OT: Blue
The other day you were hoping for Howard Dean to have more political clout. Well tomorrow, it happens.
When Ralph Nader takes the stage on Russert's show and announces his entry into the race, Dean's importance goes up an order of magnitude (at least in the Democratic establishment). It is the "Dean voters" that Nader will be drawing away. The DNC and Kerry have no standing (and no credibility) with those voters. They are what Dean ran against and they will be exactly what Nader runs against. Nader absolutely hates those guys. So if Nader runs, there's nothing the DNC or Kerry can do to keep those votes from walking away. The only person with the clout and position to fight for those votes to stay with the Democratic nominee is ... Howard Dean.
He has already positioned himself for the battle -- remember his concession speech? Remember his admonition? He didn't just say he wasn't going to run as an Independent, he pleaded and warned his supporters not to support anyone else running as a 3rd party candidate.
I can assure you, there are some VERY interesting negotiations going on between Dean, the DNC and Democratic party establishment right now. Given enough concessions from the DNC, I believe Dean is ready, willing and able to transform himself into the anti-Nader. Relatively quietly at first. But if it gets close to November and Nader looks in position to swing the election to Bush, I think you will see a Dean SCUD missile launched.
Dean and Nader in a steel cage match. Mano a mano. Now that would be worth paying to watch! :-)
p.s. If Kerry and the DNC thought Dean has been tough on them about their corporate sell-out ways, just wait 'til they get a load of Nader.
p.p.s. If I were Nader, I'd be traveling by bullet-proof car and wearing a vest. Somewhere, there's bound to a D incensed enough at him to take a shot.
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