February 19, 2004
DEANLESS
Howard Dean has quit. Goodbye, Howard Dean!
Naeem Mohaiemen reacts calmly:
In 1968, a sniper's bullet ended Robert Kennedy's anti-establishment candidacy. In 2004, the methods used were more subtle, but just as effective.
One difference: Kennedy didn’t scream like a girl.
(“Goodbye” link via Franco Aleman at HispaLibertas.)
UPDATE. Christopher Shiel -- the notorious Chris of Death, whose support invariably signals doom -- wrote back in December about America’s Hawkie (no question mark!):
Posted by Tim Blair at February 19, 2004 11:36 AMIt's now becoming apparent why Howard Dean may well be a shoe-in come November 2004.
Kiss public life as you knew it [or rather fantisized it] good-bye Howie. Adios, none to soon.
Posted by: Wallace at February 19, 2004 at 11:44 AMNot surprisingly, fellow tinfoiler Ted Rall is tuned into the same frequency as Naeem Mohaiemen:
At least they didn't shoot Howard Dean. Usually, when an American political figure speaks truth to power, he ends up conveniently dead. RFK, Malcolm X, some say Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone: all martyrs to the quaint ideal of telling it as it is as loudly as possible.
Posted by: Randal Robinson at February 19, 2004 at 11:48 AMSo is this Mohaiemen guy seriously suggesting that Dean was losing at the polls because of some character assassination conspiracy and not because he's an arrogant, left-wing angry loon? Or if Mark Steyn is to be believed, an arrogant left-winger posing as an angry loon?
Posted by: PatrickM at February 19, 2004 at 11:51 AMPaul Wellstone a matyr? Can I theorize that some crazed leftist loon like Ted Rall killed Paul Wellstone so he could blame it on Republicans? Jeez.
Posted by: charles austin at February 19, 2004 at 12:21 PMI would also like to point out that RFK was an ardent supporter of Israel, and was killed by a Pali supporter.
And JFK was killed by a commie sympathizer.
Silly leftists, thinking that they can forget the parts of history they don't like...
Posted by: FH at February 19, 2004 at 12:37 PMI am sure we will all miss Dean but at least he has left one legacy that we wont forget.
I reckon it is up there with that Dukakis tank picture - we will always remember Dean and the "I have a scream" speech.
In that article she goes on about Jimmy Carter - not a good tactic for the US readers I am sure.
They metaphorically killed Dean, the imaginary bastards!
I say let's hypothetically send them to the allegorical electric chair!
Posted by: iowahawk at February 19, 2004 at 12:49 PMHoward Dean owes it to the dingbat left to have a couple of holes punched in him, then bleed profusely all over a hotel kitchen while simultaneously having his brain (what little there is) sprayed all over a '63 Lincoln.
They then can edit his memory , and erase all the nasty stuff- just like they have done with the Bostonian Bogtrotters.
To compare a real assassination with a political undermining of a moonbat politician is a bit overripe. I do agree with Naeem Mohaiemen and Ted Rall that Dean was taken out.
The question is who did in Dean (on top of Dean himself)? The answer is The Clintons. It's been reported that disgraced, former Senator Robert 'the Torch' Toricelli was supplied with funds by Bill Clinton, which he then used to run attack political ads on Howard Dean in Iowa. They worked. I'll bet good money that neither Mohaiemen nor Rall ID'ed the disgraced, impeached, former President as the Dean assassin.
Posted by: Jabba the Nutt at February 19, 2004 at 02:02 PMWho 'killed' Dean's chances? Dean did.
I'll miss some of the comedy he provided for the news reports.
Posted by: Chris Josephson at February 19, 2004 at 02:20 PMNaeem Mohaiemen slips this in: “…Al Gore, took a stumble in the Florida panhandle and was then hog-tied by the Supreme Court. When the dust had settled and King George was safely inside the palace, a recount revealed that Gore had actually won..."
Which recount was this Naeem? The New York Times, Washington Post and even Michael Moore missed this important recount.
I think that the democrats have much of a chance of winning this election, maybe Dean knows that; maybe not. I think people are right in thinking he did help bring liberals together. Once they calm down and get a grip on reality, his networks might be usefull in other elections.
Posted by: aaron at February 19, 2004 at 03:00 PMI like this excerpt:
Although Carter's gentle ways secured the historic Camp David Egypt-Israel accord, most Americans remembered the Iranian hostages, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the infamous "malaise" speech.
And what did we gain from Camp David that so overshadows the American economic malaise and the crises in Iran and Afghanistan?
Posted by: Alan K. Henderson at February 19, 2004 at 03:19 PMPeople ask me if I missed Howard Dean....and I have to be honest when I say...with every bullet so far.......
As an attorney I have become fond of Mr Dean. I get my client's to swear by Howard every time they get into the witness box. Herewith some examples :
"May Howard Dean never get up alive, if I'm lying..."
"On Howard Dean's eyesight I never shot her Mlud.."
"I swear on Howard Dean's life I never..."
But you get the picture...
George W. should try it. When he speaks to good ol' Dear Leader next time :
"Over Howard Dean's dead body will you ever speak to me like that again..."
And before you all pick on Dean.....I can't stand that. I never pick on the Lefties...why shouldn't he scream?
Many animals scream.
At that primary Howard had only learned to walk erect that morning and was seeking the secret of fire. Like any animal having/being fired for the first time he let out a Primaryordinary scream.
