YEEEEEE-AAAHHHHHH!!

January 22, 2004 1:51 PM

Dean Goes Nuts Don't get me wrong! I am actually a Howard Dean supporter and will be voting for him when, and if, the time comes. I just think that January 19, 2004 was a magical day in politics and Howard Dean should be immortalized on the internet. I'm just doing my part to make sure that happens.
posted by psmealey (83 comments total)

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
posted by psychotic_venom at 1:57 PM on January 22, 2004

I just don't understand this paradox. We bitch and moan about Rove's fabricated PR vignettes, yet are unable to step back and look at Dean within the context of his surroundings. Is it too hard to understand that he was attempting to rally the energy of hundreds of supporters that busted their ass and were feeling dejected? Why are so many people letting their opinion of candidates be formed by the the media's adherence to sound bites? I'm refreshed to see someone that isn't pre-packaged and scripted. You can't have it both ways.
posted by machaus at 2:01 PM on January 22, 2004

When Ahmed Chalabi's utterances appear, musically enhanced, all over Iraq, in a day or two, then democracy will have truly come to Mesopotamia.
posted by kozad at 2:01 PM on January 22, 2004

I linked this earlier in a dying thread, but I found it interesting enough to post here. Center-right talk show host Hugh Hewitt's suggestion for Howard Dean at the next debate. (Scroll down a paragraph)
posted by trharlan at 2:01 PM on January 22, 2004

DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS...
posted by Hankins at 2:03 PM on January 22, 2004

Hankins, that is creepy. I had the same thing written out and saw yours on preview.
posted by jon_kill at 2:04 PM on January 22, 2004

This one made me gasp for air laughing
posted by Outlawyr at 2:05 PM on January 22, 2004

posted by quonsar at 2:07 PM on January 22, 2004

I agree with machaus, I think the press was way too hard on Dean for the mighty Yearrraggh. It's just not a substantative mistake.

If Bush did it, everyone would think it was awesome, including me, even though I wouldn't vote for him.
posted by inksyndicate at 2:08 PM on January 22, 2004

I thought he sounded like Nicholas Cage in "Face/Off."
posted by inksyndicate at 2:09 PM on January 22, 2004

Dead had angered many in the Jewish community by referring to the Palestinian terroristsw/militants as "soldier" and saying he wanted to be even-handed. Thus, when he had his photo taken wearing a Palestinian garment resembling those worn by Arafat, he hardly was going to secure a Jewish vote. To show how this played out in among Jews on blogs, see http://www.allahpundit.com/archives/000220.html

Further, he was getting the label of loud, shooting from the hip, lacking self-control...items not sought in a president, and this performance confimred what was already building against him. Not smart politically.
posted by Postroad at 2:10 PM on January 22, 2004

The media's take on Dean's crowd-pleasing antics is cut from the same cloth as its indignant reaction to expressions of partisan enthusiasm at Paul Wellstone's funeral. "Liberal media" my ass.
posted by kozad at 2:12 PM on January 22, 2004

posted by brownpau at 2:12 PM on January 22, 2004

So Bush can stage a photo-op landing a fighter jet that he never flew in battle because let's not forget he's still technically AWOL and speak under a banner claiming MISSION ACCOMPLISHED when it's anything but and he's a hero and look Tommy, ain't it all just so amazing I mean gawd bless 'merica, but Howard Dean, damn him, lets out an excited yell to a group of supporters and he's an embarrassing juvenile ass?

Liberal media, huh.
posted by xmutex at 2:12 PM on January 22, 2004

"Dead had angered many in the Jewish community"

No one is safe in non-sequitur alley
posted by Outlawyr at 2:12 PM on January 22, 2004

I just don't understand this paradox. We bitch and moan about Rove's fabricated PR vignettes, yet are unable to step back and look at Dean within the context of his surroundings. Is it too hard to understand that he was attempting to rally the energy of hundreds of supporters that busted their ass and were feeling dejected? Why are so many people letting their opinion of candidates be formed by the the media's adherence to sound bites? I'm refreshed to see someone that isn't pre-packaged and scripted. You can't have it both ways.
posted by machaus at 4:01 PM CST on January 22

But c'mon, it's pretty funny.
posted by the fire you left me at 2:16 PM on January 22, 2004

Jon Snow called it a Kinnock "Sheffield Moment" in his mail from channel 4 news. He was referring to a similar moment where Neil Kinnock snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the 1992 general election.

