from Meet the Press...
MR. RUSSERT: But those are words that will appeal to people. But when you go behind them, for example, what is the Democratic position on Iraq? Should we withdraw troops now? What do the Democrats stand for?
DR. DEAN: Tim, first of all, we don't control the House, the Senate or the White House. We have plenty of time to show Americans what our agenda is and we will long before the '06 elections.
MR. RUSSERT: But there's no Democratic plan on Social Security. There's no Democratic plan on the deficit problem. There's no specifics. They say, "Well, we want a strong Social Security. We want to reduce the deficit. We want health care for everyone," but there's no plan how to pay for it.
DR. DEAN: Right now it's not our job to give out specifics. We have no control in the House. We have no control in the Senate. It's our job is to stop this administration, this corrupt and incompetent administration, from doing more damage to America. And that's what we're going to do. We're doing our best."
I typically vote for Republican candidates.
Last week, for the first time, I voted for a Democrat (in the Virginia gubernatorial election). Unfortunately, it wasn't because I was excited about the candidate. I simply felt he was the best of the choices given what I watched and listened to during their debate (did they have more than one?). To me, he seemed to give the most straightforward answers of the two and sounded better prepared operationally.
When I caught Dean talking this morning with Russert on Meet the Press (a show I've watched maybe three times in my life) I thought "Hmmm. Now that I might be turning into a Democrat (wink), why don't I give him a listen?" That's when I heard, right or wrong, that the Democratic Party's job is not to give out specifics and to focus on taking down the other team rather than improving our world.
Bad sound bite? Maybe. But I never did hear anything compelling (or specific).
Russert quoted Dean's former campaign manager (Joe Trippi) during the discussion as saying, "Obviously, the results from the election night are great for us Democrats. But given the GOP's problems, the tightness of the results suggests that people aren't happy with either party right now."
I agree.
I want to be excited about someone. I want truth.
(I want Santos and Vinick to be real.)
