MoveOn.org: New Giant on Dems' Stage

[ProudToBeLiberal]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 -- When former Vice President Al Gore wanted to blast George W. Bush on Iraq he chose a forum of the MoveOn.org organization to do it.

/snip/

Even before the extraordinary success of Vermont former governor Howard Dean's Internet drive for activists and funds had put MoveOn.org and its Internet reach firmly on the political map, the organization already claimed a network of 1.4 million activists around the United States with another 700,000 wired in from around the world.

/snip/

The movement also includes Trippi's organizational and fund-raising achievements for Dean using the Meetup.com forum, Soros' involvement and the adventurous experiments in voter mobilization from voter outreach organizations, or 527s that have sprung up on the Democratic side of politics since the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law passed.

MoveOn.org has made itself as essential to the Democrats' national political discourse as any major newspaper or TV network. That is a long way to have come so fast. They are likely to go a lot further yet.

more....

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1129-07.htm

[Eric J in MN]

1. MoveOn has 1.4 million addresses but the Republicans have

MoveOn has 1.4 million addresses but the Republicans have 6 million.

We have to spread the word about MoveOn and get more people to join to compete.

http://moveonvoterfund.org

[Oilwellian]

13. Lesson #1

Never believe a word or number quoted by Republicans.

[LeftCoast]

31. Sorry, I just don't believe the Repuke 6mil number

I will freely admit, it may be accurate, but after lying to us about Iraq, the environment, the energy bill, the economy, the 2000 election I don't really trust them too much. I've never seen this number substantiated in any way whatsoever. Until I do, I'll view it as pure bullsh*t.

[fabius]

32. 6 million Repukes my ass...

Sure they have 6 million addresses.

As far as the Dean campaign, the ones that count (likely to be active) are the Meetup volunteers (148,000 so far). These psople mostly actually go out and canvass, hand out literature. Ok, maybe twice that many so far (300,000) have contributed.

If you look at the Bush Meetup numbers, it's about 2000.

Bush's Meetup numbers are beat by Clark, Kucinich, Kerry, Democratic Party, Common Cause, and Edwards.

The combined numbers for Republican Party and Bush are half what the Democratic Party has.

http://www.meetup.com/browse/polact/

Top Topics in Politics & Activism
Dean in 2004 (>148,300 members)
Clark in 2004 (>48,400)
Kucinich in 2004 (>19,300)
Kerry in 2004 (>17,000)
Democratic Party (>11,600)
Townhall (>11,300)
March for Choice (>5,300)
Common Cause (>4,800)
Republican Party (>2,700)
Edwards in 2004 (>2,200)
Million Moms (>2,100)
Gore in 2004 (>1,900)
Bush in 2004 (>1,900)
Gay Rights (>1,300)
Rock the Vote (>1,200)

OK we know Meetup is NOT the chief organizational tool of the Republicans and they probably have a lot of hard core supporters and organizers, but I think the number of active campaign volunteers is FAR short of 6 million. Even the number of active campaign contributors is probably nowhere near that.

6 million is their SPAM list.

[jlfreund]

35. Salon on Move on

Salon put the number of Move On members at 1.7M and characterized it as "the most important political advocacy group in Democratic circles -- and arguably the most important in American politics"

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/12/01/moveon/index.html

Which brings me to my second point: if you don't subscribe to Salon yet, you're not a card carrying Democrat.

Jason

[MrSoundAndVision]

2. We must

have an actual, clearly stated agenda, one free of vagueries and opportunity for the special interests to compromise our position, we need Dennis Kucinich to be President of the United States! Click http://www.kucinich.us and join us! The revolution will not be televised!

[goforit]

3. Moooooooove on......MoveOn.org!!!!!....Congratulations!!!!!

:bounce:

[Born Free]

17. It's the only group doing anything

Moveon is the only group making any progress, each time they collect money, they get more, the latest has collected over 5 million so far. It's only a matter of time until we get enough members willing and able to contribute a few dollars to win back America. I stopped donating to the democrats, they are doing nothing, I do still contribute to Move-On. It isn't much by many republican standards but many people give small amounts add up if all 1.4 million give even $10.00 we have enough to surpass the latest goals - add the matching 50% from Soros and you have a pretty good financial movement. I would like to see Moveon tackle the entire 9/11 fiasco that the bush team uses for their advantage. My son suggested and ad showing the Trade World Center being destroyed they a clip of bush claiming that finding OBL is not the issue of importance - just flashing them back and forth. Democrats are afraid to question the bush team, Moveon is not.

[Arugula Latte]

20. Brilliant ad concept

I love it. Just show Whistleass whistling out his ass as usual. When OBL stopped suiting his political purposes he dropped him like a hot potato.

[goforit]

21. This is a great point!.....There is no closure, 911 just hangs in the dust

Yet, I do believe we have absolute madmen at the helm and
we have to prioritize first. And when the mission is accomplished
then the 911 investigation should proceed.

So let us elect the right guy in first.

[Sterling]

23. I agree

It cannot stop with getting them out of the Whitehouse. Hopefully most Dems understand this and will see that justice is served.

[Sterling]

24. I agree

It cannot stop with getting them out of the Whitehouse. Hopefully most Dems understand this and will see that justice is served.

