Dean Supporters -- Stay Strong.

[Anwen]

Lately there has been a huge amount of negative publicity and attacks surrounding Dean, not only on this forum but in the media as well.

I urge you not to let this get you down and to continue doing whatever it is you can do to help push Dean forward. Instead of wasting precious time answering negative attacks, take that time to either donate (if you can), or write a letter to an undecided voter in another state.

The attacks are not going to stop, no matter how much logic and reason you present. So it is wise to consider using that energy for something positive that will help the campaign we believe so strongly in.

So, what are you going to do?

[RetroLounge]

1. Ignore the attacks here

donate to Dean.

Work the phones for Dean.

Attend Meetups for Dean.

Get more lawn signs.

Stay strong.

[Anwen]

8. Good!

Way to go... that's great! :)

[KFC]

2. Vote for Kerry.

He has some really big hands.

[AntiCoup2K4]

9. So does Ann Coulter, but I wouldn't vote for him either!

Kerry's hands are now a campaign strategy?? Is that to get the botox out of the news? ;)

[KFC]

22. OK. So the big hands approach is not perfect

I was not aware that that Coulter dude has such large flippers.

[DebJ]

3. I wish someone would try to attack him on issues and his record...how

come no one can do that?
I love Dean

[Zomby Woof]

46. plenty of us do

Many, many, of us post substantial links and essays on why Dean is wrong on the issues, and wrong for the job. But it makes no difference - either way we get shouted down or met with sarcasm and attacks.

[Ninga]

4. I agree with your advice.

This is too important. Hang tough and don't give up your beliefs.
Meet-ups tomorrow and work to be done.

[AntiCoup2K4]

5. I'm gonna wake up at an ungodly hour of the morning on Saturday

...so I can be ready for a caucus at 10:00 AM.

I would never do that for any lesser candidate :D

[LuminousX]

6. Remember, the main reason most of this negative threads appear

is to demoralize.

You don't waste energy attacking something that isn't a threat. If they really thought Dean was down and out, they still wouldn't be trying to take him down. The more they keep attacking, the more we should be reminded how he was attacked so long ago when he was just coming up in the ranks.

He did it once, he will do it again.

[Anwen]

12. Exactly.

You are absolutely correct :)

[MercutioATC]

13. Actually, the main reason may be to alert people when they reply.

Somebody's free to post a lie with no proof. Try to tell them "That's a lie" or "That's BS" while providing proof to the contrary and it's warning time.

...it's gotten strange. Be careful out there...

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. i donated to dean a few days ago

after he lost iowa cos i think he has a real chance at being president

[caledesi]

10. Still pushing for Dean. nt

[tnlefty]

11. House party tomorrow night and after the results of those primaries

possibly split the votes in our house from 2 - Dean to 1 - Dean and 1 - Clark.

[kaitykaity]

14. Thanks, I needed a thread like this.

It's so hard not to get beaten down by all of the nonsense.

:thumbsup:

[Anwen]

17. No problem!

It is really tough...I looked at all of the posts today and literally felt sick to my stomach.

The best thing to do I've learned is to ignore it. Let the baby have his bottle ;-)

[David Dunham]

15. As Gore said of Bush I, it's time for Dean to go (back to VT)

[kaitykaity]

23. I'm sure he will--his vacations just won't be as long as

the Boy King's Crawford sojourns.

[Hoppin_Mad]

16. You bet ! "We have just BEGUN to fight" -nt-

[DebJ]

18. Just heard an endorsement for Kerry, yet again, where they say 'his

message is beginning to resonate'....yep, ever since he started stealing Dean's lines, hah!

[Straight Shooter]

19. Dean is a threat to the Powers That Be

Kerry's meteoric rise from relative obscurity is fascinating to watch, isn't it, sort of like watching an inevitable horrendous car accident in slow motion. The Powers That Be are chewing Kerry like cud, savoring the flavor, and when the time is right they will spit him out.

