There are over 70K DUers, but only 6K sigs on the "Dean Speaks for Me"

[iconoclastic cat]

petition.

Why is that?

http://www.petitiononline.com/Dean/petition.html

Edited to add: I'm not saying everyone has to like/support/care about the petition, Dean, or anyone/anything else. I'm just curious about why there would only be a handful of sigs.

If you don't support Dean, I do not judge you or your motives. I am not engaging in divisiveness, nor am I firing in that famous circular squad. I just wondered why there were only a few thousand signatures.

Remember: I love you all.

Edit #2: BTW, for those of you who wonder about the author of the petition, check out her link here:
********
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/12/91424/9798

UPDATED with Sig Stats: Dean Speaks For Me Petition-Day 3
by glynis


Sun Jun 12th, 2005 at 09:14:24 EDT

Rally the troops! Please visit this diary: Support Howard Dean Day

If you see polls today about Dean, send them the petition link. Tell them they can include these people as supporting Dean.

Your virtual bat. 10:37am CST: 5912 signatures, 4008 to go.

Link to the signatures.

Here they are! What you've been waiting all morning for: Petition Signature Fun Facts. Yea! But, you've got to scroll below the fold to see them.

Blogswarm this petition link.
*********

[cobaindrain]

1. because maybe he doesn't speak for every democrat

[cajones_II]

69. Or maybe there's a hell of a lot of moles here

Hmmm?

[Old_Fart]

100. Dean speaks for my family and myself

n/t

[slor]

2. I signed...

we all need to do our part folks...so get to it!

[lenidog]

3. Maybe because not everyone thinks Dean speaks for them

and we have been focusing on the Conyers petition

[malmapus]

4. Dunno how I missed this, signed it

Thanks for bringing it up!

[NJCher]

didn't know about it

Now I do. Name's on the petition.

Thanks for letting me know about it.


Cher

[aeolian]

5. wohoo! Let the circular firing squad commence!

[iconoclastic cat]

14. No kidding.

[Coexist]

6. I signed it - but didn't like the tone of it

maybe it's turning others off.
I can support Dean without telling others that they HAVE TO agree with me or else.

[SF Bay Area Dem]

7. Done!

Glad to do it...

[KoKo]

8. For me it's because it's one of those "online Petition Sites."

I get leary about signing a petition like that. :shrug: I sign petitions from organzations like "Move On" or from Conyers or Boxer. But, pass by the others.

[Rich Hunt]

66. and you're right

These things, however well-intentioned, aren't worth all that much as a statement of your beliefs, nor are they are good measure of who thinks what.

They certainly shouldn't be used to guilt-trip people.

Just as a test, I once tried signing one with a pseudonym and fake location, and my signature was accepted.

[Catchawave]

70. I don't think online petition sites are taken very

seriously anymore because they accept false information.

[ToeBot]

95. Petitiononline, fastest way to trivialize your point of view n/t

[longship]

9. He speaks for me

Done.

[sandnsea]

10. Because he doesn't speak for me

When he's making blanket rants against every Republican in the country. Or because some people think the whole flap is stupid. Or some combination of the two.

[Heewack]

16. Yeah that!

Dean doesn't speak for a vast majority of Democrats.

[femme.democratique]

22. And what makes YOU qualified to make that judgement?

99% of the Democratic politicians don't REALLY speak for me - what they do is lie and obfuscate and mislead me for their own political gain. You think that just because Hillary and Biden and Obama talk a good game on occasion means they'll follow through? Please... }(

[Heewack]

85. That very well may be.

And you may not want to be part of the party any longer. All I know is that Dean does not speak for the rank and file. His over the top rhetoric is doing nobody any good. Preaching to the choir with over the top statements only does so much. Do we really need firing up???? I sure don't. I need someone that is going to win over a majority and that will include bringing over people that voted the other way. I don't like being an opposition party, Dean's schtick, IMO, keeps us there.

[Turn CO Blue]

90. Yep. Let's keep moving farther and farther toward the Right

so that we can win over two or three of their confused voters!

/sarcasm

I can't agree with you at all. Dean does indeed speak for the "rank and file" Democrats (if by rank and file, you mean the actual constituents who are longing for red-meat. However, I believe that you mean the I-been-bribed-and-paid-for-by-big-business Dem leaders, then forget it! They are NOT the rank and file.)

We will NEVER win back the White House by being timid and Centrist - that's an old Rovian lie some damned liar told you -- we will win when we FINALLY begin speaking firmly and passionately about our values, our convictions, and our agenda, and pointing out the corruption of this Administration.

Remember how all those Bush voters were talking about how Bush "may not speak very well, but at least he means what he says!" We have to let voters know what we stand for for once and not equivocate on every stinking issue (trying to appear Statesmanlike) and for Pete's sake, we've got to point out every effing mistake the Repubs make and have ever made -- and do so WITHOUT MERCY!