Never underestimate how much behaving like a bit of a nob will turn off middle of the road voters.
posted by Flat Feet Pete at 2:20 PM on January 22, 2004

“I lead with my heart and not my head. That's the only chance we have against George Bush,”
- Howard Dean 01/22/04

posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 2:28 PM on January 22, 2004

Liberal media, huh.
I'm confused, were there more links putting down Presidential Candidate Howard Dean regarding this scream, or did I miss the recent tv news bashing him about his antics on the Jan. 19th?
Add, is this site saying, nuts, like looney or, as Matt says about our member page, go nuts?
posted by thomcatspike at 2:28 PM on January 22, 2004

Since such a gaffe is a clear indicator that Dean is truly unfit to be the leader of the free world, here’s a helpful list of things Dean can do to remove the image that he is a bumbling, inexperienced, lackluster example of leadership:

-Announce proudly that no president has ever done as much as him for human rights.
-Dress up in a crotch-accentuating flight suit and land a jet on an aircraft carrier.
-Brag repeatedly about a sub-standard college grade point average.
-Get arrested for public rowdiness at a football game.
-Attempt to recite a cliché adage at a press conference and promptly forget how it goes in the middle of saying it.
-Mount, and promptly fall off, an unpowered Segway scooter.
-Drop his dog in front of cameras.
-Consistently mispronounce the word “nuclear.”
-Condescendingly mock the upcoming execution of a death row inmate.
-Trade away Sammy Sosa.
-Choke on pretzel bits to the point of losing balance and bruising his head.
-Attend a public event in which Stevie Wonder is performing and wave to him from the balcony.

Hopefully, Dr. Dean can get a few of these confidence-gaining moves in before the New Hampshire primary. After all, image is everything.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 2:32 PM on January 22, 2004

These are sooo drive-time radio. Demogogues behind microphones live for this shit. If the President pulled a "Migs from Silence of the Lambs" on a woman on a White House tour, it wouldn't get this much attention.

The scream, isolated, is a little nutty sounding, but in the context of the speech it doesn't sound out of place and the whole speech sounds forced, but not crazy.

I'm a Kerry supporter and I don't have a lot of affection for Howard Dean, but...Jesus!
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:36 PM on January 22, 2004

Word, machaus. I couldn't believe the feeding frenzy on "ohmygod did you see how crazy howard dean looked?" which lasted two full news cycles. When Don Imus and Howard Stern are criticizing someone for outrageous or lunatic public behavior, you know there's no shortage of hypocrisy among members of the media.

The twist of this whole thing is that, as a result of this, the press has already written Dean off and have been sharpening their knives for Kerry all week. In a strange way, maybe this will take some of the pressure off.

I posted this because I really enjoyed the overall tone of it, and I thought some of the mixes were done particularly well.

You know were you are? You're in the jungle, baby!
posted by psmealey at 2:36 PM on January 22, 2004

You know, I think it could work in Dean's favor if he plays his cards right. Roll with it, do it again. Get the mixes on the campaign trail as intro for when he enters a room. He can either distance himself from it, in which case he loses much face...or he embraces it...and shows himself to be an excited populist candidate and possibly picks up the "steer the starship for the sun, you magnificent bastard" vote.
posted by dejah420 at 2:38 PM on January 22, 2004

You know, I think it could work in Dean's favor if he plays his cards right.

I just got an email from the Dean campaign that he'll be on Letterman tonight. I'd expect some self-deprication.
posted by machaus at 2:41 PM on January 22, 2004

Jebus. I am so sick and bloody tired of the media beating this dead horse when there are plenty of real, live horses out there that need to get the shit kicked out of them. (And, just so you know, I love horses. I'm talking about metaphorical horses, about which I could care less.)

I was there in the Val-Air. I'd spent the weekend walking around Des Moines, feeling my sinuses turn to rock in the -20 weather, wondering if I was making a mistake or actually helping Dean win Iowa. I came to that rally after watching the dismal returns, and all I wanted to do was drink and wallow in self-pity. I wasn't in the mood for any rah-rah, not from the local campaign manager, not from Tom Harkin, and not from the candidate himself.

