regardless of what you think of Dean the candidate...

[pruner]

you've gotta admire Dean the fundraiser, and as best I can tell Joe Trippi is the force behind this.

whoever ultimately ends up getting the nomination (if it isn't Dean) oughta seriously consider hiring Trippi for their own campaign.

[mantis]

1. absolutely

I would have to agree with that. He can
take Donna whoever's place.

[caledesi]

2. Trippi makes Karl Rover look like an amateur. He is a genius!

[whoYaCallinAlib]

3. He is giving fundraising lessons to the rest of our candidates.

I'll give him credit for that.

[Booberdawg]

4. Indeed!

[Eloriel]

5. Trippi's good -- but he'd be

nothing without a great candidate.

Eloriel

[Cha]

6. Really!

:kick:

[pruner]

7. I think that's true...to an extent

great marketing can often generate positive buzz about a not-so-terrific product.

I speak from experience, having spent my entire working life in advertising (consumer products, financial services, and now pharmaceutical products...all for multi-billion $ corporations).

[Bombtrack]

11. Dean would be nothing without a war

and the knee-jerk reaction from alot of angry white yales

[dajabr]

17. That...

is the truth!

[Composed Thinker]

8. Will Dean get the nomination?

And if so, will he win? Will Gen. Wesley Clark help him out?

[pruner]

9. that's the ticket I'd like to see

Dean/Clark

[Composed Thinker]

12. I just wonder

If Dean, or any Democrat for that matter, can really win?

It seems as though Bush's poll numbers are back up.

[Bombtrack]

10. He already had a preexisting active base that he just latched onto

It's called the anti-war movement.

People try to deny that it's not what they're all about but I've yet to find one Deaner that was/is even agnostic about the war.

[lastliberalintexas]

15. Hello Bombtrack

I'm lastliberalintexas. I am a Dean supporter who was opposed to the invasion, but that's NOT even in the top 5 reasons of why I support him. In fact, my second choice is I-voted-for-the-Iraq-resolution-Kerry, not Kucinich. Oh- and I know many people like me on this. Sorry to have to destroy a stereotype for you. :-)

[JNelson6563]

16. you are forgetting the legions

of us who stood by and watched our party, the "loyal opposition" stand around and wring their hands for a very long time. Even before the war.

Do not forget all the folks still upset about democracy being overthrown in 2000. Add to that the angry, informed folks about the Patriot Act, Ashcroft, activist judicial nominees and countless other issues.

Yep, most of our Dem leaders were neutered after 9/11. Some of us were damn sick of it and Iraq was just a final straw thing tying up the whole BFEE~neo-con agenda that we've been wishing our "leadership" would stand up to.

Julie

[TheDonkey]

13. Dean's an energizer!

I just saw Dean speak tonight and .... wow.... He's got charisma and the ability to pubp a crowd with what they want! His marketing is top notch but the product we get is just as good imo. I'm leaning more Kerry than Dean but he's an excellent speaker.

[tjdee]

14. How well did he fundraise for Jerry Brown??

It seems that Dean and Trippi are a good team.

I've just recently found out that Trippi ran Brown's run in 1992...I don't remember Brown taking off the way Dean's has. I was not of voting age, though, so my memory of that isn't good.

The reason I mention Brown is to wonder whether it's Trippi that's good, or whether it's the perfect political storm so to speak (Dean, history, etc.).

[blm]

18. The 1-800 number craze back then...

they made a big campaign gimmick that they would NOT accept more than $100 from a donor, then when people called they were told ways they could contribute more. Kind of exposed the hypocrisy of what they CLAIMED to be against.

[pruner]

19. how does what he did in 92 have a bearing on what he can do today?

for starters, there was no public internet back then.

and in any case, one would expect he'd have learned from past mistakes and picked up a few new "tricks" over the past 10+ years.

[loyalsister]

20. This energy has great potential

to ripple out to other candidates. Even if Dean doesn't win the nomination, his support for whoever does could perpetuate this thing throughout the general election.
I'm also really hoping to get people to not only support Dean, but transfer some of that enthusiasm to local candidates.
This is an energy that can be harnassed and used if we do it right. It has the potential to reinvigorate general Democratic support.