[CAcyclist]

108. You Don't Know Anything of The Sort

You can speak for yourself but you don't speak for the rest of us.

_________________________

To the OP-

I signed the petition on Friday - it's only been up for a couple days - people have such high expectations around here:P

[Name removed]

94. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mike_c]

38. that's why I'm no longer a democrat....

We need more democratic leaders like Howard Dean. I'll come back to the party when it comes to its senses and starts opposing the neo-con madness, rather than appeasing and buying into it. Dems who want to march in lockstep with fascists? We don't need 'em!

[Zhade]

49. Indeed! Well-said.

NT!

[Guaranteed]

11. There aren't nearly that many active DUers.

We should ask Skinner how many DUers are actually active.

[Goldeneye]

77. Probably only a few hundred more than voted in expatriots poll.

I'm thinking around 2,000 active members and a couple thousand more casual users.

[nedbal]

84. 5% are typically active in lists I've run, so 6K is good

[mike_c]

12. I signed it-- and Dean is one of the few remaining democrats...

...who genuinely does speak for me!

[pie]

13. First I've seen of it. Will sign now.

[Conker]

15. I didn't know about it.

I'll go sign it now.

[MelissaB]

75. Welcome to DU, Conker!

...and thanks for signing.

:hi:

[I Have A Dream]

80. Hi, Conker! Welcome!

I haven't been here very long myself, but DU is a great place. Glad to have you here!

[Conker]

104. Glad to be here.

Thank you MelissaB, and I Have A Dream for the nice welcome :) .

[TheDebbieDee]

17. Done! and Kick!

[MikeH]

18. I Now Signed It A Short While Ago

[Roland99]

19. There are many reasons why.

1) Not every registered user is a Democrat.
2) Not every registered user even reads DU on a regular basis.
3) Not every registered user is a Democrat that likes Dean.
3) Not every registered user has seen this.


But, it's now one higher. :)

[femme.democratique]

20. Well, icocat, methinks you're helping to identify some DINO supporters...

come on, people, what Dean has said is DEAD ON and he is doing more for us than ANY Dem in the US Govt, excluding Conyers. Get over the "He should have said it this way" BS. He's fighting for YOU, for US, can you say the same for those who would besmirch him? No.

[sandnsea]

41. Yep, you're with Dean or you're Tom Delay

Clowns to the left, jokers to the right.

[femme.democratique]

54. Not exactly - however, most Dems in Congress like to hear themselves talk

They talk and talk and talk yet...they don't really lead with their actions, and their words rarely lead anywhere but right into Roves waiting arms. I believe Howard has our best interests at heart. The others, not so much.

Howard is a true leader, he isn't afraid to ruffle feathers (which is what a real leader does when necessary), and he speaks for me! Agree or disagree, I have been begging for SOMEONE to say something publically aversive to the Bush administration (and I don't mean the canned speeches by those like Clinton and Biden). People need to see that we are REALLY fighting, not just shadowboxing!

[recoveringrepublican]

21. Signed it, usually i don't like Petitiononline, but since you seem to be

validating signatures I signed it.

[iconoclastic cat]

25. Actually, the author is doing the validating. (link)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/12/91424/9798

[Pystoff]

23. He does for me

I'm white and from the south and Dean speaks the truth albeit a bit harshly.

Democrats take a well needed page from the Pug playbook..."Thou shalt not speak ill of another Democrat!!!"

Unless we like the circular firing squad approach that has served the party so well :sarcasm:

[I Have A Dream]

82. Hi, Pystoff - welcome! (I love your name!) n/t

[Pystoff]

89. Ty

Hehehe name tis cool eh?

[cestpaspossible]

24. No, there are not over 70k DUers nt

[tinfoilinfor2005]

26. No, I didn't.

I did however put a check in the mail to the DNC yesterday with Go Howard Dean written in the memo. Let's see which impresses them more.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

27. Let me answer that from my perspective

I'm very leery of doing business on the internet. I did sign the DSM petition, & I signed up here a DU (it took me a long time to do that). I do not sign a lot of petitions on line, because I'm still a little leery. For monetary transactions I like to send checks, I'm not comfortable with on-line monetary transactions.

QUESTION - Some of my friends don't have computers, or don't have e-mail. They would love to sign the DSM petition. Can they give me permission to sign their names.

P.S. I'll check out that Dean petition this AM, 'cause I sure am behind him.

[iconoclastic cat]

28. Not sure about the name permission thing.

You do have to be careful about online transactions.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

32. I'm wondering if someone who has no computer can sign the Dean

or DSM petition on my computer, using my E-mail. Or give me permission to sign for them.