Dean took the stage, and I thought to myself, "Jesus Christ. Who are we kidding? We got our asses handed to us, and we're cheering? What the fuck is wrong with us?" But then he started talking, reminded us that, yes, it would've been awesome if we'd won, but that we'd still won delegates. We'd come in third, and no one expected us to get this far. We had our ticket punched to New Hampshire, and we were going to keep on campaigning in the rest of the country. We hadn't blown our wad in Iowa the way Dick Gephardt had (my take, not his words. Jesus, if he's said "blown his wad," I shudder to think what the media would've made of that). And he started with that chant: "We're not gonna give up in New Hampshire!" and the crowd roared back "no!" and then "we're not gonna give up in South Carolina" and the crowd roared back even louder. And on and on through the next states we have to win, ending with that roar that I can't even remember. Hell, I don't think I heard it 'cause the room was so loud. I didn't hear it because I was so loud, roaring along with the rest of the crowd.

This wasn't someone in denial. This wasn't someone having a psychotic episode. This was the coach telling us after the first game of the season that we'd fucked up, we hadn't beaten Podunk High like we thought we would, we'd been too cocky, but we still had amazing potential if we stopped believing our own press and got back to work. This was the pep talk I needed to hear, neophyte campaign worker that I am, and if he'd said anything less, if he'd acted anything less, I'd have left Iowa more disappointed than I was. That's Howard goddamn Dean up there, I realized, and that's the man I'm going to work my ass off for come hell or high water. If that makes me a Kool-Aid drinker, then break out the flavor packets and get me some water and biggest goddamn pitcher you can find. If "acting presidential" means putting me to sleep like Kerry or making me cringe every time Edwards overpronounces "houwpe" or standing in front of Congress like Bush and putting on a steely-eyed glare as he lies through his teeth about the war, the deficit, homeland security, education and everything else, then our republic deserves to go down in flames.

Now. When's someone gonna make a movie of Dean and Ballmer side-by-side? I'd love to see that.
posted by RakDaddy at 2:43 PM on January 22, 2004

I liked what Tom Tomorrow says on his blog:

...but if I were in the Dean camp right now, I'd be trying to pull a little ju jitsu--turn that "yeaarrggh" thing around, make it a joke, embrace it. Open campaign rallies with that remix that's floating around the 'net. Hand out t-shirts to volunteers which just say "YEEAAARRRGGH" across the front. Maybe have Dean open speeches with some mildly self-deprecating joke: "I've taken a lot of kidding for my speech in Iowa--but if you think *I* was hollering then, wait till *you* get the bill for Bush's spending spree!"
posted by inksyndicate at 2:44 PM on January 22, 2004

Y'know, I actually heard some third-rate pundit (on NPR, no less!) suggest that Dean's fervor was "drug-induced". The media in this country is an embarrassment.
posted by jpoulos at 2:50 PM on January 22, 2004

broadcast media in this country is pretty much uniformly in violation of licensing terms, (particularly local FOX News affiliates) which require stations to operate in the public interest, in return for the use of a public asset. but the FCC long ago quit caring about the public interest in favor of auctioning off our spectrum resources to the highest bidders.
posted by quonsar at 3:06 PM on January 22, 2004

I thought Spectrum Resource was a dirty magazine.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 3:19 PM on January 22, 2004

Is it too hard to understand that he was attempting to rally the energy of hundreds of supporters that busted their ass and were feeling dejected?

Apparently, for many, it is. My respect for a number of posters on Metafilter has diminished considerably. My respect for the press has little room left to diminish.

I like dejah's idea.

Excellent post, RakDaddy, thanks. THAT'S the one that should make the front page sidebar.
posted by rushmc at 3:41 PM on January 22, 2004

"“I lead with my heart and not my head. That's the only chance we have against George Bush,”"

In other words, fight fire with fire.

Wait. That won't work. Bush hasn't got a heart, either.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:43 PM on January 22, 2004

damn, and i thought the link was funny but this discussion is even better! YEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!
posted by poopy at 3:50 PM on January 22, 2004

Personally, I would not vote for Mr. Dean.

And no matter how this bite sounds, I don't really think most people believe he's crazy.

But it is funny. Especially James Lilek's mix.