[bvar22]

4. Please check out this thread!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=106&topic_id=4206

I will be attending a local MoveOn gathering in St. Paul on Dec.7th, and will be bringing 2 friends that possibly may be convinved to take a more acrive role in the fight for our freedoms.

[alfredo]

15. I will be at one in my town. N/T

[delhurgo]

5. The only thing I know about these MoveOn people are their...

...tv ads, which are only so-so imo. The attack ads on Arnold were laughable, specifically the one that had all these women of diff ages ,all looking so sad, on the verge of tears about a joke Arnold made about a scene in T3 - the one where he shoves the TX's head in a toilet. lol. Actually, I don't even remember that. But its a movie for cryin out loud. That dumb ad obviously and rightfully had zero impact. The other is the current ad comparing Bush to Herbert Hoover, which is good right up until the very end where it becomes pro-tax - they shoulda left that out. They seem to be too left for my tastes, and to be very effective, imo.

George Soros has me interested though considering his own politics are suppose to have been, to some extent, influenced by Karl Popper. From what I gather, Popper's writings are sort-of 'libertarian'. If Soros can move the party in that direction, more power to him. Seems unlikely, but I'll be interested in seeing what his impact is.

[WillyBrandt]

6. This isn't LibertarianUnderground

Just so you know.

[delhurgo]

9. Yes, Im aware of that.

Its not GreenUnderground, SocialistUndeground, or MarxistUnderground either.

Run on the moderate policies that got Clinton elected, thats all I ask.

[GregW]

7. Keep reading, visit their website ...

... then you will be better informed.

[delhurgo]

10. Yes, I must do that.

And I've gotta look further into Mr Soros too. I'm curious about what exactly he's up too, besides the Drug War.

[AndyTiedye]

8. They Shoulda Done an ad of Arnie in Bed with Ken Lay and Michael Milken

Why didn't they publicize The Meeting?????

[delhurgo]

11. Im not sure what "The Meeting" is.

Are u sure you dont mean Bush? If there was a meeting, and business between Lay and Arnold then that potentially could have been a more effective ad. Cuz that politically correct, "he's a misogynist" crap they tried was a waste.

Isnt Milken still in jail? Heh. Either way he's ancient news. I certainly never heard any connection with Arnold.

[shamanstar]

16. the meeting

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=283&row=1

[FredScuttle]

25. but he is a misogynist!

Or do you suggest that we and those women he assaulted (yes, assaulted as defined by state law) "get over it"???

I hope that Herr Gropenfuhrer never gets within arm's length of any female you're fond of.

[Sterling]

27. Does it bother you that "he's a misogynist"

It bothers me. I would prefer to leaders worth respecting but that is just me.

I do agree that "The Meeting" would have made a great ad. In fact it still would.

[bpilgrim]

18. check out this ad...

http://new.globalfreepress.com/article.pl?sid=03/11/23/0451219

btw: clinton ran on a POPULOUS platform, look at his campaign speaches.

peace

[Cheswick2.0]

29. Arnold suggested he would do that to Arianna H.

that was what we women objected to. I find it odd, to say the least, that anyone on this web site would find that funny.

[mitchtv]

34. Arnie just moved to shut up women

by releasing the "battered woman" from a murder rap. He is in fact more progressive on that issue than out last Gov =Gray.While still a pig, Gropenator has made a deft political move.

[tlb]

12. A pretty hapless giant then.

Other then riding along on the coattails of the Clinton defense, they have been prominently on the losing side of every fight I have noticed them involving themselves in. Texas redistricting and California come to mind. Plus their role in launching Dean.

I'm inclined to think such shrill absolutists cause a lot morw harm to the democratic party then they do good.

[retread]

19. Just dominate a good "moderate" such as Joe or even Dick

and I'm sure you won't have to burden youself with worry about being supported by such "shrill absolutists."

[FredScuttle]

26. hear, hear!

I would rather be represented by "shrill absolutists" who speak THE TRUTH than by namby-pamby sheep who capitulate at Rove's pleasure.

[Bandit]

28. Well Republicans should be delighted with them

Are you speaking as a Democrat or??????

[kskiska]

14. Good article in Salon today

on MoveOn:

MoveOn Moves Up
http://salon.com/news/feature/2003/12/01/moveon/index.html

[Sterling]

22. Fellow DUers have a couple of ads in the Bush in 30 seconds

contest. You can check them out at globalfreepress.com

I think Move On is starting something that will be very effective in the future. It takes time to build the kinfd of pproject they are. I have been blown away by their ability to mobilize people and money.

I think the have a very promising future as one of the key groups leading the movement.

[sendero]

30. I've been a MoveOn..

... supporter for a long time. It think it is a shining example of a grass roots organization and what such an organization can accomplish.

Everyone should sign up. Go do it now!

[fabius]

33. List includes dead people.

If the Repub. mailing lists are any indication it includes dead people.

My deceased (since May 2001) father in law still receives mail from Bush-Cheney, Republican Party, Repub. Senatorial and Congressional campaign funds, Citizens for tax relief or whatever, etc.

They could probably count him six or eight times.

Despite my continued notes returned to get him off the mailing list.