About Last Night: I've been thinking today if I would say anything about last night. For anyone who has been following this blog or my companion blog you know that I'm supporting Howard Dean. I supported him because his record in Vermont reflects moderate Republican values of balanced budgets, civil liberites and gun rights. However, I have had some doubts about Dean off and on since the fall. I was upset when he continually denounced people he didn't like as "Republicans." Didn't he know that there were Republicans who were ardently supporting him? Didn't he realize that there are moderates in the GOP who are disillusioned by Bush?

When those concerns were shared, many people said just wait until after the primaries and caucuses. Dean had to run to the hard left to secure the base and would moderate after the convention.

I should have realized then that some Dean supporters were not using logic.

First, it's a tad bit presumptous to think that a candidate will get the nomination when no one has cast a vote yet. Second, if you have not tried to grab moderates and independents before the convention, it's a bit late by then. You have to build a movement that brings everyone in, and that means trying to persuade others. Last night's finish shows that the Dean team failed to do that.

November is going to be a very close election again. If the Dems want to win the White House, then they need every vote they can get. To do that, you need to be reaching out to everyone you can find. Dean has not done this.

Tuesday night has allowed the scales to come off from my eyes. I think Dean has a great message if he ran on his record. I think his anger can be honed into something positive. But right now what I see is a campiagn that is vindictive and to insiderish to really take on Bush. I really hope that he can become more positive in the days leading up to New Hampshire.