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Voters who think of Dean primarily as an anti-war progressive may be dismayed to discover that he's actually a very pragmatic, moderate Democrat. He's a fiscal conservative who sided as often with businessmen as he did with environmentalists. And, true to Vermont's quirky political orthodoxy, he favors gay rights (with significant qualifications, it turns out) but is opposed to a national gun control bill. The most valuable chapter by far is the final one, "What Kind of President?" in which Dean's positions are concisely laid out on a variety of issues: taxes, education, health care, labor unions, and foreign policy. Ultimately, Dean is presented as an unlikely mix of Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower--not exactly a catnip combination for progressives, nor the unelectable leftist that he's sometimes painted to be by his detractors.
Although a worthy book, Howard Dean: A Citizen's Guide suffers from having too many authors--nine of them, mostly Vermont daily newspaper reporters--and too little authorial voice. Unlike Ivins' examination of Bush, this volume doesn't crackle with wit or speed ahead on interpretive energy. Still, it's a solid examination of a seemingly decent man who is likely to be the Democratic candidate and a credible contender to Bush in the 2004 presidential election. --Keith Moerer
