Editorials

“MILWAUKEE, Feb. 18 — Howard Dean ended his bid for the presidency on Wednesday, leaving John Kerry and John Edwards battling over free trade and jobs as the Democratic presidential contest veered into a more combative two-man struggle.” 

—New York Times 

In their dreams. In whose dreams? Both the media’s and the Democratic party’s dreams, if either has any common sense. There’s nothing the mainstream media loves more than “a combative two-man struggle.” Heaven forfend that Democrats would actually get al ong, as they seem mysteriously to have done lately, with a few lapses. It makes much better copy if their smallish tiffs over trade can be blown up into main events. And, in fact, better copy is also better for the eventual Democratic candidate, whoever h e might be (and no, we’re not adding the pro forma “or she” for the next term anyhow). Without an apparent “struggle” the media will just not be interested. It’s the new new thing: politics as the sports page.  

Blog-trolling gives one the impression that the major determinant of how Democrats have been voting in primaries this season is handicapping the race: not “who do I think is the best man for the job?” but “who will others think is the best man, so we can beat Bush?” And there’s nothing wrong with this theory, under the circumstances. Two young guys standing behind me at the Chinese New Year parade got the message. One said to the other, “So, are you going to vote your conscience this time and vote for Nader again?” “Oh sure,” the other one answered sarcastically. “I have nothing better to do than sit at home and wait for Homeland Security to come and get me.” Politics stops at the water’s edge, and we’re all in deep hot water.  

To overextend the sports metaphors a bit more, Dean has performed an extremely valuable service to the American people by setting the pace for the race. Before he got going, in fact for the last eight years or so, Democrats have been convinced by the Democratic Leadership Council and their anointed candidates that the best way to win elections is to run slowly and hope no one notices you. Dean (and Sharpton) set an example for the other Democrats—they made having the courage of your own convictions in debates look plausible. The DLC’s republicrat stance, which sucked in Cl inton, Gore and Lieberman, looks increasingly ineffectual when juxtaposed with Dean’s vigorous campaign. This has not much to do with “liberals” or “moderates” or “progressives” or “conservatives.” It’s an attitude thing, and Dean’s attitude was contagiou s. 

Kerry seems to have been chummy with some of the wrong people during the Clinton years, but his stellar record in the Vietnam era prompts many of us to hope he can get past that. From time to time, he works himself up to effective denunciations of Bus h’s follies. Edwards has the advantage of not being in the Senate when the disastrous NAFTA legislation was completed, so he can distance himself effectively from Clinton, who is still more of a liability than an asset. (There’s fascinating back chat circ ulating that Clark was the Clinton candidate, and he was supposed to lose the general election to make way for Hillary next time. Guess that one didn’t work.) 

The obvious dream team for the Democrats is ready to run. Dean supporters, most of them, show n o signs of acting like sore losers, though of course the mainstream media is hoping they might in order to spice things up. Kerry and Edwards might be able to simulate a few more exciting laps around the track to keep the media’s attention, but it would t ake some kind of unexpected disaster to prevent them from being Number One and Number Two on the November ticket. They’ll have some gentlemanly discussion over free trade, leave the I----- word completely out of the picture, and move forward to the main e vent. Which could be a lot of fun, the way things have been going for Bush lately.  

Becky O’Malley is executive editor of the Daily Planet.