Just got back from the Dean Rally in Boston

[StopTheMorans]

Just got back from the Dean rally in Copley Square (mods, if this is a Lounge issue, feel free to move it). It was great, cloudy, really windy, but Dean was on fire. He even mentioned the Federalist Society and how we need a new president to preserve the integrity of the courts so we don't repeat the events of the last selection. Copley Square was packed, and the crowd was really into it. I met up with JonnyBlitz and BoilerBabe there. Strangely, there was a guy with a DU t-shirt there, but he wasn't a DUer, just had the shirt (the axis of evil one) on. Anyways, the speech was really great, lasted about a half an hour. From watching him in the last few months, I really feel that Dean has come a long way. He still has the sense of anger, but it isn't so much that it impedes his ability to speak clearly and make coherent points(this was one of my main criticisms of his a few months back, he's really made huge strides in his presence in front of the mic, and he wasn't even gesturing with his hand too much like he did in the last debate). He was much more deliberate then I'd seen him, and he made a few points that I hadn't seen before. All in all it was a really inspiring speech, he didn't just hit * with strong criticisms, he followed them up with how he would change America for the better. Were any other DUers there?

[janx]

1. I've never had a chance to hear Dean speak in person,

but from what I've seen on C-Span, at MeetUps, etc., he is very inspirational. Did he come off that way in Boston? The quotes in the AP article led me to believe that this speech may have been almost as good as his Restoration speech. Was it?

[StopTheMorans]

3. the speech was incredible

the man was on fire. Completely at ease, confident, and scathing in his critique of Bush & Co. (a.k.a. "Ken Lay and the boys":) Like I said before, he even mentioned the Federalist Society. Who mentions the Federalist Society in their stump speeches? It was great, and it seemed like a lot of people knew who they were from the applause the line got. He mentioned how the patriots in Boston over 200 years ago got rid of a King George, and how it's time for the people to unite to overthrow another George in 2004. It was incredible, I've never been to such an electric gathering before, he really had the crowd going, and it seemed that everyone was really informed on the issues. Just my take:)

[liberalnurse]

13. I have been fortunate to see him 4 times.

It is a great way to feel empowered. I hope you get your opportunity.

[janx]

31. We await his visit to Colorado. Maybe in October...

Don't know yet!

[janx]

2. How big was the crowd?

Decently big?

[StopTheMorans]

4. huge, it covered Copley Square completely

I would say at least a few thousand (I'm no good at these things, but Copley Square is pretty large).

[papau]

35. I agree with the 1000 to 2000 within the bike barrier fence - I think they

add a couple of thousand for the folks outside the fence.

I think the weather keep the crowd size down - but the crowd was really up - ready to eat Bush alive - and Dean fed them!

:-)

it was fun

But I guess I need a DU T shirt for events like this so that folks know I am DU - although the one fellow there with a DU shirt said he was not a frequent poster at DU!

It is so confusing.

Anyway - it was fun.

:-)

[CMT]

9. according to the blog

a park ranger said in the 4-5,000 range. I can't wait until Dean comes to Madison, rumor is he will be here next month.

[mandyky]

5. I watched on the web

One thing I noticed is it just ended once Dean spoke. He needs to turn these rallies into more elonged events. Get local supporters to speak afterward, etc. Get them to tell folks how they can help with flyering and all that kinda thing. People are hungry for change, Dean's the man to do it, and once he empowers them with his words "you have the power", some may need connection or direction.

[StopTheMorans]

7. it worked well for me:)

I had to catch the commuter rail back to work outside the city, and I couldn't stay any longer. I hear ya, but I think that at an event like this at 11:45 in the middle of the day in the middle of the city on a Tuesday when people have to work, this is just perfect. If it were at night, and didn't impede traffic/people's worklives so much, I think it would be cool. A lot of the people there seemed to be coming from work, which really impressed me (in that they would take the time off to come to a Dean rally).

[quinnox]

6. Did you hear about the breakfast

that was prepared by some college students for Dean? Waffles were on the menu, yum!

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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

[Kathy in Cambridge]

17. The bashers can't help turn gold into shit

This kind of constant negativity is a sign of mental illness. They love to share their anger and sadness with others and drag them down too. I wish they would take some prozac with a swig of Jack Daniels and keep their paranoid, circumspect, unenlightened opinions to themselves. Life is DEPRESSING enough under the Bush regime without having to listen to the constant bullshit.

:grr:

[meegbear]

20. Phhhhhhtttttt!!!

[quinnox]

21. Whatever

Not everyone has a sense of humor.

[StopTheMorans]

33. I think you meant "not everyone has the sense of humor

of a small child"

[jonnyblitz]

37. damn it got deleted before i had a chance to read it...

just got back to CT from the rally. :hi:

[StopTheMorans]

39. well, you can imagine:)

n/t

[Egnever]

11. was that a breakfast for all the people

contributing to the hammer?

[StopTheMorans]

16. btw, thanks for the reminder

Quinnox just got Dean another $25 from me:) I'm sick of the all the negative energy coming from the few haters in here, so I'm just going to turn it into a positive result for the Dean campaign.

