Value Judgment: Carter and Dean

Value Judgment is a daily weblog written by two independent voters on the eastern seaboard of the United States. VJ will focus on the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaigns, including strategy, tactics, and substance. The authors supported Howard Dean in the Democratic primary. Accordingly, his activities will be a prominent topic on this site.

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January 13, 2004

Carter and Dean

A press release today from DFA:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2004

Contact: Press Office, 802-651-3257

Governor Dean To Visit President Carter Sunday

BURLINGTON. On January 18, Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D., will travel to Plains, Georgia to meet with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and attend Sunday school and services at Maranatha Baptist Church, President Carter's church. This event is not expected to be an endorsement event.

Scheduling information will follow tomorrow. For more information, please contact the National Press Office at 802-651-3257.

What the heck is that all about?

I think getting people to ask that question is exactly what that's all about, actually. (Instead of reporting on whether or not Judy Dean wears makeup and heels, which the NYT decided was frontpage-worthy. *puke*). Anyway, there's a big long discussion at Kos (of course) about possible implications.

Posted by J at January 13, 2004 08:37 PM

Comments

Question I haven't seen addressed anywhere else: If Carter does break with tradition and endorse Dean, what kind of effect would this have on future Republican races? Especially if it provokes a counter-endorsement from Clinton for Clark. (Big ifs, I know.) I realize it isn't going to matter to the current election, but next time? Is this a precedent it would be very unwise to set?

Posted by: fish at January 14, 2004 01:02 AM

I was wondering if and when either of you would comment on the NY Times piece on Dr. Steinberg. A piece wholly unworthy of the Times, to be sure, but it raised a relevant point: if Dean is to be the nominee, we're going to have to meet the family at some point.
Surely *that's* something worth commenting on.

Posted by: Benjamin at January 15, 2004 03:54 PM

It's in the queue for me -- I've been travelling cross-country this week.

I have been commenting a bit over at Wilgoren Watch, though.

There's a long interview with both the Drs. Dean in People magazine this week if you want to meet the family in a less ridiculous way than what Wilgoren and Dowd seem to manage for the Times.

Posted by: J at January 15, 2004 04:08 PM

Fish -- It looks more likely that Carter will not formally endorse (more emphatic statements have been released), which begs the question of what's going on in Georgia this weekend.

But, even if he does, I have no idea what effect it would have on Republicans and I'm not even convinced that it's such a good or important 'tradition' to uphold. I can see some arguments against immediate predecessors, but I can't come up with a compelling reason why Ford and Bush I and Carter 'shouldn't' endorse.

*Shrug* This is probably more party-related nonsense that as an independent raised by political apathetes (sic, no insult, just fact) I just don't grok.

Posted by: J at January 16, 2004 10:13 AM