"When Howard Dean started saying some honest things, they hung him"

This quote by Robert Scheer is referring to the 2004 governmental project of Howard Dean. Dean was a Democratic candidate who was known for his outspokenness and his determination to speak his mind. He was a singing critic of the Iraq War and the Bush administration, and he was unafraid to challenge the status quo. Nevertheless, his sincerity and outspokenness eventually resulted in his failure in the project. His opponents utilized his words versus him, and he was criticized for being too severe and too extreme. In the end, his honesty and outspokenness were inadequate to win him the election, and he was ultimately hung out to dry by the political facility. This quote is a suggestion that speaking reality to power can be a risky venture, and that those who challenge the status quo can often be penalized for it.