I agree with Tom Tomorrow (rare, indeed!) - the Dean camp should embrace this. Perhaps he'll start tonight on Letterman. I'm certainly going to be watching (again, rare).
posted by hadashi at 3:54 PM on January 22, 2004

Thanks, rushmc. It's taken me a few days to articulate how I felt about going to the Val-Air, and, in the end, it took MeFi to get my mojo working.

Well, that and the thought of Ballmer chanting "DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS!" I haven't heard that one in a while. Hee.
posted by RakDaddy at 4:03 PM on January 22, 2004

Does anybody remember Bill Clinton playing the sax on late night TV? This was way better.
posted by daver at 4:03 PM on January 22, 2004

I'm confused, were there more links putting down Presidential Candidate Howard Dean regarding this scream, or did I miss the recent tv news bashing him about his antics on the Jan. 19th?
Tons of links, thomcat, and every tv pundit is rerunning it over and over and over, and I can't even imagine what radio's doing with it...

and RakDaddy: How was the experience? And many of us saw that speech for what it was--a pep rally for the troops--but the media's not letting go of this at all...they say he's losing support fast.
posted by amberglow at 4:05 PM on January 22, 2004

(meanwhile, as I'm typing that, Chris Matthews is rerunning it yet again on Hardball)
posted by amberglow at 4:06 PM on January 22, 2004

The debate tonight (but on fox-ugh!) might help Dean, if he plays it right.
posted by amberglow at 4:09 PM on January 22, 2004

mr_crash_davis,

Take Al Gore's "moral coward" comment and Bush is 0 for 3 on the Wizard of Oz scorecard.
posted by john at 4:12 PM on January 22, 2004

I just got an email from the Dean campaign that he'll be on Letterman tonight. I'd expect some self-deprication.

Dean might be able to turn this into an assett ala Bill Clinton's handling of Jennifer Flowers at around this time in 92. To me, it makes him human- a quality most candidates seem to lack.
posted by drezdn at 4:15 PM on January 22, 2004

amberglow: The experience was good. It was worth getting to Iowa, freezing cold and all, just to see what the hell was going on. I learned a lot about what to do and not to do in a canvass. It's going to help a lot with organizing California.

I met a lot of cool people, and that was the best part. There are a lot of smart, passionate people who really care about their country working on Dean's campaign, and I was reminded of the cultural currency that is The Simpsons. The people I canvassed with could do more imitations of Apu and Homer than I thought possible.

There are also a lot who don't have any idea how to run a campaign, and I think Vermont realized that the grown-ups need to drive until the kids are done with their learner's permit. Iowa was our campaign's alpha test, and it was buggy as hell. New Hampshire will be alpha 1.1, and Mini Tuesday will be 1.2. If we don't go beta by Super Tuesday, we're done.

On a cool personal note, I talked with Peter Jennings, resisted the temptation to throw my beer glass at Robert Novak, and shook Howard Dean's hand. Pictures and the ongoing write-up are (self link!) at my pitas page.
posted by RakDaddy at 4:16 PM on January 22, 2004

That picture of Dean with the cat and the comment "No one is safe in non-sequitur alley" both made my evening.
posted by internook at 4:38 PM on January 22, 2004

cool!!! (but you really should have given in to that temptation) : >

I don't vote til Super Tuesday (NYC), so I really hope he makes it that far. (He still has a lot of support here, altho the more the media mocks him, the more it fades)
posted by amberglow at 4:45 PM on January 22, 2004

brownpau: Thank you for making me completely lose my shit. That was one of the funniest photoshop jobs I've ever seen.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 5:03 PM on January 22, 2004

THIS IS THE BEST DERAIL EVER!!!!HEEEYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and best of luck to dean
posted by poopy at 5:05 PM on January 22, 2004

"Look, I'm not a perfect person. I have my warts. I sometimes say things that get me in trouble. I wear suits that are cheap. But I say what I think and I believe what I say, and I'm willing to say things that are not popular but ordinary people know are right." (Dean)

Yep, sure sounds like a crazy, out-of-control whackjob to me. Jesus, I'm feeling more and more like I'm stuck in fucking 6th grade purgatory rather than a world-power democracy
posted by ElvisJesus at 5:06 PM on January 22, 2004

>Is it too hard to understand that he was attempting to rally the energy of hundreds of supporters that busted their ass and were feeling dejected?

