Clinton and Dean

Hillary Clinton and Howard Dean have been doing a lot lately to energize their bases at the expense of broadening their tents. Is it part of a grand strategy?

Peggy Noonan is unimpressed:

Clinton is likely the next Democratic nominee for president. Mr. Dean is the head of the Democratic Party. They are important and powerful. They may one day run the country. It is disturbing that they speak as they do.

How do people who are not part of the Democratic base react to their statements? I think something like this: What's wrong with these people? Don't they understand they lower things with their name calling and bitter language? If this is how they feel free to present themselves in public, what will they do and say in private if they ever run the country?

Via Betsy Newmark, who thinks the media let the left get away with more than the right.