The Governor has a couple of problems that are going to be hard to deal with.
First off, having put himself forward as the candidate who tells the truth, he's particularly subject to being accused of lying. Run of the mill politicians are expected to lie, or at least fudge the truth and when they "appropriate" an opponent's positions, it's not called flip-flopping; rather that's a "normal" strategic shift.
Secondly, everyone has certain "prejudices" when they confront new information. That is, they've made up their mind about something and when the new information supports what they've been thinking, they call it "true" and when it doesn't, they call it "false." Which is how you can have "the one, true faith" that isn't based on any fact at all.
Another way of saying this is that people believe what they want to believe. And they like people who give them what they want. People actually like being lied to. That's why so many of them voted for the man who promised "dignity" and a new "moral tone" and less responsibility ("lower taxes")--none of which imposed any obligation on them.
That there were obligations and that they are now being paid by their dead relatives in Iraq, the hungry in the street and sick children in the schools is another matter which may well not affect how they vote the next time. Because, if they even come out to vote, a change in their vote is an admission of having been wrong the last time. And that's not something that most people are particularly keen to do.
In any event, these are not problems that can be solved by the candidate. Howard Dean is not responsible for what Iowans did or did not do.
What is going to count again now is what his supporters are going to do. It's not just the vote that counts, it's the voters. Though you can't tell them that.
What to tell them is for people smarter than me to figure out.
Posted by Monica Smith at January 20, 2004 05:44 AM