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ELVIS
01-27-2004, 08:08 AM
Howard Dean's fatal echo chamber. (http://slate.msn.com/id/2094443/)

By William Saletan

Posted Monday, Jan. 26, 2004


MANCHESTER, N.H.—The crowd in the Palace Theater in Manchester has come to see a live performance by Howard Dean. But the theater also shows movies, and that's how today's "town hall meeting" begins. From every corner of the auditorium, people with Dean shirts, Dean stickers, and Dean posters cheer and clap as they watch a film about people with Dean shirts, Dean stickers, and Dean posters. If you want to understand why Dean has gotten where he is, for good and ill, here's your answer: a campaign about itself.

The Internet helped Deaniacs find, organize, and fortify each other. Together, they built confidence and strength. They spent hours discussing topics such as "Why I love Howard Dean," "When did you fall in love with Howard Dean," and "Enough about Howard Dean—what do you love about Howard Dean?" But the more they affirmed each other, the more they lost touch with the rest of us. Even their first taste of reality, a third-place finish in Iowa, couldn't shake them. The movie they're watching now shows Dean shouting in a speech weeks ago, "Let's win in New Hampshire!" As Dean continues speaking, the soundtrack mysteriously goes silent for a moment, just long enough to make his next sentence inaudible. Reading his lips, I could swear the bleeped-out sentence is, "Let's win in Iowa!"

The airbrushed, self-validating fantasy goes on as actor Martin Sheen takes the stage to introduce Dean. Sheen plays President Josiah Bartlet on NBC's The West Wing, which the Dean campaign has adopted as its model. Bartlet was a brainy, hard-nosed governor of New Hampshire; Dean was a brainy, hard-nosed governor of Vermont. Bartlet's campaign called itself "Barlet for America." Dean's campaign calls itself "Dean for America." Lately, Sheen has been stumping for Dean, as though Bartlet's imaginary presidential authority should carry weight in the real world. "As the acting president of the United States," Sheen begins, and the crowd whoops with delight. Sheen goes on to talk about his role in Gandhi. "Nowhere was that film more successful than in my own community of Hollywood," says Sheen, without a trace of irony.




:p

Dr. Love
01-27-2004, 08:29 AM
Originally posted by ELVIS



From every corner of the world, people with DLR shirts, DLR stickers, and DLR posters post their crap as they read a post about people with DLR shirts, DLR stickers, and DLR posters. If you want to understand why DLR has gotten where he is, for good and ill, here's your answer: a campaign about himself.

The Internet helped Dave-or-the-gravers find, organize, and fortify each other. Together, they built confidence and strength. They spent hours discussing topics such as "Why I love David Lee Roth," "When did you fall in love with David Lee Roth," and "Enough about David Lee Roth—what do you love about David Lee Roth?" But the more they affirmed each other, the more they lost touch with the rest of us. Even their first taste of reality, a doomed reunion with Van Halen, couldn't shake them. The post they're reading now shows DLR saying in an interview years ago, "When you hear Van Halen, you think of David Lee Roth" ...

Didn't want to continue, but couldn't help but notice the parallels.

ELVIS
01-27-2004, 08:31 AM
Hahahaha!

.. and Dave sure won't be president...

:elvis:

FORD
01-27-2004, 09:19 AM
Dean/Roth 2004!! :D

John Ashcroft
01-27-2004, 01:02 PM
I don't think you'd agree with Diamond Dave's policy on Israel dude...

FORD
01-27-2004, 01:33 PM
Originally posted by John Ashcroft
I don't think you'd agree with Diamond Dave's policy on Israel dude...

Don't try to tell me that David Lee Roth is a PNAC'er.

John Ashcroft
01-27-2004, 01:37 PM
Could be? You've read his book, no doubt...

I think his position on the Palestinian issue is "Let Israel kick the shit out of them"... It's in the section where he talks about land mines.

FORD
01-27-2004, 01:42 PM
Sharon will be kicked out of office soon. Maybe the next Israeli PM will be a Van HALEN fan and he can work with Vice President Roth for peace in the Middle East :)

John Ashcroft
01-27-2004, 01:50 PM
So you're now a proponent of "Peace through victory"???

Cool! Good to see you're coming around...

FORD
01-27-2004, 02:05 PM
The only true victory is Peace.

John Ashcroft
01-27-2004, 02:22 PM
That's true, and to get there sometimes you've got to kick a little ass.

BigBadBrian
01-27-2004, 03:24 PM
Originally posted by FORD
The only true victory is Peace.

Peace through superior firepower. :gun: