Bush is Just like Dean!

Yep, the New York Times has trouble telling them apart. The New Republic may have soured on Gov. Dean's unelectable left stance and loose relationship with probity, but the NYTimes is still in the hagiography biz:

The two are sons of established blueblood families dominated by powerful fathers. They attended top prep schools and Yale. And they settled far from traditional power enclaves, reinventing themselves as archetypes of their chosen new homes, President Bush in swaggering Texas and Dr. Dean in outdoorsy Vermont.

Hmm. I wonder if NYTimes readers prefer "outdoorsy" to "swaggering," but perhaps I am overly sensitive. They finally dig deep enough into the story to find two differences. It seems the Dean's Park Avenue apartment and house in the East Hamptons are really not as opulent as the Bushes patrician upbringing (in the oil fields of Midland, Texas?). And there's one more difference:

In addition, each man is seen as being his own worst enemy on the campaign trail, President Bush for mangling his English and fumbling answers, Dr. Dean for creating unnecessary crises by speaking his mind too swiftly.

The President is dumb as post, kids, unable to complete an English sentence, but the brave Doctor-Governor from Vermont is just too quick to speak his mind. Got it? Ay-yi-yi. If you want a reasonable liberal voice, read The New Republic. Even with Howell Raines chased out, the Times is not up to the challenge.

Posted by jk at December 28, 2003 09:53 AM