Short update on mother-in-law's cat...it's gonna sue.....NO not enter an action...with it's balls in it's throat we've changed it's name to Sue.
Now do some work.......
Ah, yes, the wealthy Senator, former attorney general, and brother of a president Robert F. Kennedy, anti-establisment candidate . . .
Jimmy Carter, whose gentle ways got through the Camp David accords by letting the Egyptians and Israelis come by and announce in the U.S. a deal they'd already worked out in private between themselves without American assistance . . .
Al Gore, who benefitted by the networks declaring him the victor in Florida before the polls in the Republican-heavy panhandle had closed, and who still lost the vote anyway according to his own recount standard under the post-election ballot examination done by the New York Times . . .
The only person who whacked Dean was Dean himself. The American people got a whiff of mental instability and wised up to this whacko. Now the Dems. may have settled on an empty suit for a candidate, but at least nobody needs to worry about a missle launch against Venezuela.
Posted by: Dana Sutton at February 19, 2004 at 08:00 PMWe need this guy to stay in the race. We need him to run as an independent, so that he can siphon votes away from ... um, so that he can continue to raise crucial issues, continue to keep the major candidates honest, and continue to change politics in Washington. We must and *we will* start a "Dean 4 Independent" petition. We must and *we will* spearhead his third-candidate campaign. We must and WE WILL TRIUMPH AND WE WILL CHANGE POLITICS! WE ARE DEAN!!!
YEEEAAARGGGGHHHH!!!!!
Lets start Republicans4Dean4Bush.
The best way to ensure victory for Bush is ensure media coverage of Dean!
YEAARRGGHHEE!
Posted by: Rob Read at February 19, 2004 at 10:45 PMA number of people trying to cover their asses over here are saying he did the country a favor by getting a lot of people really interested in politics.
People who, apparently, weren't interested enough to, like, vote for the guy.
The Clintons may have provided the bullets, Republicans the guns, but it was Mad Doc who pulled the trigger.
I can't help but chuckle when I think back to the initial debates when he started ordering his opponents that they shouldn't be tearing down the front-runner so as to provide a unified front.
Jackass.
Posted by: Steve in Houston at February 20, 2004 at 02:29 AM[sound of Steve being tackled by Al Franken]
"Shoe-in"?
I thought it was "shoo-in."
Unless he means Dean's own size 9 up his ass.
Yeah, I always wonder about the accuracy of opinions of those who mistake common phrases like "shoo-in." Also, those who speak of "reigning in" something when they probably mean "reining in." Oh, well, illiteracy runs rampant, especially, it seems, on the left.
Posted by: JorgXMcKie at February 20, 2004 at 04:35 AM"In 1968, a sniper's bullet ended Robert Kennedy's anti-establishment candidacy."
Don't snipers use high powered rifles with remarkable accuracy from an improbable distance? Wasn't Sirhan about a metre from RFK? Or are Palestinian snipers short sighted?
Traps - you are a legend. I vote you start a blog - perhaps a collaboration with Iowahawk.
Posted by: Razor at February 20, 2004 at 11:24 AMRazor yo biscuit, many thanks.....but I love Tim Blair's work....huge fan.....I really enjoy reading the stuff on here.....I already write a column for an English newspaper every week besides being a full time specialised criminal attorney.....
Posted by: Traps at February 20, 2004 at 03:23 PMPeter Q: bullseye. Naeem, whoever he might be, is confidently talking through his arse. Sirhan fired a bullet into Bobby's head at point blank range. OH well, Jack, Bobby, what's the difference? It was all so long ago ...
Posted by: Dave F at February 20, 2004 at 08:35 PMWhen did Sirhan Sirhan become a Palestinian? Back in l968 he was a Jordanian, and his defense team never offered evidence to the contrary.
Posted by: Debbye at February 21, 2004 at 03:57 AMAs I recall, that was before the Palestinians were basically kicked out of Jordan.
Posted by: Dave F at February 21, 2004 at 05:52 AMRe "shoe-in": Mule? Pump? Perhaps something in a spiked heel?
Posted by: Joanne Jacobs at February 21, 2004 at 07:15 AM"Is this Mohaiemen guy seriously suggesting that Dean was losing at the polls because of some character assassination conspiracy and not because he's an arrogant, left-wing angry loon?"
Yes, I am seriously suggesting that. About the second part, I do agree he is angry, maybe even arrogant. But loon, no. And he's certainly not "left-wing", fairly centrist actually.
Posted by: Naeem Mohaiemen at March 5, 2004 at 04:22 AM"To compare a real assassination with a political undermining of a moonbat politician is a bit overripe. "
I agree, it's a bit ripe, melodramatic and slightly over-wrought. But it was an opinion op-ed, so I allowed myself such flourishes. Normally, my text is actually somewhat clinical. See examples at
http://www.shobak.org
Posted by: Peter Q
"Don't snipers use high powered rifles with remarkable accuracy from an improbable distance? Wasn't Sirhan about a metre from RFK? Or are Palestinian snipers short sighted?"
===
That's correct, my bad and sloppy writing, he used a handgun. In later versions of the Alternet.org article, that was corrected to just "bullet" instead of "sniper's bullet."
Posted by: Dave F
"Peter Q: bullseye. Naeem, whoever he might be, is confidently talking through his arse."
===
Dave F, Naeem is Naeem, There is no "whoever" behind the curtains. My public records is easy for anyone to see, check my website
http://www.shobak.org