The Power of the Dean Campaign

[Eloriel]

The Official Blog has some great stuff today -- some things that really point up the power of this campaign, of this candidate, I think. http://blog.deanforamerica.com/

First, 1-1/2 hour interview on Iowa Public Radio available here:
http://www.vpr.net/

Morning News
The AP reports today that small donors have put Dean in second place in the South Carolina money race:

Dean has raised about $21,000 from South Carolinians who gave less than $200 during the second-quarter of fund raising, his campaign said Wednesday. That puts him second overall in the state behind North Carolina Sen. John Edwards....

Dean's South Carolina campaign chairman, state Rep. David Mack, D-Charleston, said the numbers say a good deal about Dean's support in the state.

"The small donations are from, really, community people who can touch five or six of their friends, can touch people who are neighborhood organizers," Mack said. "That's a good grass-roots base."

... Dean's fund-raising in South Carolina is "extraordinary," said Neal Thigpen, a Francis Marion University political science professor.

Also this morning, Jules Whitcover at the Baltimore Sun writes that Dean is surging while others are "squirming."


In For the Long Haul
Lisa Wagness at the Concord Monitor takes a look at the rise of Howard Dean:

State Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan... estimated that 70 percent of the media calls she gets from out of state these days are queries about Howard Dean...
"The way to beat George Bush is to bring people into the process who haven't been part of the process before," told an audience at Havenwood-Heritage Heights yesterday.

Anecdotally, at least, it seems to be working. Sullivan, who knows most of the loyal activists in the state, has noticed something about Dean's campaign.

"You go to a Dean event and you see people you've never seen before," she said. "I don't know half the people there. And that's a good thing, that shows me they're reaching beyond just the base of Democrats in New Hampshire."

Dr. Donald Weiss, a radiation oncologist, heard Dean speak about health care on Tuesday at Elliott Hospital in Manchester, where he works. He thought Dean's incrementalist approach to covering the uninsured made a great deal of sense. And Dean, who is also a doctor, seemed to Weiss to have unique credibility on the subject.

Asked as he turned to head back to work whether he was a Democrat, Weiss paused a moment. "Actually," he said, "maybe I am one after this speech."


Report from Keene, NH


Last weekend was a whirlwind of activity at the Monadnock office here in Keene (located on 2 Eagle Ct, if you want to find us). What continues to amaze me about this campaign is that we manage to draw support from all over the nation. People travel across the country just to volunteer for a weekend in the office.

Over 48 hours last weekend, we did trainings in New Hampshire and Vermont; canvassed in 3 counties; had people come in from California’s Bay Area and Seattle, WA; brought in supporters from Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire; and had one couple celebrate their 35th Anniversary by canvassing. We even marched in a parade in Swanzey to top it all off.

I keep thinking back to a campaign I worked on last year. The opposition celebrated their victory by thanking their "grassroots" supporters. What they meant to say was thanks to their largest contributors – they had no real grassroots campaign. This is grassroots. This is what people really think of when they people talk about organizing locally. No one’s ever tried this on such a large scale, but then again no one else has ever had our candidate.

When people from all across this nation can rally behind a candidate because of what he stands for, and choose to spend their weekends helping out a campaign in New Hampshire instead of relaxing at home, you’ve tapped into something special. When people are willing to travel 3,000 miles and camp out in a state park for a weekend to go door to door spreading Governor Dean’s message, you know you’re part of something unprecedented. When people are enthusiastic about celebrating their 35th anniversary not with a candlelit dinner but by talking to people in Keene about how America needs Howard Dean as President, you begin to realize you’re changing the political process of a nation. (Note: My DH and I spent OUR 22 anniversary working on the Dean campaign too!)

I know two things after last weekend. First, we are going to win this campaign because of the help of thousands of eager supporters. Second, years from now when I look back on this campaign, I’m going to smile and think to myself, “That was when America rediscovered its soul.” This country is changing and people like those volunteering here this weekend are going to make it a better place. If you want to help out, let me know, you can always contact me at [e-mail] or signup for the Dean campaign by clicking here.


Also, two more endorsements. One from former CT Gov and Senator Lowell Weicker, and one from New Jersey U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. You can read their statements on the blog.

There are some very powerful things happening with this candidacy!

