Crazy About Dean

Here's a spot-on analysis of Howard Dean from PRWeek's PR Play of the Week by Douglas Quenqua (by subscription only):

Howard Dean has gone from over-caffeinated weirdo to just plain nuts. He's strayed way off the reservation, making remarks about Republicans that no respectable Democrat wants to be associated with. In a summer lacking any big political stories, his wildly un-PC quips have become the hottest potato in DC. ...

Fact is he's doing exactly what he's paid to do as chairman of the Democratic Party. Not that any other Democrats will admit that publicly. Oh no -- that's not how the game works. This is the old "make the crazy guy say what we can't afford to" game. ...

Naturally, fellow Democrats act ashamed and embarrassed. Everyone from prospective presidential candidate Joe Biden to prospective presidential candidate Nancy Pelosi has hit the airwaves in the past few days, distancing themselves from Dean and his whacked-out remarks.

But they do it slowly, as if waiting their turn. It's as if they're trying to keep the story alive, isn't it?

All the while, everyone from Chris Matthews to Bill O'Reilly is debating Dean's comments. Are Republicans really all white and Christian? Do they not do honest work? Is the party racist? ...

Quenqua give Dean a grade of "Savvy" for his efforts, second only to "Ingenious" in the PRWeek grid. I think he's right. While we debate the Chairman, the MSM debates the Republicans, largely ignoring the larger question: What's wrong with the Dems?