Great Reception for Howard Dean in Madison, Wi (5,000 plus)

[CMT]

Just got back from the Generation Dean rally in Madison, Wisconsin. It is a beautiful fall day here in Madison and the Packers won--but the cherrie on the cake was a Howard Dean rally which drew an estimated 5,000 people or more.

At Meetup this week we felt that on a late Sunday afternoon Packer Sunday we might be lucky to draw 1 or 2,000 so we were very happy with the turnout. Yesterday I worked the Madison Farmers Market and we really gave out a lot of tickets and information for the rally. Grass roots getting out the base!!

Gov. Dean was introduced by State Senate Minority Leader Jon Erpenbach who is a big time Dean supporter and a great one for us to have. He represents Russ Feingold's old state senate seat and is every bit as progressive as Russ and a real champion of working people.

Dean's speech was fantastic. Yes, I've heard it before on televison, but to see the man up close and personal is a huge thrill. He really gets the crowd rocking. He also came out strongly in support of striking Tyson Chicken workers who get $7.00 per hour and no benefits. Many of us in the crowd also brought canned goods for the striking workers and their families.

Here is a link to a great editorial in our progressive newspaper, The Capital Times, which contrasts Bush's visit to Wisconsin yesterday with Dean's.

http://www.madison.com/captimes/opinion/editorial/58147.php.

Tomorrow on this thread I will post the newspaper articles on the rally.

I'm really getting excited about the Dean campaign and our prospects here in Wisconsin. Madison will be our base but we are going to work to win all over the state.

[Duder]

1. Sounds great

Did any of the Republicans show up to protest?

[CMT]

2. you know I heard they were

but didn't hear a peep.

One man did interrupt the Governor's speech to question about medical marijuania and Dean did respond to the question.

[Sean Reynolds]

3. CAN you tell us what DEAN said?

lol, don't just leave us hanging! :-D

[CMT]

5. he said

that he believes non-violent drug users should not be given jail time but help (rehab, ect). He also said that he would look at using medical marijuina for certain things such as cancer treatment, ect but not necessarily for all medical treatments--such as glaucoma. He was very upfront with the man and didn't pander to him. I think most people in the crowd would favor a decriminalization (I know I do) but Dean favors rahab rather than jail and use of marijuana in certain medical cases. I think for instance Kucinich is much more liberal on this issue, but I believe that Dean is at least moving in the right direction.

[Demobrat]

11. Someone on the blog mentioned that he said

he would give the FDA one year to study it and then act on what they found. He said something similar before. Sounds reasonable.

[CMT]

12. yes

he did say that as well. The thing that struck me most of all though is that he will push for less jail time for non-violent drug crimes--and more for education and rehab.

[chaumont58]

4. It may not have just a Dean rally idea, but bring can goods for striking..

workers can make impressions that will last a life time. I want to join some Dean meetup, and if the meetup can try to do some good for the community, jeez, I'm for it in a heart beat. There are some complicating factors in my getting to a Dean meetup, but I sure like what I hear about some of them.

[Duder]

6. Yup, good deeds all over the country...

Volunteers pitch in to keep Whitewater Gorge beautiful
Richmond: Helpers turn out to pick up rubbish along river

<...>

'Julia Jensen picked up trash with a group called Dean Corps, a grassroots organization supporting Howard Dean candidacy for president of the United States.

"Howard Dean is a candidate who believes in the environment,'' she said, "so it seemed like an ideal thing to do. And we're just trying to be good people.''

Andrew Cleland, a first-year Earlham College student, was part of the same group.

"We're a group of people having fun and helping out our community,'' Cleland said. "We think this is a wonderful activity.'' '

http://www.pal-item.com/news/stories/20031005/localnews/395577.html

[madfloridian]

7. Thanks for sharing that.

No one comes to our area but Bush!

;(

[CMT]

8. yuck, that sucks

where do you live in Florida?

[madfloridian]

10. Central Florida, inland, very conservative.

We have a lovely city, not too small, not too large, but the only people who come here are at the civic center.....like music groups.
Elvis came here in 56.
:evilgrin:

[eyesroll]

9. The Tyson thing is huge.

It's a very profitable company, a very productive division, and the corporation wants to bring this plant in line with its chicken plants in the south. Jefferson is a town of about 4,000, and about 400 of them are on strike right now. Both parents in some families are affected.

Vince's campaign and our house have been declared Tyson-free zones.
visit www.tysonfamiliesstandup.org for more information.

The only presidential candidates, that I am aware of, who have done things in support of the strikers are Dean and Kucinich. (There may be others, but I haven't heard.)

[CMT]

13. here is the local republican newspaper story on the rally

http://www.madison.com/wisconsinstatejournal/local/58198.php

This afternoon our progressive paper, The Capital Times, will be out with its story and I'll post that too.

[LuminousX]

14. Kerry's Waffle Brunch

I sure hope those Kerry supporters put sweet Vermont maple syrup on those waffles. Hmmm, Dean supporters feed the needy, Kerry supporters feed themselves. An interesting dichotomy is definately at play.

[Larkspur]

15. It's this mentality that inspires me about Dean

"You're not the foot soldiers of our campaign," Dean declared from an outdoor stage in front of the Kohl Center on campus before 3,000 to 5,000 people. "You're the drivers of our campaign. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Dean doesn't take his supporters for granted nor is this campaign about him. It's about US.

[CMT]

16. here is what the progressive Capital Times said

about the Dean visit

http://www.madison.com/captimes/news/stories/58222.php