That's the real problem with TV, video, etc. Its too easily presented without context. Neil Postman wrote a great essay called "The News" (or maybe it was a speech) talking about this very issue in the 80s. With only x amount of time and willingness to present something the context, past, etc are all tossed out the window and reality as described by the media comes off as this chaotic event - always one catastrophe after another with no historical context.

Its disheartening to see this mentality flow over into the internet but at least this is presented as humor and not as fact, yet our complacency with 'TV politics' may very well hurt Dean in the real world because his 'image' was supposedly 'tarnished' by his pep speech.

I think the writing on the wall has been pretty obvious for a while - 'Attack Dean at all oportunities' be it from the the other candidates or the media. I thought Kerry's lack of enthusiasm made for bad TV politics. Here's a guy who just made good, beating out all expectations and he calmy takes the mic and reads off a piece of paper. Bush's handlers would know exactly how to train their guy to tear Kerry apart, vet or no vet.
posted by skallas at 5:06 PM on January 22, 2004

howard dean walks into a bar...





HEAYYYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by poopy at 5:21 PM on January 22, 2004

whose turn is it to clean up the poopy?
posted by quonsar at 6:17 PM on January 22, 2004

Not mine. Looks like he missed the bowl with that last one.
posted by psmealey at 6:35 PM on January 22, 2004

-Brag repeatedly about a sub-standard college grade point average.

Hell, I've been doing that for years. Can I be president?

All those things on XQUZPHYR's list were (correctly and often hilariously) mocked to death, here and elsewhere.

That's what comedians (even the self-styled ones here on mefi) do, make fun of public figures. I voted for Clinton twice and I still laughed at most of the Lewinsky jokes and cracked a few myself. Beacuse it was fucking funny.

Dean made for some good comedy fodder and takes a little ribbing and all his supporters are having a tantrum. Take a fucking joke, for crying out loud, if for no other reason than to display a sense of humor about yourselves.
posted by jonmc at 6:38 PM on January 22, 2004

Dean just this minute saved himself in the debate : >
posted by amberglow at 6:41 PM on January 22, 2004

and i'd vote for you jon--in a heartbeat (but I get to be on the cabinet, ok?)
posted by amberglow at 6:45 PM on January 22, 2004

Actually, I think it's time for you to come out of the cabinet, amberglow.

I'd make you head of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. Free smokes, Free beers and some weaponry for the weekends.

I'd run for president, but all my mefi posts could be used as evidence of my "questionable past."
posted by jonmc at 6:50 PM on January 22, 2004

i'm ok with the Alcohol and Tobacco part, but i'd have to confiscate all the guns, ok? (except for cops)
Rubber-band shooters and super soakers instead.

Could you imagine a mefi member running? it'd be hysterical!
posted by amberglow at 6:56 PM on January 22, 2004

Could you imagine a mefi member running? it'd be hysterical!

"mr. mc, is it true that as a teenager you experimented with marijuana?"

"no, I never experimented with it. I just smoked it."

"mr.mc [holds up picture of long ago party pickup], is it true you had sexual relations with this woman?"

"Yup. Want her number?"
posted by jonmc at 7:00 PM on January 22, 2004

ohhh, i'd do jon's ass. it looks limber and willing, unlike dean's ass which is a little too threatening for my tastes.

don't even ask about my ass, it's already spoken for. *hugs quonsar*
posted by poopy at 7:03 PM on January 22, 2004

*places back firmly against wall*

Wow, look at the time....
posted by jonmc at 7:05 PM on January 22, 2004

Y'know, I agree with y'all that the media is ridiculous and making too big of a deal with this yell. It was funny, but taken in context not crazy at all.

But this same thing happens to all our public figures (yeah, Bush too.)

We really do need to hold media more accountable because campaigns are won and lost, as well as reputations, when totally stupid things are taken out of context and blown up to be way more than they are. It happens to Bush, it just happened to Dean, and it doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you occupy, it ain't right when it happens to any of them.