Eloriel

[WilliamPitt]

1. Good to hear

There is NOTHING more important than early cash. I found out the other day what EMILY stands for in Emily's List:

Early
Money
Is
Like
Yeast

Cool.

[northernsoul]

3. Will, I thought you were a Kerry man?

Or are you starting to catch a strain of Dean fever?

[WilliamPitt]

4. I am a Kerry man

It is possible, friend, to be for one candidate but simultaneously be happy that another candidate is doing well. 99% of our problems would be solved, on DU and within the Left as a whole, if this concept were accepted as being exactly as common-sense as it actually is.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

8. Exactly!

This is exactly how I feel, just the inverse. I am for Dean, but I am very happy that Kerry is doing so well. Gives me much less heartburn than if, say, Dean were duking it out with Lieberman for the top spot.
It's a total win-win for me.

[Stoic]

12. You got that right.

"It is possible, friend, to be for one candidate but simultaneously be happy that another candidate..."

Kerry is tops on my backup list. The last thing we need is for the Dems to eviscerate each other (honest and fair criticism aside) before the general election.

[prolesunited]

15. What a concept!

I certainly wish more people around here would adopt that philosophy. Thanks for trying to help set the bar. :toast:

[northernsoul]

17. I feel ya

Dean's my top pick, but there's several other candidates I can be happy for, and there's a couple where I'll need to apply clothespin to nose to pull the lever for them - but pull the lever I shall if the gods will it.

Of, there's always a chance that the Fabulous Jackalope will get the nod - in which case I'm bucking to be appointed our new ambassador to Greece (well, that or the to-be-created cabinet position of Supreme Overlord of the Seven Seas - either one's good with me)




*Fabulous Jackalope 2004: Because You Can't Say It Wouldn't Be An Improvement*

[HFishbine]

21. "I am a Kerry man"

And that, dear Will, is why I think you're 99% perfect.

[mandyky]

2. I've said all along that Dean

is running a general campaign as well as a primary one at the same time. He is not just singing to the choir, and that is a good thing. There are a lot of folks who are single issue voters on guns, there are GLBT who vote on just that issue. Somehow Howie, my love ;) , is managing to get both groups under the same tent.

It will be amazing to see a REAL uniter at work when he wins.
And raspberries to the DLC, Carville and all the other naysayers who insist Dean is too liberal. Dean is Dean, let him be Dean!!

[WilliamPitt]

5. Anyone who thinks Dean is "too liberal"

has not been paying attention to Dean.

[Ellen Forradalom]

7. Carville thinks Dean is too liberal?

Sounds strange to me. When did he say that?

[mandyky]

11. He has not actually said it,

but Novakulla and Carlson razz Carville and Begala about Dean, Kucinich and Sharpton, and neither strenuously defend Dean. They also get this sheepish look when Dean's name is mentioned too. Their attitudes speak volumes, who needs words?

[Woodstock]

14. The old school political machine just doesn't get this campaign

I've run into this on a personal level. The old ways of doing things won't work. What they don't seem to understand is, they don't have to lead us about like sheep anymore - the Dean campaign has given ordinary people power - and we are taking it and putting it to good use. They can adapt to the situation, count us in and work with us, and win the election, or sit back in their offices and attempt to herd us, and lose the election. Democrats are ticked off not only at the current administration, but at their own party, for letting them down. The Democratic head hochos will stick to the old ways and marginalize us at their peril. Enough of this and people will just stay home - like they did in 2002.

[Eloriel]

22. You are SO right about the general campaign

and it's invigorating, isn't it? Here's another example, IMO:

From the blog this afternoon -- going after Bush BIG time:

The President Has Misled Us
Howard Dean made the following statement today while campaigning in Iowa:

"When George W. Bush ran for president three years ago, he promised us an era of responsibility in Washington--instead we've got an era of irresponsibility unparalleled in our history. A week after discovering that the cost of occupying Iraq will be double the original estimates, we found out that the nation's deficit is 50 percent higher than estimated just five months ago. In fact, during his two-and-a-half years in office, the President has misled us, the American people, on nearly every policy initiative his administration has put forth.

"Trust and credibility are at the very heart of the relationship between a government and its people. And that trust demands that leaders level with the people about what they are doing, the reason they are doing it and the consequences of their actions. The very soul of democracy is at risk when leaders are not straight and truthful with the people.