[caledesi]

29. Good one. Just donated another $25 bec of Q's remarks.

[papau]

30. There was a fellow with a Dean baseball bat in the back of the crowd!

Meaning a baseball bat with one of the dean stickers on it!

I thought that was rather cool!

[Cha]

12. Oh yeah, quinnox, get your little Snide remarks in there on a

positive Dean thread. you don't start enough negative Dean threads ..that you have to jump on positive ones, too, with more of your negative spew.

[quinnox]

19. Dean supporters are dreaming if they think

Dean will win Massachusetts. This was just a stunt by Dean.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

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

[StopTheMorans]

40. what is with the mods not removing posts

that are flame-bait, yet removing the posts that respond to them?

[Cha]

23. Dean can go wherever he wants and make speeches against

bush. your harangues are just juvenile.

[caledesi]

27. Another $25 to Dean...keep talking trash.

[quinnox]

32. Go ahead

We will need supporters like you in the general election, those that will open their wallets.

[StopTheMorans]

34. who the hell is "we" and

yes, Dean will need supporters like us in the general election.

[Cha]

8. Such a Good report! Dean's speech, on the web, cut off for

me..so I just got to hear a little bit! With Dean's tie flying in the air!

Can't wait to hear the whole thing, uninteruppted.

[StopTheMorans]

14. yeah, his tie was blowing all over the place

and so were some of the signs behind him, it was REALLY windy:)

[upperleftedge]

15. Thanks for your report

I'm out here on the left edge and we don't get much news unless we come to places like this.
I have to agree with the doctor, Bush doesn't like democracy and he has said as much at least three times. "This would be a lot easier if it were a dictatorship, as long as I was the dictator." or words to the effect. Combining that with the Texas redistricting and the California recall, not to mention the Florida election a you start to see a theme. The constant right wing mantra of running the government more like a business and bringing religion into politcs starts to sound like theocratic fascism to this humble American. "Democracy is too messy and uncontrolable.", "It is mob rule.","Most people are uninformed and thus shouldn't be allowed to vote." and other chestnuts being constantly thrown on the fire. Churchill's comment about democracy being the worst form of government, except for all the others, is still true. But what I think the doctor is doing with his campaign, is building toward a re-birth of democracy and participation in the political process by the average American. I can make no arguement against that goal. Thanks was Mr. Jefferson's dream that we have yet to see come true. Mr. Bush would be Jefferson's nightmare. Mr. Jefferson and I agree and so do Dr. Dean and I, I think. Our only hope is that this time we get to vote in a truely free democratic election. If not, revolution is called for in the Declaration of Independence. Sorry if that frightens people, but that's the way I see it. Democracy demands that the people rule the government, not that the government rules the people.

peace,

billy

[StopTheMorans]

18. no problem

and I also really enjoyed the part of Dean's speech where he mentioned the GOP power grab that has been going on since 1996 (through the impeachment, the recount, the redistricting, and the recall). It's good to see that Dean is touching upon the attempt by the right to surpass the electorate too, he's touching on a lot of subjects (like the Federalist Society) that you don't hear too many people talking about on the campaign trail.

[Cha]

24. I know I caught that part before it cut off! That is truly powerful

stuff that needs to be brought out into the open and talked about everyday! :kick:

[StopTheMorans]

25. YES!

And I also like it because it assumes that the audience has more than your average 'murikan's knowledge of politics. And if someone in the audience hasn't heard of something like the Federalist Society, they may go home and learn more. It really places a lot of faith in the electorate, which I for one, think is great:)

[Larkspur]

26. I was there with the Meetup Host from Storrs, CT

She drove up from Storrs this AM and met me at Riverside T station. We took the T together and I put my Howard Dean sign against the window to spread the word. I also wore my "I want my Country Back" t-shirt.

I'm sorry that I missed BoilerBabe. Didn't know that she was going. Well, we'll talk about it at the House Party Monday night.

On the train ride to the speech, I got into a debate with a Clark supporter who started off on the wrong foot with me. He said that he liked Dean but thought he was unelectable. "Unelectable" is a war word to this Celtic Tigress for Dean. I was fired up after that debate which left him shell shocked at the intensity of this Dean supporter. I think he thought that since my friend and I were women, we wouldn't put up a fight. Hah! We have the power!

We got to Copley Square just before 11:30 am, had our Rapid entry passes, and got to midway up to the podium.

Dean gave another great speech, and this history major was glad that he tied Boston's American Revolutionary history to what is going on today. Thomas Jefferson said that every generation needs a revolution, and this era is our revolution.

Take back the Democratic Party!
Take back out country!
Take back the White House in 2004!

[StopTheMorans]

36. BoilerBabe was looking for you!

she mentioned you a couple of times:)

[Larkspur]

38. I'll have to email her after I get home

.

[caledesi]

28. Oh you are so lucky! Thanks for the recap.

[ScreamingMeemie]

41. I am locking this thread.

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