My sig line is a spoof. Any wedding to Kerry, via vote, will be a shotgun wedding. From my perspective, Dean puts his money where his mouth is; Kerry puts his mouth where the money is.

(And to the obvious retort, no, Dean did not gamble away 40-plus million. It was an investment that did not yield the desired results. But you know how volatile the political market is ...)

[Anwen]

21. You are absolutely right!

LOL and your sig line is great! :D

[Straight Shooter]

24. Thanks

Your sig line is better! I've repeated it often. It always gets a smile, sometimes a laugh.

I think the Superbowl crowd was so muted because everyone was afraid to scream and be singled out for replay on the networks 673 times.

;-)

[Anwen]

30. :-)

LOL...Because shouting obviously means you are CRAZY, even if it's cheering a football game, or firing up a crowd! ;-)

I just shared your sig line with a friend, and she agreed that it's hilarous! :D

[Emillereid]

20. Work, Donate, Believe --

Got a party tomorrow night and a meetup Wednesday. Saw Dean on Meet the Press yesterday -- he was awesome. What a straight shooter!

[edzontar]

25. Dean is the ONLY candidate who has EARNED our support....

By speaking the TRUTH while most the others took the DINO Puke-Lite road, supported the BUSH war, and sold us out to corporate crooks.

Go Dean!!!

[cthrumatrix]

35. totally agree...prime example was MTp yesterday...just outstanding

[killbotfactory]

26. 'Til the last dog dies.

[SeattleRob]

27. Agree

and I can't wait until Saturday, when I participate in my first caucus and vote for Howard Dean!

:kick:

[Southsideirish]

28. They'd have to mow me down with a steam roller b4 I'd leave Dean.

[stuzzy]

29. I feel down sometimes....

But then I see him make a speech or appearance that fires me up again, or I see the support he recieves here.

Keep on keepin' on people, it's not over yet.

[slinkerwink]

31. I'm definitely fighting to the bitter end......

[Anwen]

32. Me too.

Though I'm hoping it won't be bitter :)

[cthrumatrix]

33. we're not going anywhere....Dean has the best message of the bunch.

[Mass_Liberal]

34. hells yea

contributed. Unfortunetly I'm a tad busy with high school. But when the race comes to Massachusetts, you bet I'll be doing a crapload of visibility and whatever else I can do to help.

[Anwen]

36. Awesome!

Every little bit helps. :)

[markus]

37. I'm only hangin' here cause it's past reasonable calling time

Tomorrow is our North Dakota caucus. The Fargo Forum poll sucked, but there is not really that much Kerry support in my district (I'm calling the Dem Leader List, very likely voters). Kery leading Dean by > 2-1, and no one for Clark.

Kerry's been up with a heavy rotation against Clark who's been on in the Faro/Grand Forks market for over a month. And Kerry just barnstormed through Fargo, and watched the game at the big local sports bar cavern.

Dean is spending nothing, but I still feel confident we'll top 15%, which is what it will take to keep the Gov. alive and kickin'.

To all the brothers and sisters in all of the Tuesday states: Si se puede!

[Polemonium]

38. Meet - up tomorrow

We'll keep fighting, because some things are worth fighting for.

[xultar]

39. I'm not looking @ any attacks here, when ever I see a thread

that isn't positve I keep on steppin...

I'll post in funny threads and I'll post to Clark supporters.

I won't participate in maddness. That is why I get angry when people come into my threads and rain on my parade.

So yes! Stay strong, think positive. Tomorrow will be interesting for all and a learning experience for some.

[candy331]

40. Here! Here! and will be here

I support Dean but I see this as bigger than Dean, just as Dean does himself. If he was only interested in getting elected he could read from a prepared script, but he knows it is about real change in this country. Too bad that the ones who were crying change have lost sight of that and are willing to settle for more of the same. Such a shame.

[Anwen]

42. Thanks xultar, I appreciate that

I usually try to avoid even opening a thread that looks like trouble. Sometimes I can't resist, and it always makes me so angry. What is more irritating thoigh is when people come into a positve thread and try to bring everyone down.

