Notice the media never calls Clarks campaign "grassroots"

[Bombtrack]

despite the fact that he was actually drafted and become top tier after other candidates had been campaigning for 2 years and more, and Dean's campaign, which admittadly does have a very big grassroots component to it, is presented as the only campaign deserving of that label, while he's been campaigning 6 months longer than any other candidate.

[dobak]

1. The media has Clark on "ignore"

He has to say something like "I would have found Bin Laden by now" just to get them to notice him.

oh my, look:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/12/17/elec04.prez.clark.bush/index.html

:-)

[WillyBrandt]

2. About time--Clark gets coverage

I had sworn the contest was between Dean and Lieberman.

[The Zanti Regent]

3. The media is AFRAID of Clark

Clark gave Tiny Tim Russert the Veg-O-Matic treatment.

Tiny Tim is afraid of him, and that's the way it SHOULD be!

[jpgpenn]

21. and look at that picture they chose

of Clark,not the most flattering.

[Myra]

4. That's a good observation Bombtrack

It's harder for the media to program us if we notice such things.

I hope...

[gulliver]

5. Actually, Internet-based contributors and meet-ups ...

... aren't exactly my idea of "grass roots." We are more like 1/8th the way up the grass stalk toward elitism. The Internet has allowed Dean to capture market share, but neither he nor Clark are involved in what I would call a "grass roots" campaign. That kind of campaign may no longer be possible -- or at least viable.

[Jerseycoa]

6. It's peculiar nt

[SeveneightyWhoa]

7. Could it be because..

..Clark is everything that Bush's handlers try to make Bush out to be? Clark is the real deal. He's the anti-Bush, in all the right ways. And MediaCorp certainly isn't going to pump him up when they risk harming their hero and honorary CEO, Mr. Bush.

[Myra]

8. I don't think so

I think it's 'cause the media says the opposite of the truth.

[stickdog]

9. Whose fault is that?

Clark is now running the ultimate insider campaign.

[dfong63]

10. the "draft" melodrama was phony

... and does not constitute real grassroots anyway.

on top of that, once the real Clark campaign got underway, some of the most avid "grass rooters" were shoved aside.

did Clark ever conduct a survey of his supporters before making a major policy decision, as Dean did with the question of whether to forgo matching funds?

[bitchkitty]

11. Shoved aside -

I remember that - it was kind of insulting, I thought, but the Clark supporters didn't seem to mind.

[jmaier]

22. LOL

That is so much bullshit, though a brilliant political move. Do you think for one nanosecond that Trippi/Dean would have requested supporter input if they weren't sure of the outcome. Go back and read the soliciting email, it practically BEGGED the outcome in its copy.

[slinkerwink]

12. good point----clark's campaign is a top-down campaign

with a lot of shiny "asides" to make it look grassroots-like.

[digitstatic]

14. What is your definition of "grassroots"?

I was part of Draft Clark. Just tonight, I and five other Clark volunteers handed out flyers. Is "grassroots" now only a term to describe the Dean campaign?

(We didn't come across any Dean supporters by the way. They must all be online.)

[SahaleArm]

17. Grassroots is getting your a**-kicked by a volunteer organization...

when you have a fully funded state organization :)

http://www.seattlefordean.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=542

We need to get our event tabling process organized in some way. Today, I was the lone person outside the Bill Maher performance handing out information for the Dean campaign. The Clark campaign, on the otherhand, have an incredible machine together---there were probaly 25-30 people there with Clark signs, handing out pamphlets and signing people up for their mail list, and the best I could do was to hand out flyers to as many people as I could until I ran out; I wasn't able to really talk to many people, to answer any questions or to sign anyone up for our list. This is not the first time this has happened; the other campaigns, in particular the Clark campaign have been far, far more effective at mobilizing their troops to get the people on the ground and working crowds, while we've been allowing ourselves to grow complacent in our apparent front-runner status. We cannot let this happen.