[Catrina]

87. I didn't know about it

Just signed it now ~

AnotherMotherForPeace, I don't know the answer to your question. You could email them (I think I saw an email address) and ask. I imagine they might delete names that have the same email addresses in case they might be the same person, but maybe if you explain it, they will accept the names ~ wish I had the answer ~ :-)

[peacebird]

29. Thanks for the heads up!

I've signed it now.

Howard Dean speaks for me, so does Sen Byrd.

bump

[HockeyMom]

30. I signed days ago

I sent the link to my daughters and they signed last night.

[NVMojo]

31. that's not bad, i think i signed it on Friday when there were > 400

[Califooyah Operative]

99. i saw it friday when it was 400,

and waited to see how it went, later that night it was at 4000.

it's at 7 or 8 thuosand now, that's not bad at all for word of mouth petition w/out any real organzational support.

[Porcupine]

33. Signed. I'm fed up with the boneless Dem leadership...

that seems to have endless variations on the theme of roll over and play dead.

[SoCalifer]

34. Dean certainly speaks for me

I am number 2490 on the list. :thumbsup:

[NeoTraitors]

36. I signed it.

This is America today. VP Cheaney can say 'GFY' on the Senate floor and then complain about Dean!?! I have the same reaction to that as I do the 'we're spreading democracy' arguement. When someone is that disengenuous, I just want to smack them upside the head.

[tjdee]

37. Just like the primaries, no?

We as Democrats waste so much time explaining what Dean said. Or what Dean meant. Or how someone reacted to what Dean said. Or what Dean said to the person who said something about what Dean said. Or how CNN reported what Dean said.

It's *really* irritating.

This has been an issue with Dean from the very beginning. This whole "woops, what I meant was..." thing is such a pain because it gives the media something to kick over. He *knows* this.

My not signing the petition does not imply support of some of the Democrats in congress, either. So whomever said you've unearthed DINO supporters, or whatever, is not entirely correct.

[MuseRider]

55. What you said.

Thanks for saying it better than I could.

[JNelson6563]

39. There are not "over 70,000 DUers"

I hope the admins notice how often this fallacy is posted. They should at least deduct the TS'd instead of leaving that blatantly false number up.

Julie

[OneTwentyoNine]

43. I agree,the number should reflect real DU'ers....

The numbers should be culled to reflect real users of DU. Booting ten freepers per day or per week shouldn't add to the total numbers but it does.

Another site I use that also uses DC script adjusts the numbers to people who have posted in the last 90 days,that's the most honest way to reflect the real amount.

[snowbear]

72. Yeah, but......

Hasn't there been over 71,000 registrations created on the DU website at one time or another?

And sure.. some accounts may be duplicates for one reason or another? :shrug:

Some are undoubtedly R-THUGS who sign on only to stir up controversy?

Maybe some have even moved on for one reason or another.. (although I doubt that number is relatively small ;) )

But still.. at one time or another, over 71,000 accounts have been created.

... right? :shrug:

So while there may not be 71,000 + "active" members here.. The "create account" function at DU has been utilized over 71,000 times by human beings logging on here.

Whatever the actual number is... Wow.. does it get any better than this?

:hug:

[buzzard]

40. I would sign it if i were a US Citizen, I like his candor and lack

of pandering to the right. He does a good job of articulating the moral values of the Democratic Party something that the right seems to feel they have a monopoly on. Just my opinion.

[Rainscents]

42. I signed!!!

[howmad1]

45. I signed also.

Hmmmm, wonder if bankrupt Joey Biden signed as well. Yea, right!}( }(

[zann725]

59. Me too!

Kick!

[DeaconBlues]

44. I signed it a while back

I didn't know I had to state my allegiance to the Leader when I did it.

[minnesotaDFLer]

46. signed

[minnesotaDFLer]

47. hey, when are we gonna get

out signatures approved?

[Hippo_Tron]

48. I like Dean, but I'm not big on this Dem civil war

[Zhade]

50. I hope you've let the Dem elites know this, since they started the war.

NT!

[Hippo_Tron]

51. I don't particularly care who started it

I choose not to support it.

[Zhade]

52. Fair enough.

NT!

[earth mom]

53. Dean ROCKS! He's for the people and not interested in corporate bribery!

[Mark E. Smith]

56. I think he's said some dumb and counterproductive things

Not all that excited about old Howard right now.

[jsw_81]

57. Why?

Maybe Dean isn't all that popular. He got crushed in the primaries and only won his current job because he didn't have any serious opposition.

[baron j]

58. I dare say anyone in this universe speaks for me, but I do like how

how Howard speaks, so I signed.

[lojasmo]

60. Done days ago. Dean speaks for me, more so than a huge majority

of our democratic legislators.

