bite: i don't swear oaths or show respect for something i did not make an active decision to select. i don't hate america, but i also don't believe that the unselected geographical location of birth automatically assigns any special responsibilities or honor to me. i'm not proud to be an american; i simply am one by birth. if america does something worthy of my deep and abiding respect, then perhaps i will choose to demonstrate that respect. socially coerced respect is worth nothing in my eyes.

You may not believe it but I wasn't judging you. I was genuinely curious. I dont ever put my hand on my heart or shit when I sing the national anthem. 
What would america have to do you get your respect.

[FlameOfCallandor]

Wow, someone who would vote for me really doesn't know shit about shit.

You just got the Flavor-of-love-watchers vote. How do you feel? 

[tiesto]

just out of curiosity, my pale white ass. however, i'll bite: i don't swear oaths or show respect for something i did not make an active decision to select. i don't hate america, but i also don't believe that the unselected geographical location of birth automatically assigns any special responsibilities or honor to me. i'm not proud to be an american; i simply am one by birth. if america does something worthy of my deep and abiding respect, then perhaps i will choose to demonstrate that respect. socially coerced respect is worth nothing in my eyes.

It's always so hard to respond to people who ask me why I am not "proud" of my country and why I am not a patriot, but the way you said it in this thread is so eloquent that I just have to give you the

[Oblivion]

i refuse to salute the flag on principle as well, asshat

Just out of curiosity. What principle is that?

just out of curiosity, my pale white ass. however, i'll bite: i don't swear oaths or show respect for something i did not make an active decision to select. i don't hate america, but i also don't believe that the unselected geographical location of birth automatically assigns any special responsibilities or honor to me. i'm not proud to be an american; i simply am one by birth. if america does something worthy of my deep and abiding respect, then perhaps i will choose to demonstrate that respect. socially coerced respect is worth nothing in my eyes.

Why come you support terrism?

[TVC15]

I think Dean was already coooked before the scream happened, wasn't he?  I thought it was clear he wasn't getting annointed for at least a few weeks before?

[Gay Boy]

I think Dean was already coooked before the scream happened, wasn't he?  I thought it was clear he wasn't getting annointed for at least a few weeks before?

He got a very weak third place in Iowa, so yes he was finished before the scream.

[Phoenix Dark]

I think Dean was already coooked before the scream happened, wasn't he?  I thought it was clear he wasn't getting annointed for at least a few weeks before?

He got a very weak third place in Iowa, so yes he was finished before the scream.

which is why i said the scream was the SOUNDTRACK TO HIS FAILURE

[Gay Boy]

TVC still asked after that though!