[newyawker99]

28. Hi jgWC!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[jumptheshadow]

18. The Dean campaign

Is an Internet-based campaign whose white, middle class, suburban and exburban supporters loudly proclaim themselves as "grass roots" while ignoring the fact that a sizeable percentage of the Democratic core is computer illiterate or can't afford technology.

[moz4prez]

13. HA HA HAH AH AH AH

Firstly: deciding to forego matching funds is not a MAJOR POLICY DECISION. The Dean campaign is not a state institution

an example of a MAJOR POLICY DECISION — from todays WaPo article about Dean's tendency to, er, compromise: " For more than a decade, (Vermont Abenaki Indian leaders) said, his administration vigorously opposed their quest for state and federal recognition, contending the Indians might make land claims and bring casinos to Vermont."

Secondly: the reason Dean "conducted a survey" as per matching funds is because he and his staff were precluding YET ANOTHER gaffe on his part, sinc ehe had VOWED to abide by matching funds as well as to CRITICIZE any other Dem candidate who did otherwise and assumed (correctly) that a majority of his supporters would go along with him; it was a VERY, VERY subtle shirking of responsibility!

editted for unfortunate text formatting

[Myra]

15. Well, so much for that vow from Dean

When do supporters start believing him?
March?
June?
Now?
Later?

''We've always been committed to this. Campaign finance reform is just something I believe in,'' he said on March 7.

Dean signed a letter to the FEC in June promising to abide by the program's rules, including its spending limits.

Aug. 16, 2003, Dean backs away from pledge on spending cap

In an interview Thursday, the former Vermont governor said he did not recall promising to accept public financing and the limits that go with it.

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/6545239.htm

[moz4prez]

16. spoken like a true proponent of democracy:

Dean: "I say what I think and I don’t care if 70 percent disagree with me."

Doesn't care??? Well Christ on a bike, there speaks a real man of the people!

so what's this about some stupid poll asking whether or not Howard Dean should be allowed to be adequately funded in his tireless efforts TO CRUSH THE COMPETITION — er, that is, to take his country back . . .

[jumptheshadow]

19. The Dean survey was phony

He knew that people who contributed to his campaign would say "yes" to not accepting campaign limits. He was fatuously looking for political cover through an easily skewered Internet poll.

This is yet another example of the shallowness of the "Dean movement."

[SahaleArm]

20. No doubt

I wonder how they would have voted if he asked: "Do you want me to break my promise and forgo public funding like the Republicans or do you want someone who lives by their word?" :)

[KittyWampus]

23. You Must Mean The ONE Loser Who Left In A Tizzy?

and who had a record of being problematic?

[bicentennial_baby]

25. Nope

"once the real Clark campaign got underway, some of the most avid "grass rooters" were shoved aside"

Sterling Newberry as pushed aside b/c he's an unstable ass. People like John Hlinko, Josh Marguiles, both of whom were involved in the draft, are now working for the campaign.

This myth about the grassroots being shoved aside was created by one or two disgruntled persons who were mad b/c they did'nt get a nice exciting job from the campaign like they wanted. Boo-fucking-hoo or them, and the Clark campaign marches on...

[Bread and Circus]

27. Dean's "questioning" his supporters on that issue is crap..

and the fact that you bought into it is a good sign
that you are not using critical thinking skills.

Clark's campaign has a "grassroots" component that is
undeniable. So he hired professional politicos...big
effing deal...who hasn't.

We know Dean will probably win the nomination so why don't
you lay off the lies and deception.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

24. okay, that's a great picture

I'm not going to make any other comment, other than that pictuer is tres cool. Normally I don't go for the comic book stuff, but I did have a Fantastic Four lunch box as a kid, so it resonates.

[Spazito]

26. You have a very good point!

It is interesting that the BBC acknowledged the grassroots immediately after Clark entered the race:

"His success so far has been attributed to his internet-driven grassroots crusade and a team of Clinton-Gore era advisers."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3140738.stm