I'm sure you all have heard about it so I won't have to rehash it (to make a long story short, Dean let out an enthusiastic yell after listing the primary states that he wants to win).

Let me start out by stating that I can't stand Howard Dean, he comes across as an arrogant, know-it-all jerk and I firmly disagree with his politics but in this instance I have to defend him. I hear people on the street and in the media say all the time that they wish that candidates didn't acted so coached and manufactured all the time (*cough, Algore, cough*) and for once, would be real. Here is a guy who is expressing his genuine enthusiasm in a non-offensive way and how do the people react? They slam him and now he is late-night show fodder. Come on, folks, is what he did really that bad?

I'll readily admit that this hurts his image and further supports his "angry" label, but part of this criticism comes down to this: people just plain don't "like" him. Dean just does not project himself as likeable guy, but in this instance, I can't fault him for his enthusiasm.