The Hiller Instinct: Dean Drops Out

Howard Dean (D) fmr. Presidential Candidate
"Even democrats in New Hampshire are very independent minded and I'm very independent minded guy."

Dean's cockiness connected, but his temper was already an issue…

Howard Dean (D) fmr. Presidential Candidate
"Well, it is, voters will judge that. I am blunt and I'm not going to change that. I say what I mean and voters don't leave a room wondering what my position is on a particular issue."

By November, when he officially entered the New Hampshire primary, he was the front-runner, but still unable to shake questions about his temperament…

Howard Dean (D) fmr. Presidential Candidate
"Well I handled life and death decisions for 13 years as a doctor, and I did a pretty good job for almost 12 years as a governor."

Dean was flying high, but he crashed the January night he finished third in Iowa... in a memorable political moment…

Howard Dean, January 17 Speech
"And we’re going to South Dakota, and Oregon, and Washington, and Michigan. And then we’re going back to Washing D.C. to take back the White House, ahhhh."

The next day he was back in New Hampshire, hoping nothing had changed, apparently not knowing everything had…

Howard Dean (D) fmr. Presidential Candidate
"New Hampshire will see a Howard Dean very much like the Howard Dean they've known for the last 11 years when I've been governor across the river."

But what New Hampshire and America actually got was a muzzled Dean, forced to make fun of himself. Worse for Dean, his cutting edge criticism of President Bush turned into complaints about his democratic rivals…

Howard Dean (D) fmr. Presidential Candidate
"Who do you want to stand with you in the foxhole? The guy who'll stand up when it's right, or the guy who just stands up when it's popular?"

So Dean's decision today to end his campaign is anti-climactic, because it's been over since Iowa and New Hampshire... Ironically, just what he said he wanted last spring…

Howard Dean (D) fmr. Presidential Candidate
"I think we all appreciate and support the role that Iowa and New Hampshire have played in the early going and I don't want to change that."

You will hear that Howard Dean was run out of this race by an unfair media and a Democratic Party unable to control him. But please hear this, Howard Dean beat himself with a shrill speech that confirmed he wasn't "presidential". And while Dean would like nothing more than for that scream to be forgotten, his unfortunate legacy is that it will always be remembered.