Dear George,

Dr. Howard Dean is absolutely right. There's no reason any of the Democrats should make Dubya 's job easier. Stick to the facts. Present your strong positions and may the best man win.

But no one is acknowledging that we're living in the day and age of "Survivor Television". The Democratic Party hopefuls have been drawn into this game of 'Survivor' by the news media. There is a constant barrage of positioning and attacking each candidate is forced to do just to keep their TV ratings somewhere in the game. So it's not the Dems but the media organism itself, that postures and entices candidated to 'go for the jugular!'. God forbid they all agree with each other!

Dr. Dean is getting sucked right in by asking Mr. McAuliffe to take the heat off. The media will drink that up as a perfect episode. There's nothing Dr.Dean or Mr. McAuliffe can do. Dr. Dean's job is to stay true to his messgae and take the heat in the kitchen - the test of fire he is experiencing now as the front runner is a test of fire for the American Public in learning he has the cool to handle the storm of being a liberal President in America.

As for the 'new Democrats' staying home - there's little fear of that. Mr. Bush, by example, presents such a drastic choice on the right that anyone behind Dr. Dean now will surely choose any Dem over Bush.

Peace is Our Choice,

Joe Clancy (electronic mail, December 30, 2003)