I'm a Republican, and in one sense perhaps I should just be laughing (and I am) but in another sense I feel really badly for Dean. I hope his campaign does embrace the yell and turn it into a positive.
posted by konolia at 7:09 PM on January 22, 2004

lol! (and i bet dean's very good in bed--energetic!)

poopy and quonsar, you guys can come with me to amsterdam if you want to make it legal ; >
posted by amberglow at 7:09 PM on January 22, 2004

I'm a Republican, and in one sense perhaps I should just be laughing (and I am) but in another sense I feel really badly for Dean. I hope his campaign does embrace the yell and turn it into a positive.

konolia, kindhearted & decent sentiments like that puts you up there with Ted Nugent, Ben Stein, Loretta Lynn and Lemmy as one of my favorite conservatives. :)
posted by jonmc at 7:17 PM on January 22, 2004

Ways, I, Howard Dean, can turn things around.
posted by gyc at 7:24 PM on January 22, 2004

that's good, gyc--is it the real list?
posted by amberglow at 7:42 PM on January 22, 2004

Guys, honestly, if he's going to be all energetic and passionate about things, he's just not presidential. I mean, that'd just embarrass you guys on a global level to have someone who makes poor judgements that lead to these sort of catastrophic events.

In short, Reuben, not Clay Aiken, is soooo my American Idol.
posted by The God Complex at 8:16 PM on January 22, 2004

Not only am I a Republican, I am "republican". So I have no dog in this fight. From what I have seen tonight I think Dean may have turned things around. I thought he did well in the debate and did not seem like a madman. That, combined with the Primetime Live interview along with the Letterman Top Ten appearance may really turn things around. And considering that his campaign has plenty of money I think his chances are still good to get the nomination.
posted by republican at 9:19 PM on January 22, 2004

good to hear, republican--i thought so too--he's no nutcase, and he's actually very middle-of-the road on almost every issue.

related: The Phony Dean Meltdown If anything, this affair is a kind of test. Dean seems too tough a customer to back out after such a setback. And the fact remains that he essentially still holds exactly the same constituency he did before. If his supporters keep their eye on the ball, if Dean refuses to be distracted or rattled, and if the media somehow manage to restrain their headlong rush into tabloid-land, this country may yet have a meaningful conversation on what really matters.
posted by amberglow at 9:23 PM on January 22, 2004

That Welcome to the Jungle one is very hilarious I'm afraid.
posted by frenetic at 9:29 PM on January 22, 2004

Ned Flanders makes a very similar yell when he sees a bear in the middle of the road in "Much Apu About Nothing"
posted by BackwardsHatClub at 9:35 PM on January 22, 2004

Does anybody remember Bill Clinton playing the sax on late night TV? This was way better.

does anybody remember nixon on laugh-in going "sock it to me!"? THAT was way better!
posted by quonsar at 10:49 PM on January 22, 2004

You know, I LOVE dean - he has my vote, but even when I heard his speech, I couldn't help but thinking, a la Bawlmer, when was the first techno remix going to make its way onto the net? I'm just disappointed that none have come close to the brilliance of Developers, developers, developers, developers.

BTW: Has anyone finished remixing Bill O'Rielly's "I want to go to a gay bathhouse!" - now THAT's one I'd almost pay money for.
posted by jearbear at 11:18 PM on January 22, 2004

A remote view:
I'm a Democrat living abroad. I've heard the talk about how Dean "screwed up", heard it from a Dean supporter. (I support Kucinich for now). I wondered what the hoopla was about.

Thanks VERY much psmealey for the post, I got to see the real thing.

I entirely fail to see any problem here, with Dean. That the media paints it as a problem is no surprise. What is surprising is the number of Dean supporters who buy into the idea it was a problem.
posted by Goofyy at 1:32 AM on January 23, 2004

Further, he was getting the label of loud, shooting from the hip, lacking self-control...items not sought in a president


Hmmm ... who are we talking about again? Not Howard Dean but ...

Loud, shooting from the hip: "Bring it on!"
Lacking self-control: Drunk, cokehead, aWol, can't be bothered to study, read the news.
Items not sought in a president: amen, let's get rid of the cowboy!
posted by nofundy at 6:09 AM on January 23, 2004

I am just incredulous how dean's name has almost inexorably been connected to the word 'angry,' and to this yell. I'm wondering what happened to media impartiality. it's infuriating. he has done nothing that has ever made me think him angry; he seems placid to me, and honest. I have so much respect for him. in austin, where I'm at, it's like rats leaving a ship. everyone used to think that dean would be our hero, the politician that was angry and wasn't going to take it anymore, the one we could all stand behind, but now that he has officially (and unreasonably) been labeled 'angry' by the media, no one wants to touch him. I'll vote for him. I hope this isn't completely incoherent, I'm really in a hurry. but god bless howard dean!
posted by Espoo2 at 6:12 AM on January 23, 2004

