Ever taken over a job where the departed staffer really F'ed things up? And you sat there every day for months and months and months finding an endless string of deeply embedded screwups and going "WhyTF did that Bozo (FILL IN THE BLANK)?"

Well, take that total bummer, give it a bolus of intravenous steroids and a tankful of 104 octane, then light a match to it and kick it off the North Rim of the Grand Canyon....

...and I think you get an idea of what poor Howard is in for.

So be nice to him. He'll need it.

A brief search on Washington Post.com didn't reveal much, at least not immediately. Care to share the story for those of us who are less than well informed?

He's just saying that if Howard ends up as Prez, be nice to him. He's inheriting a mess.

He's just saying that if Howard ends up as Prez, be nice to him. He's inheriting a mess.

Yes, thanks, with a small edit: replace "if" with "when".

Be nice!

He's just saying that if Howard ends up as Prez, be nice to him. He's inheriting a mess.

Ah, that makes sense. I was confused because I wasn't aware of anything that would have invoked such a response. I thought someone had screwed his campain or something.

And yes, quite right.

Jim, how can you be so sure that Dean will win? I mean, I'd love to see dickhead replaced, but all the signs point to a 2nd term as far as I can tell.

Besides... there's also Wesley Clark to be reckoned with -- he's supposed to be saying one way or the other whether or not he'll be running within a few days. If he says yes, he's a shoo-in -- decorated military man, top of his class, non-left-wing, non-right-wing moderate, and actually has experience with diplomacy. Liberals would vote for him, 'cuz he's not Bush. Moderate Republicans'll vote for him because Bush is getting kind of scary, even for Republicans, and Clark's not a bleedin' heart liberal. On top of that, he's got a rugged face and an easy to remember name that evokes images of Superman's alter ego. Oh, and he's reasonably eloquent, too.

Clark in '04.

Jim, how can you be so sure that Dean will win?

Well, that is my prediction. I am becoming more convinced that Dean will be the nominee, on terms of expected performance in key primaries, general mindshare/financial momentum, and the realization by even former Dean backbiters in the Democratic "Leadership Council"/DLC that he is the only entrant with any pizazz and a chance -- that he speaks for many more frustrated Demos than the old Clintonites would like to admit.

I mean, I'd love to see dickhead replaced, but all the signs point to a 2nd term as far as I can tell.

The reasons for my prediction of a second 1-term Bush?

- Shrub has more than a year to be hectored -- on very legitimate grounds -- by many smart people in 2 main areas, iraq and the economy. This will wear on image and approval ratings.
- Even the continued artificial float of real estate values will not be enough to satisfy consumers and Wall Street through another grinding $87 billion year of the U.S. adventure in Iraq.
- Tony Blair looks to get his clock cleaned, reducing further any sense of international support for Shrub's policies.
- People are talking a lot recently about the critical need to capture the "NASCAR Vote'. Well, a lot of those NASCAR voters have friends and relatives in the military, a military that is becoming increasingly disaffected with the outcome of Bush policies that they are forced to experience. Oh, and reserve tours extended to a year's length? Many of those folks will grudgingly stay there through next summer and November, but I expect they will punish the dumbass that put them there. It is amazing how quickly your best friends can turn on you when you abuse them.

Anyhow, those are some of the main things that come to mind.

Hey anybody know what the final score was in Afghanistan?

Besides... there's also Wesley Clark to be reckoned with -- he's supposed to be saying one way or the other whether or not he'll be running within a few days. If he says yes, he's a shoo-in -- decorated military man, top of his class, non-left-wing, non-right-wing moderate, and actually has experience with diplomacy. Liberals would vote for him, 'cuz he's not Bush. Moderate Republicans'll vote for him because Bush is getting kind of scary, even for Republicans, and Clark's not a bleedin' heart liberal. On top of that, he's got a rugged face and an easy to remember name that evokes images of Superman's alter ego. Oh, and he's reasonably eloquent, too.

I am printing my Dean/Clark bumper stickers as we speak!

I think that many if not most of the positives that you note are true, but that the hesitant Clark effort is destined, if not calculated, to garner a cred-enhancing #2 spot on the ticket. For one, he is way too late on fund-raising, too.

(interesting short profile on Clark in most recent Atlantic Monthly, BTW. Generally positive, but paints the picture of guy that could have a very hard time adjusting to the realities of compromise politics.)

I had an evil thought. Let's start a moderate stakes pool If Tony (we know where to find him) Fabris will agree to play escrow, I'll send him an envelope with a C-note in it to hang on to until November 04 (or later if needed if Florida farks up again!) and that'll be my Dean bet. The first BBS denizen to claim another candidate and get Tony $100 joins the pool. Winner take all. You want Wesley? Who wants Shrub?

Dean / Clark in '04

- Tony Blair looks to get his clock cleaned, reducing further any sense of international support for Shrub's policies.

I think you're confusing us with a country with an effective opposition party. Or do you mean Gordon Brown will clean his clock?

Peter

Or do you mean Gordon Brown will clean his clock?

