"New" crowd turns out to hear Dean speak - per SC speech from Sun.

[moz4prez]

'New' crowd turns out to hear Dean speak
Posted Monday, December 8, 2003 - 1:12 am

By Dan Hoover
STAFF WRITER
[e-mail]

COLUMBIA — They came from different places for different reasons Sunday to hear the sometimes angry populist message of Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean.

*snip*

The crowd mystified Dick Harpootlian, the former state Democratic Party chairman who has long been involved in Columbia politics.

"I don't know who the hell they are, but Dean has energized a whole group of white people that I've not seen in politics before. If this is a beginning, this is a good beginning.

"If this is where he thinks he needs to be 60 days from now, he's in trouble," Harpootlian said, referring to the absence of party regulars, those most likely to work for a candidate and vote in the primary.

More

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[moz4prez]

1. kick me stink

[moz4prez]

13. knits emk cik

[deminflorida]

2. "I don't know who the hell they are" because.....

maybe they're from out of state.....

[moz4prez]

4. I think that's the implication

[Jerseycoa]

6. I wonder

If the old term "Outside Agitators" will rise again? Remember that one?

"Few in the standing-room-only crowd of about 400 packing a downtown hotel ballroom appeared to be looking for a candidate among the field of nine. Their dark "We want the country back" T-shirts, exuberant cheers, ear-splitting two-finger whistles, and irreverence toward President Bush made it plain that Dean is their choice."

Just a thought.

[realFedUp]

14. yeah....right...

:eyes:

[maddezmom]

3. Dean has energized a lot of 1st time voters

and that is good news for dems.

[moz4prez]

5. yes, but note that there were approx. 20 blacks in attendance

when 49% of the Zogby respondents were black?

[maddezmom]

7. good point n/t

[moz4prez]

8. so what do you think this MEEEEEEANS

[maddezmom]

9. hmmmm

I think it's obvious that at this particular event, he has not captured the AA vote. What do you think?

[moz4prez]

12. my thinking?

three of infinite possibilities:

1) busing in supporters from out of state, to create the illusion of a good reception.

2) AA community was largely uninformed of the event.

3) "outside disruptor" theory . . . Republican operatives in attendance to rally for Dem candidate who PUTATIVELY poses least threat.

[maddezmom]

16. not sure about 1 or 3

But agree with #2. However, they just opened their office...so I'll wait and see.

[PaDUer]

20. Might have hit it on the head...

just like the freepers posting that they've been attending Dean's meetup meetings!

[Auntie Bush]

10. N/T ?

I hate to ask but will someone tell me what N/T means? Thanks

[maddezmom]

11. no text in the body of the message

some people use eom for end of message :)

[kskiska]

15. Harpootlian is the guy who called Lindsey Graham

light in the loafers.

"This guy is a little too light in the loafers to fill Strom Thurmond's shoes," stated a press release written by South Carolina Democratic Party chairman Dick Harpootlian. The statement came after Rep. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced his intention on Wednesday to run for the soon-to-be-empty seat of retiring Senate fossil Thurmond, R-S.C.

"Light in the loafers" is a well-known anti-gay slur, but Harpootlian insists that that's not how he meant it. He says that, where he comes from, people understand that there was nothing sexual about the remark. "It's just confusing to reporters in Yankee land," Harpootlian says.

more…
http://archive.salon.com/politics/fix/2001/02/23/political_fix/index1.html

[madfloridian]

17. I resent the heck out of the "party regulars" part of that article.

I have learned a whole lot about state politics and county politics this year. Because of "party regulars" there was no Florida straw poll. We all know doggone well why, too.

Our state party regulars support the very same candidate, but most of the membership support Dean. Our county party regulars support the same candidate as well, but our Dean supporters here far outnumber those of others.

I have seen two articles now about Dean's appearance in a very conservative part of SC. They are filled with "implications", but not much else.

[Bandit]

18. Shocking ~ Dean attracts people no other candidate can ~ Shocking

Someone seems excited about Democracy. It ain't the regulars thats a fact. I'm sure Republicans aren't going to get this worked up either. They can only say how great their side is doing. :crazy:

[Scott Lee]

19. Dick Harpootlian - Statist asshole who sees his career ebbing

Do you even need to see any more evidence that Dean is right to be shaking up this fossilized organization? Here Dean is invigorating a base the Dem party hasn't seen in years, and Mr. Entrenched uses it as an opportunity to try and take Dean down a peg or two.

Way to go, Party stalwarts. Here's a bullet for your other foot. Lock and load.