Iowa Caucus
Last night the political junkie in me was getting my fix with the Iowa caucus coverage. I was somewhat surprised by the final results, with John Kerry receiving 38% of the vote, John Edwards getting 32%, and Howard Dean 18%.
Once the results were declared, each candidate addressed their supporters. John Edwards was energetic in giving an emotional speech about the two America’s in which we live. John Kerry was eloquent as he described his mission to return credibility to the United States at home and abroad. Dick Gephardt was poised and reflective despite the fact that his campaign is obviously over.
And then there was Howard Dean. As I watched Dean address his supporters, it became quite obvious to me why Iowa had not given him the win that was projected. It’s difficult to describe his speech, as he came off looking more like an angry WWF wrestler, and less like a viable presidential candidate.
Surely Dean and his supporters must be disappointed after all the time they had spent in Iowa, with all the political endorsements, and with an organization that was said to be second to none. Despite the poor results, other candidates in the past have lost in Iowa and have gone on to become president. However, instead of giving a speech that would rally his troops, Dean left a lasting negative image of himself of which I can’t see him recovering from.
The Dean campaign will go on. It has the money and organization to do so. But the wheels to this political bandwagon are about to fall off. I can’t imagine him winning the democratic nomination, nor do I think he can beat George Bush. In my opinion, Howard Dean has put a fork into his campaign, and it is done.