Handicapping Dean

Dedicated Democrats, if they’re a bit drunk and don’t think anyone else is listening, will admit that most of their crop of presidential contenders lacks a certain something. Er, somethings. Little things. Like stature, or money, or mainstream appeal.

Or a pony’s chance in an industrial turbine of getting elected.

Unless something goes horribly, terribly wrong for either the nation or George W Bush, the Democrats in 2004 are looking at what the Republicans saw with Barry Goldwater in 1964: Certain doom. What Democratic primary voters need to ask themselves next year is which candidate will help them most in 2008. Or, in the worst case, which one will do them the least damage. But before we get to Dean, let’s go back to Goldwater for a moment.

The Republican’s 1964 race was one of those “For the life and soul of the party!” battles. On the one side, you had Nelson Rockefeller