Dollars pour in for Democrat Dean as grassroots ignite

[Nambe]

Guardian Newspapers Limited

Crammed into a basement bar in Manhattan's fashionable Upper East Side, 200 people last week watched TV screens hanging from the ceiling. They clapped, whooped, yelled and screamed, with the fervour of evangelicals.

It takes a lot to get vast numbers of Americans interested in politics, but Howard Dean, the presidential hopeful whose speech was being broadcast, has done it. Stephanie Low, who manages classical musicians, stood on a chair and told the throng: 'I've met him. This is the man we've been waiting for.'

Similar scenes were being played out across the country. It began as a surge of grassroots activism, tens of thousands of people signing up to Dean's campaign. He was the man who stood against the war in Iraq, an unashamed radical whom fellow Democrats fear will doom them to crushing defeat. --

However, some analysts say Dean is attracting new voters, so may be able to afford not to compete for the middle ground where conventional wisdom says elections are won. 'His support base has already translated into money, now we need to see if it will translate into votes,' said Professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the University of Pennsylvania.

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

[realFedUp]

1. Media just catching on to anti-Bush sentiments...

I can't believe their heads have been in the sand since
before the "Selection". Pundits are now just openly talking
about people really hating Bush.

[DagmarK]

3. This is from a brit paper.........

*

[realFedUp]

9. Yes, I was referring to American pundits...off topic from this article.

just watched Cap Gang...speaking of old entrenched
foggy bottoms...gads, get some new blood on.

[robbedvoter]

4. Not really. This is the UK Guardian. our media is in Arnold's a*

right now, firmly stuck.

[T_i_B]

20. Our media is like that too

Arnie is all over the press over here as well. We might as well get the Monster Raving Loony Party to stand in CA the way I see it. :eyes:

[newsguyatl]

2. rock!!

:bounce:

[indictrichardperle]

5. Look, not all the cash is flowing

to Dean, ...i was just about to send him some hard earned dinero, when Holy Joe informed me Dean was "weak" on national security, and Dean wasnt backing the "just war" in Iraq. Once i heard that, i quickly took the money out of the envelope and went and bought beer with it.

:evilgrin:

[Cha]

7. That's really funny!

:D

[Cha]

6. Thank you, Guardian, for that excellent piece on Dean.

Dean has a lot of dedicated People taking up the challenge of translating the money into "votes".

[Rose Siding]

8. I hope the Brits take hope from this too

I'm glad they're being told about Dean's support- They can see the strength of Bush's detractors and have hope we can defeat him.

[Cha]

10. I'm kinda envious of them...they get the real news, mainstream.

But, that's a great point that they can see how enthused we are about someone like Dean who is calling bush on his deathly policies.

[indictrichardperle]

11. does anyone know about Edwards ?

regarding his position on the Iraq war ? The last i heard him speak about it on Hardball, he was staunchly pro-war, really cheer-leading, has he changed his stance on this ?

Dean deserves respect and praise from all dems, even those who wont vote for him, as he was really the first prominent Dem to stand up and challenge * on the immoral, illegal Iraq war, and the neo-con foreign policy.....when most dems were paralyzed with fear and silent. Now the tide is changing, and i think alot of that is because of Dean. Thats a true opinion poll, his popularity.

[Pastiche423]

12. I have asked that question

of Edward supporters. Nary a one of them will/can submit proof that he has denounced his stance on the slaughter.

So, as far as I know, he still stands firm that the invasion was the right thing to do.

[FubarFly]

13. He's still listening to the DLC

I like Edwards. I think he has a bright future in the Democratic Party.
He may even be President someday. But until I hear this "populist" denounce the war and actually come to terms with the real damage it has caused our country- including the middle-Americans he professes to champion- I couldn't care less what he says. Right now Dean has my time, support, money, and vote. If Edwards wins the nomination, he'll have my vote. Period.

[Cha]

14. I totally agree! But instead of applauding Dean they

revile him for whatever! I happen to think the bogus attack on Iraq is one of the more important matters in our lifetime so it means a lot to me. But evidently not all Dems are even close to that view.

The lieberman Dems for instance.

[liberalnurse]

19. Absolutely.

And there was a resounding echo of outraged in Al Gore's speech. I think Gore will back Dean....So much of his speech hit on Dean issues.

Dean 2004

[Guaranteed]

16. Dean is a LEADER....

O8) Thank you, God....

[Guaranteed]

15. Dean turns money into votes...Bush turn votes into $$$ n/t

[idadem]

17. any

ant relation to Martin?
Dean makes the repukes seem funny!

[BadGimp]

18. Why do we have to all the way to the UK ...

...to get this kind of honest reporting?

Lightning Can Strike People!

[T_i_B]

21. Well having looked on Dean's website

I certainly don't think that he's as left-wing as the article portrays him. He certainly seems to be the front runner and the UK press does treat Dean as such though.

Dean looks like a very good candidate but there are other quality candidates for the Dems too. What I have heard of Bob Graham is been very impressive for instance. I really like what Bob Graham has to say about terrorism.

Oh, and BTW, there are Dean meetups over in the UK as well. :-)

[T_i_B]

22. Kick

:kick:

[Arugula Latte]

23. If Dean is a "radical"...

...then I'm Amelia Earhart.

[dansolo]

24. The only radical thing about Dean

Is that he was one of the only few Democrats to actually challenge Bush on the war, instead of sitting back and waiting until the war became unpopular with the American public.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

25. 4000 at Dean rally in Philadelphia's August heat on a Monday at 5pm!

I was there. Right across the street from the Liberty Bell. Good mix of age demographic and Dean spoke really well, thought on his feet, responded to issue prompts shouted at him. He said this was the biggest rally yet, hit the Bushies hard on lying to go to war in Iraq and lack of healthcare in the US while most other industrial countries have it. Said he wanted a foreign policy that reflected American values...I think he meant in a good way. I was 30 feet away and impressed with his demeanor, stand on issues and the humanity reflected in his speaking ability meaning no stiff posturing stick-up-the-butt-give-me-a-telepromptor stuff. Things that would've sounded like rhetoric coming from another sounded heartfelt from Dean. He finished by saying "you have the power; take back your government!" Maybe he does have a good shot at being the Un-Bush.