[liberaliraqvet26]

61. by us even making this an issue....

we are giving the RW media what they want. We should concentrate on killing shrubs social security pillage plan, pointing out the abuse of power(we had a great example at the sensonbrenner hearing on fri, which hasn't gotten any play in the MSM) and waking up the sleeping masses around the country. Not bickering over this crap.

[charlyvi]

62. Okay IC.....

I signed it.

[iconoclastic cat]

63. I'm sure Dr. Dean will thank you.

(not literally)

[Rich Hunt]

64. simple reason

Many people don't like giving out their personal information to strangers. Same reason I'm wary of giving to certain charities, especially over the phone. Same reason i just don't sign petitions on the street.

Come on, online petitions aren't worth all that much these days. If you're using them as a measure of support for Howard Dean, you're cracked.

[FourStarDemocrat]

65. I signed it this weekend nt

[Clarkie1]

67. I support Dean, but nobody speaks for me.

I speak for myself.

[ChiciB1]

68. Just Saw The Post....

Just Signed!

[GoneOffShore]

71. I missed this and

just signed!
There are now - as of 20:00 hrs EDT Sunday, 12 June, 7.720 signers.
Dean was my guy during the primary, and I'm sorry he didn't get the chance to bash InCurious George in the election. If he had we might now have a Democrat in the White House and a majority in the Senate.
Dean is standing up for this white, atheist middle class American with a Jewish wife.
Nobody here should be hating on Dr. Dean!
(added on edit)
And I signed the Conyers petition last week, along with one from NARAL, Planned Parenthood, NRDC, EFF and a few others. Along with renewing my membership in PFAW and the ACLU.
And again - Let's support Howard Dean. In fact, Dean for President in 2008!

[diddlysquat]

73. I signed!

Dean DOES speak for me.

[chknltl]

74. I signed. Thanks for the opportunity to do so. nt

[kimpossible]

76. I hadn't heard of it

Just signed.

[Pacifist Patriot]

78. First I've heard of it. Signed.

[sellitman]

79. Dean speaks for me but these online petitions are just plain stupid

IMHO

[Paradise]

81. They're out to divide and conquer us. We MUST stand together,

and support the backbone of our party, Chairman Howard Dean!

United we stand; divided we fall!:kick:

[juajen]

83. Ok, already, I signed

I had not seen this. Love Howard, and he certainly speaks for me.

[Vadem]

86. I signed it! What is this pending signature message????.....

or whatever it said? n/t

[iconoclastic cat]

91. The author is checking the validity of the signatures herself.

[Vadem]

92. Thanks icon...cat!!!!!.......n/t

[Orangepeel]

88. I fully support Howard Dean, but I didn't sign

One, like someone posted above, I'm wary of online petitions. I don't like to sign random ones.

Two, I hate the title. I'm not signing a form that says that anyone "speaks for me." Although I fully support Howard Dean as chair and love that he is standing up and speaking out plainly and strongly, I speak for myself.

[njdemocrat106]

93. #8,333

Rock on, Dr. Dean. :headbang:

[radfringe]

96. didn't know about it...

ok I'm #8729 on the list

[iconoclastic cat]

97. Good morning, Radfringe!

[radfringe]

102. :) good morning back at ya!

and now I must bid adieu and go to work...

[cleveramerican]

98. Dean is not ready for prime time

I like the guy but I just think he's not ready for the kind of scrutiny he going to encounter EVERY time he says something ridiculous.When he says stupid things, it emboldens his enemies. If he doesn't quit making rookie mistakes like this last one, he won't be leading the party long
Maybe its because he's from Vermont, But I would have thought his campaign for the presidency would have cured his long established tendency to speak in a less-than-circumspect manner.

[iconoclastic cat]

101. I couldn't disagree with you more, but welcome to DU nonetheless.

:hi:

[grumpy old fart]

107. You couldn't be more wrong. The problem is with the spin enablers

in the party and the media. If you stick with the man's exact words, they are on target. He speaks the truth, and they think it's hell.

[hippywife]

103. No offense, IC

but Dean doesn't speak for all of us. I fully agree that the Dems in power need some spine but they need to do it effectively and intelligently. Spouting bullshit blanket rhetoric isn't the way to get it done. It's the issues that need to be hammered on without the distractions caused by this kind of rhetoric.

[iconoclastic cat]

109. No offense taken. I don't agree with you, but that's fine.

[Generator]

105. It has one more now

The man just acknowledged two gorillas in the room.

Fox news is propaganda.

Republicans don't give a crap about voting rights.


Go Dean!

[grumpy old fart]

106. 10,000 + and growing!!!

I love the guy.

[iconoclastic cat]

110. Awesome.

[theboss]

111. Because he doesn't speak for me

I can speak for myself, thanks.

[blue4barb]

112. 11,369 with mine.

[tabasco]

113. Just signed it. First I've seen it.