Stop the Dean Tempest

On November 2, the U.S. will go to the polls to elect a new president, 34 senators (one-third of the Senate), and all 435 members of the Congress.

The U.S. presidential election is a long race, effectively starting at the January 19 Democrat Caucus in the state of Iowa, which will go through the primaries in all states until the Democrats and the Republicans names their presidential candidates in their conferences scheduled for July and August, respectively.

At the center of attention is the Democrat front-runner Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont.

George W. Bush and his camp are now creating electoral strategies on the assumption that Dean is the most likely person to be the incumbent’s Democratic opponent.

Each of the nine Democrat presidential hopefuls stepped up his offensive on Dean in the hope that they will turn January and February primaries into a two-way competition between himself and Dean.

During the first debate of the election year attended by seven out of nine democrat hopefuls in Johnston, Iowa on January 4, Dean found himself on the defensive after drawing fire from his fellow democrats.

At first, all seven candidates fiercely criticized President Bush for his diplomacy policy, the war in Iraq, and tax cuts, fanning anti-Bush sentiments.

Rep. Dick Gephardt, Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Joe Lieberman, who are all competing for the second slot in opinion ratings, mounted attacks on Dean for inconsistency in policy toward the war in Iraq and the war against terror, his healthcare scheme, and his refusal to disclose gubernatorial campaign records.

Wesley Clark, the former NATO commander, who was not at the debate to campaign for the New Hampshire primary, fired some volleys from off-field on Dean when he said that Dean lacks diplomacy experience and a candidate who merely has a competitive edge in domestic policy must not be nominated.

Republican strategists keep close watch on Dean as he is showing great political skills in mobilizing volunteers and raising funds.

“U.S. voters are currently divided 50-50. While I am sure Bush will win again in 2004,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, “It will be a pitched race like the one in 2000.”

maypole@donga.com