"I remember reading that the Democratic Leadership Council didn't want Dean to win the nomination right about the time he started to surge - They were fearful of the McGovern tag.   Clinton's a core member of the DLC, so make your own assumptions."

Yeah, good point and I think that's exactly what we're looking at here.

  "I don't agree with you on Molding Clark, though - the "Candidate by Consensus" profile seems to me to be the main reason Bush's administration is currently falling apart."

 I'm assuming you mean if we use Bush & Company as a model it's a failing proposition because they are such miserable failures. Which of course is a valid point. I guess I'm just going on the fact that none of the other guys have really stepped up and they don't want to let Dean join the club. Although strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire may force that hand...it's a tough call though. Even now Democrats have tried to play down Dean if he wins either of these saying unless he wins by a landslide it means nothing.

   Of the other guys though Kerry would seem to be the next below Dean and then the dropoff from there is huge. So, this is why I think they want Clark so bad. They are also portraying Clark as a centrist already...I mean it all sort of adds up. No?

                                                              Reg