# Has Dean Peaked? (Democratic Race Handicapping) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 16, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-dean-peaked-democratic-race-handicapping/224770 "2004-01-16T15:11:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-dean-peaked-democratic-race-handicapping/224770/21 "2004-01-18T15:53:30Z")
> [@](#): > > while he may have some sway with the dead, long a large voting bloc in Chicago, Jerry Garcia was a power broker in the Windy City? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-dean-peaked-democratic-race-handicapping/224770/22 "2004-01-18T16:16:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Jerry Garcia was a power broker in the Windy City? Yeah, they’re quite popular here. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-dean-peaked-democratic-race-handicapping/224770/23 "2004-01-18T18:56:42Z")
> [@](#): > > I find this to be a very reassuring list. Symptomatic of a micromanager, just the kind of person we all like to work under, but that’s what is needed in this day and age. Is this a tongue-in-cheek comment? Because a compulsive micromanager would be a _disaster_ as a President. That was perhaps Carter’s biggest failing. He actually involved himself in things like scheduling the White House tennis courts, and as I understand it one of the reasons the hostage mission to Iran failed was because Carter micromanaged everything including giving approval for each helicopter to lift off. The reason Bush is successful, and Reagan was successful, is because they know how to delegate to the real experts. No matter how smart you are, the people who train in their field are better at their jobs than you are. Successful presidents set the tone, the big picture, and then turn operations over to the people who are skilled. Micromanagers are a disaster. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-dean-peaked-democratic-race-handicapping/224770/24 "2004-01-18T19:28:23Z")
Well of course a “micromanager” is a disaster. Given that the word itself is a pejorative meaning “a guy who screws things up by managing too much,” what else could it be? Of course, by merely labeling him a “micromanager,” you’ve also told us fuck-all-nothing about Clark’s management style, his competence as a leader, or anything else of substance. And I continue to be amused at how quickly the righties have coordinated the message of their Wesley Clark smear campaign. You guys must be really scared of him, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-dean-peaked-democratic-race-handicapping/224770/25 "2004-01-18T19:48:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Of course, by merely labeling him a “micromanager,” you’ve also told us fuck-all-nothing about Clark’s management style, his competence as a leader, or anything else of substance. You’re right. Especially since we were talking about Howard Dean. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-dean-peaked-democratic-race-handicapping/224770/26 "2004-01-18T19:55:14Z")
Dammit. [And why the hell can’t I post something with less than 10 characters?] ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-dean-peaked-democratic-race-handicapping/224770/27 "2004-01-20T04:41:07Z")
Re the OP, from the hindsight of Monday night: Ayup. That speech didn’t help either. And snapping at the press is like insulting the people who prepare your food before they’ve started doing it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-dean-peaked-democratic-race-handicapping/224770.md?page=1)