I am sick of the treatment Dean has been receiving.
The status quo is afraid of him because he represents actual change and they will do anything to tear him down.
There is a lot of talk on the Dean Blog about engaging in a write-in campaign during the general election if the establishment usurps the nomination. I am going to join just such a (write-in) campaign. The goddamn DLC has got to learn that it is they who will pay if they piss in my corn flakes.
posted by EmoChild at 6:19 AM on January 23, 2004

The yelling fit was just the icing on the cake. Dean makes himself look like a dork on a regular basis. Sure, it was out context. And so were the other 142 times he made an ass of himself right? I was ready to support him months ago, but these days he just creeps me out.

When it comes time to vote I can't see a good reason to replace the current arrogant moron with this creepy dufus.
posted by y6y6y6 at 7:34 AM on January 23, 2004

Thanks, RakDaddy. Although I haven't decided which candidate I could most support in a run against Bush, it's wonderful to see a reasoned and passionate defense of one's candidate.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 7:35 AM on January 23, 2004

you really think he's creepy, y6? That's the last word I would use for Dean--it's more of a Cheney description. I would use it against Clark and Kucinich tho.
posted by amberglow at 7:54 AM on January 23, 2004

EmoChild: Elaine Kamarck, a Harvard lecturer who happens to have been a major DLC strategist, endorsed Dean on the grounds that he's a real centrist, a sort of New Democrat prototype.
posted by raysmj at 8:43 AM on January 23, 2004

"you really think he's creepy, y6?"

Yes. Watching the debate last night really reenforced that.

He reminds me of Kevin Nealon doing Frankenstein on SNL. The stiff neck, the weird smile, the glazed looks. And frankly what he's saying just doesn't inspire me since it sounds like he's pulling lines from a cue card. Rather than vision and passion I hear talking points. He's saying the same thing over and over. And it seems to all come down to how he was ahead of the curve when it came to Iraq being a bad idea.

Maybe I'm being shallow, but I'm just tired of having a president who's an embarrassment. I find myself laughing *at* Dean. Not *with* Dean.
posted by y6y6y6 at 8:50 AM on January 23, 2004

RakDaddy: Thanks! Please post your comments more widely--like on the DeanForAmerica site.

I'm a Dean supporter -- and while I'll vote for the Democratic nominee, I'm going to work and pay good money to make sure it is Howard Dean.

Dean's "rebel yell" has been taken out of context, like the media always likes to do. It seems that he's been made a target. I expected as much from Leno, Letterman, Imus and the like -- but not really from Nightline or PrimeTime Live. I found that Dean's recent media appearances -- the debate, Sawyer's interview, and Letterman Top Ten -- were well-timed and very effective. But the media doesn't like someone who doesn't play by their rules.

Diane Sawyer seemed miffed by Dr. Judy Steinberg-Dean, who comes across to me as a wonderful, professional, but very private person--a mom, a doctor, and an ordinary person. Howard Dean wants to be president, and he should be. Sawyer seemed to think that Judy Dean should be more devoted, more fawning, more "political". But I think that is exactly what is wrong with the presidency. I want the Deans to become the next First Family, because I see them as really being Americans like me.

Howard Dean makes me hopeful about America again. That may sound naive, or completely PollyAnna-ish, or completely un-ironic, but I don't give a shit. Dean makes me want to work to make America mean something again. Dean makes me proud to be an American again.

I just hope Howard Dean gets his voice back soon.
posted by mooncrow at 9:26 AM on January 23, 2004

Excellent opinion piece in this subject by Russ Baker.

As far as I can tell, the worst Howard Dean has done is to try to be himself. (And, when criticized for that, to show some willingness to alter his demeanor.) But neither of those is good enough for a media that smells a good story—allegedly about personality, much more interesting than issues.
posted by psmealey at 10:34 AM on January 23, 2004

Colour me a confused Canuck: Dean is being raked over the coals for trying to re-enthuse his supporters?

The American media is just weird.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:51 AM on January 23, 2004

Not at all weird, just entirely profit-motivated. Dean is the only candidate in generations to speak about media reform and the reign of anti-competitive behavior by media conglomerates. They aren't being irrational, they just really hate Dean in a personal way.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 2:49 PM on January 23, 2004