Dean's growing popularity
The Providence Journal's lead story today was about presidential candidate Howard Dean and his 4 day, 10 city "Sleepless Summer" tour. A recent tour stop in Falls Church, VA, brought in 4000 supporters. One paragraph from the article makes me think of a few questions:

"Kerry aides have acknowledged that Dean is drawing impressive crowds -- larger than those of any other candidate including Mr. Bush -- but they question whether the Democratic anger that Dean has enunciated will translate into Democratic votes during the primary season."

Dean is drawing larger crowds than Bush? That doesn't even take into account the protesters holding stage at Bush fundraisers, like recent ones in San Diego and Los Angeles. Of course, this can't be taken into account by the mainstream media since they are not reporting it.

I'm 25 years young, and my elders might suggest that I am still a political neophyte. But does anyone find it odd, and exciting, that Dean's campaign is building so much strength? We're still months away from the primaries with a supposedly popular president in the White House, yet Dean is outdrawing Bush (with, I assume, no protests) and his campaign is making millions.

In fact, if Bush is so popular, how come the nine Democratic candidates for president continues to be a huge, frontpage newsmaker? If Bush was as popular as the Republicans would like us to believe, it would be logical to assume that people wouldn't pay attention to the nine presidential "wannanbes", as the right wishes to call them. But, given the fact that they are a huge story, especially Dean, then it's only logical to assume that Bush is in trouble.

Maybe I have a short memory, but I don't recall the 2000 campaign heating up in August, 1999. If anything, all if this interest in the opposition proves that Bush is not a lock for reelection. Especially if more people are coming out to see Dean.