The WASP's Nest: Roots: Howard Dean keeps his past to himself. But one key to the feisty contender lies at a quaint Eastern prep school.

Publication: Newsweek

Publication Date: 26-JAN-04

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Byline: Evan Thomas and Daniel Klaidman

Last September, at a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus, Howard Dean declared, "I'm the only white politician that ever talks about race in front of white audiences." The other candidates were dumbfounded by Dean's assertion and quickly denounced him, citing their own various commitments to civil rights. Dean's blurt was unsupported, although not uncharacteristic. Voters could only wonder: what made Dean, the governor of a small, virtually white state, think he was the only politician brave enough or sensitive enough to talk openly about race?

Dean likes to say that he doesn't just pop off, that he often turns over a problem in his head for days, though he admits that sometimes the nuances get lost when he finally expresses himself. That may describe the mechanics of Dean's thinking, but it doesn't reveal much about his inner convictions. Dean has awkwardly described his courtship of his wife, Judy, to People magazine and acknowledged that he is a cheapskate and a bit of an insomniac. Voters can only wonder: what makes Dean--an upper-crust kid who, win or lose, has emerged as a great liberal icon--Dean?

He's not the one to ask. "Never complain, never explain" is an old WASP expression. Coined by the 19th-century British statesman Benjamin Disraeli as a way of justifying the empire, it has been adopted by the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Henry Ford II, George Bush (the father) and the Central Intelligence Agency. It might as well be Howard Dean's mantra. Most candidates weave their personal stories into their stump speeches (John Kerry the war hero, John Edwards the mill-worker's son). Dean rarely talks about his shaping experiences or social background. His wife never campaigns with him, and the couple seldom socialized with others at home in Vermont. Dean comes across as a bit of a self-righteous loner.

Dean's impetuosity, his willingness to say what's on his mind--whatever is on his mind--is a refreshing contrast to the typical calculating, slick politician. But he can also seem overbearing and recklessly shoot from the hip. This week in Iowa and next...

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