Roll up your sleeves and plug your ears, here comes Howard Dean.
And boy, is he angry.

No, my friends, Dean is not happy at all. In the past few weeks,
his standing among Democrats became highly suspect. His numbers
began to drop steadily. For the first time in months, President
George W. Bush’s strategists even began to entertain the idea that
Dean may not win. And just like that, the first caucus was swept
right from under his feet.

Midway through his Monday night concession speech, Dean let out
a guttural roar–the popular preferred spelling of which has
become: “YAAAAAAAARRRRHHHH!!!!!”

He then went on a shrieking rant, declaring he had “not begun to
fight” and warned frontrunners John Kerry and John Edwards he would
“see [them] around the corner.” So it’s a fight he wants? With that
rage churning through his body, Dean looks as if he may be better
suited to promote heavyweight matches than run a campaign for
president.

It begs the question, is this anger shtick really working?
Apparently not. Just weeks ago Dean was thought to have a
stranglehold on the nomination, now he’s treading water–garnering
only 18 percent of the vote and suffering a third place finish in
his first caucus. Not that Iowa means all that much. In 1992, Bill
Clinton only earned four percent of the vote in the Hawkeye State
before going on to beat an incumbent president. Still, Dean’s loss
of clout must be disconcerting: Why else would he be screaming like
a madman?

This wasn’t the first time Dean publicly lost his cool. As
stress mounts, he unravels exponentially. At one point in Iowa, he
irritably berated an audience member for asking unappealing
questions. And, on Monday afternoon Dean showed up unannounced to
an event honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., and planted himself in
the front row–all out of respect for King, he swears. After being
hounded by the press, Dean diplomatically told them to “get a
life.” These instances simply add to his reputation for a quick
temper and a generally combative demeanor.

Well, at least he is a halfway intelligent candidate, right? He
can outwit that idiot in the White House any day. Dean’s not prone
to those inarticulate gaffes for which Bush is so well known. Just
see for yourself:

“From a religious point of view,” Dean commented, advertising
his newfound–or, at least, newly publicized–love for Jesus
Christ, “if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not
have created gay people.” My thoughts aside on homosexuality, it
doesn’t take much to upend Dean’s unflappable logic. I suppose, by
this reasoning, bad things must never happen to good people,
either.

When the campaigns hit high gear last September, it seemed that
Wes Clark was possibly the least politically savvy candidate to hit
the market in recent memory. The lunacy of Clark persists, but it
has yet to see national exposure, as he opted out of participation
in Iowa. Dean now appears to be on the forefront of volatility.

To their credit, Democrats in Iowa proved they retained some
sense and made a savvy move themselves by not voting for the
pugnacious Dean. Still, east coast liberals will be afforded many
chances to negate this midwestern sensibility. Is it still the good
doctor that they yearn for? Maybe screaming anger, gaping eyes and
bulging neck veins are what best represent the modern state of
today’s Democrats.

In all honesty, no one really has much of a chance to upend the
president. It’s too soon to predict a winner, but all the
frontrunners need to watch their footing. With Kerry dropping
f-bombs, Dean screaming himself hoarse and Clark constantly
contradicting past comments, these primaries may well turn into a
contest determining who can insult Bush the most frequently without
embarrassing the Democratic Party into a rut.

Robert Seefeldt is a sophomore studying English and
accounting.