"By now, we all know that President Bush misled the American people on the rationale for war with Iraq. We now know that the Niger uranium claim was discredited, that evidence regarding aluminum tubes was highly questionable, and that the link to al Qaeda was virtually non-existent.

"Last week I asked sixteen questions about the war in Iraq that must be answered if the American people are to understand the truth around the rush to war and the failure to plan for peace.

"These questions are, however, only one piece of a far broader practice by this administration of misleading the American people and breaching the fundamental trust that they have placed in their elected leadership. This practice goes far beyond misleading the country and the world about the reasons for taking us to war in Iraq, this practice extends into the state of the nation's economy, its environment, its schools and beyond.

"Mr. President, today I call on you to level with the American people not just about the situation in Iraq but about the true intentions behind the agenda your Administration is pursuing:

(more at http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/000779.html#more )

Eloriel

[newsguyatl]

6. thanks for the post eloriel!

"The ends don't justify the means"
-Howard Dean, regarding war

[redeye]

20. Re: The ends don't justify the means

Another 30 points for Dean from me :D...

[DagmarK]

9. Wow, marched in a parade and everything!!!!!!

Ain't that a fun thing?!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the positive post Eloriel!!!!!!!!

:-)

[Cha]

10. This is Great! I heard Dean on Vermont Public Radio

yesterday and he sounded really informative to all the callers who were calling into the show!! It was from a stream link that "sfecap" had given us.

I couldn't comment on it, though, because I was locked out of DU2!

I had gone to my "bookmarks" and clicked on a thread I didn't recognize and when I got back to forumns I was no longer "registered". And I haven't been able to get back into until just now! Thanks to EarlG "resetting" my password!

Talk about "jonesing"! :-) It's so Nice to be Back! :D

:kick:

And thanks, Eloriel, for providing us with this info. I hadn't heard about Frank Pallone Jr.'s, of New Jersey, endorsement.

"That was when America rediscovered its soul.” This is "powerful stuff".

[CWebster]

13. Latest instructions seem to be no inter- Dem bashing

On the one hand I could understand how that could be destructive, but it is politics...So, when a thread is posted where no criticism of a candidate is allowed, under the guise of civility, and the opportunity is used to trash other candidates in the process, well what do you expect the reaction to be?

For example, Kerry may posture that he is above the political fray, while his team carries out the mud-slinging in publicizing Dean as "unelectible" or a "fringe Leftist"( recent issue of the "New Republic"), but Dean is scorned for dissing other Dems for good reason?

At least he is out in the open, and his focus is where it should be. That is why he appeals to so many, he voices the criticism of the base, not the spin of the Right.

[Skip Intro]

16. Charleston (SC) paper: "Dean campaign says S.C. support growing"

I was just about to post this as a thread...

http://charleston.net/stories/072503/sta_25dean.shtml

This article gets responses from Edwards' campaign as well.

snip:
Dean's fund-raising in South Carolina is "extraordinary," said Neal Thigpen, a Francis Marion University political science professor.

Dean's opposition to the U.S. war in Iraq and support of same-sex unions, puts him at odds with what people think of as typical South Carolina voters, Thigpen said.
-----------------------

[Pastiche423]

18. The 1st email I opened this morning

was, Governor Dean Issues Disability Rights Platform:

"This Saturday, July 26, we celebrate the 13th anniversary of the
enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The ADA is one of the most important civil rights laws ever passed by Congress. By requiring public buildings to be accessible and by outlawing discrimination on the basis of disability in employment and public accommodations, the ADA has provided new opportunities for more than 54 million people living with disabilities.


As President I would pursue a bold and aggressive disability agenda, including the following:

* Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).


* Enact the Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports
Act (MiCASSA).


* Enact the Family Opportunity Act.

* Provide technical support as states implement "Olmstead" plans to
provide viable, sustainable options for community-based living.

And much more can be found at: http://www.deanforamerica.com/ada

There is no doubt in my mind, Dean is the man!

[HFishbine]

19. I've been saying

for months now, Dean has a chance in the south. The notion that only a candidate from the south can win the south is wrong. I'll be doing all I can to put North Carolina in the Dem column too.