But anyway, tomorrow should definitely be interesting. I'm rooting for Clark too, so we'll see what happens! :-)

[HuckleB]

41. Still rolling along for Dean.

Woo hoo!

[ozone_man]

Made another contribution tonight.

Probably attend the "I Am Dean's Special Interest" program this Saturday (4:00PM EST). I'm in it for the long haul. If Dean doesn't win, then I'll be hoping he forms an Independent campaign.

[mopinko]

43. feb. 7 flash mob

i'll be there. printing up some great signs.
there is also a rally in downtown chciago for president's day.


Imagine this story in your local paper next week:

One neighborhood at a time, ordinary Americans stand up for Dean

Block by block, Dean supporters took to the streets yesterday. Ordinary Americans claimed thousands of street corners from Flagstaff to Austin, Green Bay to Miami, sprawling across America one neighborhood at a time, holding signs reading "I am Howard Dean's Special Interest." More than 300,000 Americans have donated $88 on average.

Kerry and Edwards and Bush have solicited millions of dollars from large corporate special interests - only Dean has the passion of over half a million people committed to changing America. We have a candidate who doesn't just talk about change, but has a record of delivering real results.

Next week, on February 7th, the date of the Michigan and Washington caucuses, stand with thousands of other Americans in thousands of neighborhoods to show that the Dean grassroots are here to stay.

It is very simple - just make your own "I AM HOWARD DEAN'S SPECIAL INTEREST" sign (or we'll send you one if you sign up below). Walk to the corner of your block at 4 PM ET (1 PM PT, 2 PM MT, 3 PM CT, etc). Pick a corner that has some traffic, but is still close to home. Be creative - if a few people find a thousand different ways to be visible for Dean on thousands of street corners, sprawling across America's small towns and big cities, we can make this happen.

* Plan an event online: http://commons.deanforamerica.com
* Pledge to stand up for Dean (on your own) on February 7th: http://www.deanforamerica.com/visibility
* Download a media advisory to let your local press know that you're involved: http://www.deanforamerica.com/visibilitymedia
* To contribute to give voice to Howard Dean's message, click here: http://www.deanforamerica.com/contribute

It is our job in a democracy to imagine the world we want to live in, and then act to realize that vision.

This election is about power - who owns our government and who runs it?

If hundreds of thousands of Americans all stand on street corners together, standing with you, standing Dean at the same time, sharing Dean's message of democracy, results, and courage, we can wake this country up, show our power, and help Dean break through --

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Zephyr Teachout, Dean for America

[John_H]

44. Stay strong. And start thinking about how you're going to help

get bush out of office even if Dean is not the guy.

[Adjoran]

45. Don't give up

I have been uncommitted through it all. I vote tomorrow, and had begun moving toward Dean. He decided to forego active campaigning here (SC), though, and isn't expected to come close to the 15% threshold in my district, so I will probably vote for Edwards, who had become my second choice, in order to prolong the campaign and give both the best chance in the long run.

I salute the Dean supporters for their passion and dedication. This is a test. Any decent showing tomorrow will be better than expected, but don't expect much. If, however, Edwards and Clark can grab a respectable share of the votes and delegates at stake, it will tend to open the race back up, giving Dean the chance he needs.

I hope no one gives up on Dean yet. If you believe in the man enough to make him President, shouldn't you trust him to tell you if it is time to throw in the towel?

I have nothing against John Kerry. I remember him from the VVAW days, and always respected him. I'm just not prepared to say he is the best candidate to face the repubs in the fall yet.

What made me start leaning to Dean was the week AFTER Iowa. I thought he handled the inevitable adversity very well, showing he can keep his cool in a crisis, laugh at himself, and move on with dignity. I liked that a lot. Previously, he hadn't been tested under stress as a Presidential candidate; he ran a nearly perfect campaign for almost a year. But he passed the test.

I'll support the nominee, whoever he is. I would feel better about our chances if that person has been through the intense pressure of near-disaster, and come through the way Dean has.