Howard Dean

I still don't buy the wisdom that Howard is a goner. We've seen results from two states so far (both small, both predominantly white).

Let me tell you something about New Hampshire. Historically, Vermonters and New Hampshirites aren't all that naturally fond of one another. In some respects, these two small states, each a bit of the mirror image of the other geographically, are very much alike and in other ways, they exist separately across a cultural and political chasm. Many Vermonters see New Hampshirites as social climbers, Republicans in weekend clothing, and the type of people who embrace the nameless, faceless Wal-Marts of the world.

Some of the folks in NH, by contrast, see Vermonters as earth shoe-wearers, too outspoken about natural dairy and agricultural cooperatives, tax loving, discontented, aging hippies who shop at too-expensive food coops and farmers' markets.

Thus, I never thought it was a done deal (before or after Iowa) that Dean was going to sit atop New Hampshire. Clinton came in second there, too in 1992 as you may recall.

The caucus-primary stage is too soon to weed out too many, and Howard deserves a chance to see how he'll fare in NY, California, and.... wait, this geography lesson seems too familiar. So does Clark, so does Edwards.

The others? Lieberman's on life support, Kucinich is a good man with interesting ideas who fares poorly in these, and Sharpton is ... Sharpton.

Y'know, there's someone I'm missing here. Just like I kept forgetting about poor Dick Gephardt, a good man who I felt made some weak choices after 9/11. No, wait, maybe I'm not. Bob Graham dropped out sometime ago.