So maybe Dean doesn't know the names of many of the states. But does he at least know the words of the national anthem? The NYT seems to think ("Dean Is Subdued") he did a good job yesterday by by singing the anthem as a way of responding to a man who came to the Dean rally with a Confederate flag.

The clip of Dean singing is not getting the airtime the recitation of the names of the states has gotten, but, in fact, the singing sounds desperate, and he bungles half the lyrics.

The yelling-the-state-names clip is probably much funnier, but it is also used more frequently because it seems to confirm that the candidate has the quality we have come to fear he has. In Dean's case, it's anger, so the angry-sounding clip must air. If Bush had bungled the lyrics of the national anthem, we'd see more of that, because it confirms the reputed quality, stupidity.