Dean's out!

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Do the Dean delegates go into the convention uncommitted?

I think this bolsters Kerry's chances, because it will be much easier for him in the delegate race - from here on out all delegates awarded will be split between Kerry and Edwards.  With Dean in the race, he could have still kept stealing delegates, keeping Kerry from getting a majority.  He also could have used his delegation to influence the party platform, or even the nominee chosen in Boston.

Is he going to endorse any of the other candidates?

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

I don't think we've seen the last of....governor Howard Dean..

"They won't have Howard Dean to kick around anymore..."

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Me too.  Let's do some simple math.

Kerry=Dukakis
Edwards=Clinton

Dean=Dukakis.  Shrimpy, whiny New England center-left governor.  Do we need to draw any other comparisons?

Kerry has a lot that Dukakis doesn't.  Military experience.  Physical presence.  Of course, this doesn't change the fact that he's a northen liberal with no chance of winning.  But I don't see the connection to Dukakis.  Maybe something more like this:

Dean=Dukakis
Kerry=JFK
Edwards=Clinton
Bush=LBJ

Hmmm.  Three of my least favorite presidents on that list.  Maybe I'll sit this one out...

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Plus, I strongly support the Great Society. LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act and the creation of Medicare. The good he did greatly outweighs Vietnam.

Most of the "good" he did amounted to greatly expanding the size, scope, and power of the federal government.  The Great Society and Medicare moved America towards a degree of Socialism that we've grown so dependent on, it would be impossible to turn back the clock.

As far as the Civil Rights Act, it's a shame that this had to be done on the federal level - but then, that's not LBJ's fault.  That's the fault of the racist rednecks who demonstated that states can't be trusted to abide by the U.S. Constitution.

At the end of the day, Federal power expanded more under LBJ than under any other president besides Lincoln and FDR.  But those two at least had national crises to blame for their expansion of government.