The latter, at minimum that the official (Blair) government position of support for the U.S. Iraq adventure will be silenced. Harder for the Bush folks to claim that we have support from our "cousins".

If I am imagining this eventuality, wake me up. I don't want to kid myself.

I think you're confusing us with a country with an effective opposition party.

It used to be that when you got in this position that Labour would be a solid opposit -- oh, wait.

I could see a Dean/Clark ticket. I'll have to pass on your wager, though -- too rich for my blood, since I'm saving up for a new road bike, and it increasingly looks like I may have to go custom. /me hopes not to spend more on a bike than a gamer does on a PC.

Not if you, yes YOU personally go out and do something about it. Go tell your friends to take part in active local campaigning, and MAKE SURE YOU VOTE to rid the world of the Thief Who Stole The Presidency of the USA and turned it into an armed camp for fascists.

Vote!

I could see a Dean/Clark ticket. I'll have to pass on your wager, though -- too rich for my blood,

Yeah, no bites yet. I don't really have the cash to spare, but I'm out of stuff to sell on eBay and was seeing it as a long-term revenue opportunity. None of the BBS' Al Sharpton supporters went for it, though :-(

YOU

Rob, don't hold back. Can you please speak more plainly?

(You know, of course, that I will be the last to jump up and disagree with you. Plug again: folks who consider the term "theft" hyperbole should really read Toobin's slim "Too Close to Call" before we start the BBS' new "OT -- Politics -- 2000 U.S. Election" subforum)

Hey, and look at that avatar! It looks like.......ROB!!!

Just out of curiousity, Jim, on the chance that Bush wins, how to you think he'll deal with it? I mean, if the economy sinks any furthur, I'll never find ANY kind of job.

Hey, and look at that avatar! It looks like.......ROB!!!

It also looks a little like Anthony Edwards

Well, it seems that Clark may be making a play for the starring role instead...

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/09/11/elec04.prez.dean.clark/index.html

I don't pretend to follow politics very closely, but what I do know about General Clark makes me think he might be the candidate best able to pick up the pieces left behind by Bush. None of the other Democratic candidates excite me very much. I just wonder if Clark entering the race will split the "grassroots" vote so much as to kill the Dean momentum and vault one of the Democratic retreads (Gephardt, Kerry, Lieberman) to the top.

Just out of curiousity, Jim, on the chance that Bush wins, how to you think he'll deal with it?

Any other opinions aside, I think we can take Mr. Bush at his word (of Thursday 9/11/2003):

"....and we will stay at war until we have achieved our objective."

Bush and Co. are suffused with righteousness. If he is re-elected, which, given his sliding numbers and declining military morale, I doubt, it will be because his base of righteous evangelical supporters hold fast. Quite some time ago, when Bush was alleged to have made a "slip" in using the term "Crusade", I expect that Bush was completely unaware that this was a slip (until some bright handler told him that it might not be the best choice of words). There is still a solid vein of support for Bush administration policies. So what does Bush's promise mean?

Just what he says. "We will stay at war until we meet our objectives."

What are our objectives? Well there's the tricky part. At the point that we went to war in Afghanistan, we somehow acceded to an Elastic War. Not content with a rational "War Against Al Quaeda", somebody in Washington felt that the effort wouldn't be worthy until we inflated this to an undefinable "War on Terror". Aw, crap, why don't we just drop the "terror" technicality and call it the "War on Evil". Well, with a War on Evil, what are our objectives? Getting rid of Evil, of course. How long might that take? How much might it cost? Well, A) forever and B) more than we are able to count.

In past lives, when I saw a coworker figuratively banging their head against the wall as they attempted to solve a problem, I'd say "Hey, you're banging your head against the wall. Stop it." The specter of a 2nd Bush term means 4 years of head banging. Righteous head-banging, though, to the satisfaction of the faithful.

I mean, if the economy sinks any furthur, I'll never find ANY kind of job.

Oh, Grasshopper, would it be possible for us to open a dialogue about the unique value proposition represented by my employer's deep-fried diced potatoes?

Well, it seems that Clark may be making a play for the starring role instead...

Yeah, sounds like he'll announce, other reports of talks with Dean notwithstanding. That doesn't trouble me too much. Not sure how he would actually *do* as prez, but in his shoes, don't know that I'd "surrender" to the VP role at this point.

but what I do know about General Clark makes me think he might be the candidate best able to pick up the pieces left behind by Bush.

I don't know that anybody is going to have a decent chance at picking up the pieces. I hope that somebody can come in and make nice with the rest of the world and our desired/traditional allies. I just don't know that there is a reasonable Iraq exit to be had. Even some of what I hear Dean say about "have to fulfill our commitment" kind of stuff makes me nervous.

I just wonder if Clark entering the race will split the "grassroots" vote so much as to kill the Dean momentum and vault one of the Democratic retreads (Gephardt, Kerry, Lieberman) to the top.

That seems like a risk. I am not the only person who sees Dean/Clark or Clark/Dean as the "dream team" I hope that as they parry and thrust they keep that possible configuration on their respective tables and avoid wounding each other. I pretty much think they are the one hope.

Dean/Clark in '04!