Posted 11:25 AM by Robert

Why Didn't He Just Not Sign Up For The Ballot, And Not Make Any Announcement At All?

A flaccid, hand-wringing, self-pitying article in the New York Times today drags on for inches reporting stale, conventional thinking - that the Democratic presidential hopefuls are pretty pale, Dean is leading but highly problematic and the party's chances of taking the White House remote - and buries the only actual news it contains way, way down in its bowels:

[O]ver the next two weeks, the last two major Democratic candidates will go through the formality of announcing their candidacy [for the Presidency. Massachusetts Senator John] Kerry is to make his on Tuesday in South Carolina while [North Carolina Senator John] Edwards has scheduled his for Sept. 16 in North Carolina. Mr. Edwards, who was struggling with choosing between running for a second term for Senate or proceeding with a presidential campaign that so far has not taken off, is almost certain to bow out of the Senate race and run for the White House, his aides said.

"His aides said?" John Edwards announces his withdrawal from the Senate through an aside by some aide to the New York Times?

The bonds between the people of North Carolina and their senior Senator just aren't as strong as one might have hoped or imagined.

Still, the article contains a treasure of loopy quotes:

"There's at least a 90 percent likelihood right now that either Dean or Kerry will be the nominee," said Mr. Kerry's campaign manager, Jim Jordan. "And the race is as even as it can be. His advantages are purely stylistic. Kerry's are substantive and experiential."

"And experiential?" This one Jordan pearl gives a lot of insight into why Senator Kerry is in big trouble.

The article even relies for wisdom on Walter Mondale - who recently lost a Senate race in his own state and previously lost his Presidential race in historically spectacular fashion. Mr. Mondale is true to form, especially when providing hilarious campaign insights like this:

"My impression is that Dean has been very good for Kerry — but I'm sure Kerry doesn't feel that way," Mr. Mondale said.

That's one way of describing the relationship between Senator Kerry and the man who has completely undone the Senator's hold on the nomination. Yup. Dean has been very good for Kerry. Sure. You know how to call 'em, Walter!

And the New York Times has the judgment to know you're just the guy to ask when they want to hear it from the horse's ... er ... mouth.