Deaniacs are creepy?

There is an interesting discussion going on in the comment section to the most recent Cattle Call post on the DailyKOS. The question of the "fanaticism" of some Dean supporters has come up. Some have expressed the feeling that it makes them feel "creepy". Here's what the original post had to say on this matter: (Incidentally, Dean's fundamentalist supporters are starting to get creepy. Look guys, I like Dean as much as the next guy, but relax. The world doesn't revolve around the guy. You won't gain new supporters by denigrating those that support other Democrats.) CA Pol Junkie, a Dean supporter, had this to say in the comments: Please take criticism of other Democrats from Deaniacs as the desire to see Dean's fire in other candidates and the desire for all candidates to stand up for the Democratic Party. Regardless of who wins the nomination, I am sure that Dean will make the eventual candidate much stronger. In the end, what most Dean supporters want more than anything is to beat Bush. I second that sentiment. My "passion" for Dean comes primarily from the fact that he is one of the few Democrats out there who is actually fighting back against the Republican instead of just trying to figure out how to be Republican-lite and/or rolling over in the face of Republican smears. Even more then any stand on any particular policy issue, it is this fighting spirit that I MOST want to see in the Democratic nominee. Indeed, I don't believe the Democrats have a chance in hell if they put forward someone with that fighting spirit. Which is why I was heartened by Kerry's recent refusal to back down on his comments about America needing "regime change". I can't help but feel that the success that Dean is achieving with his "give 'em hell" stance is influencing some of his fellow Democrats to be a little more ornery in their rhetoric. THIS IS A GOOD THING! I'd like to see Dean as President. But, even more then that, I would like to see Bush as EX-president. The latter is a far more important goal than the former.
John Isbell had this to say: You'll notice that my comments here say nothing whatever negative about Dean. Only about some of his supporters. That is elementary political tact. Tact? Calling supporters of another candidate "creepy" is tactful? I'd rather you criticize the candidates then criticize their supporters. They, after all, are the ones who are going to have to crawl in the ring with Dubya. Look, there is going to be acrimonious grousing between various Democratic supporters for the next several months. We have to keep our eye on the ball. Ultimately the most important thing is not that we elect a President Dean a President Kerry or a President Edwards. It's that we FIRE George W. Bush! I will support whoever the eventual nominee is. I will even vote for Lieberman (and then go out and promptly get drunk in order to deaden the pain) because getting rid of Bush is that important. I happen to think that Dean, so far, is the only candidate that has demonstrated one of the essential qualities that the eventual nominee MUST have: a true fighting spirit. Kerry is showing some glimmers of it and, as I said above, I am glad of that. But until the field really begins to swing around towards this style of fighting I will stick with Dean. And let me make another promise: I will not, from this point on, call into question the intelligence, sanity, or creepiness of anyone who supports any other candidate for the Democratic nomination. Perhaps we can all make that pledge? Please?