Howard Dean and the Media

David Podvin has an interesting piece available here that says, among other things, that when Howard Dean told Chris Matthews during a Hardball appearance that he wanted to end the big media monopolies, the media targeted him to bring him down.

I'm not sure I would agree with this in whole. I don't think the media liked Howard Dean before the 12/1/03 statement about monopolies and megalopolies. I've felt they were unprepared to take him seriously, got annoyed when lots of other people did take Dean seriously so they had to cover him, and then looked for an opportunity to topple him from the pedastal.

I am concerned, however, that the media helped feed what Karl Rove wants: a matchup with Kerry rather than with Dean. This still makes me wonder what Rove thinks he knows about Kerry that made him try to trip Dean up while planting stories of being "worried" about having to fight Kerry.

Yes, this is twisted. But so, I fear, is Mr. Rove.