DailyKos: An Outsiders' Reaction to His First DFA Meetup

[mandyky]

I have a challenge for any Dean doubters - go to a MeetUp for DFA. A lot of DUs make comments about Dean supporters. This person sounded like that.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/3/0357/08002

<snip>
Disclaimer aside, I did not have high hopes for the political legitmacy of any DFA meeting, and honestly, expected this meeting especially to fall into a congratulatory backslapping about "Dean winning the DNC".

But I am, as I have been since he was first mentioned as a nominee, curious about this paticular phenomenon. So, instead of sitting around and reading to escape the SOTU, I resolved to attend their conveniently timed meeting.

What I found really did suprise me.

</snip>

<snip>

I honestly can say now that I understand why people are the way they are for Dean and what he wants to do. His organization, and the people involved in it, are making a difference in their own communities, and by doing that they are making it better for all of us. I saw three future state Congressmen, at the least, and a couple that could possibly make it to national level. Two of them would not have even tried, if not for DFA. That in itself is a blessing for the Democratic party.

Once a pessimist, now turning optimist. I'm just glad I took the chance.
</snip>

[TomClash]

1. That's Why

Dean is going to be the new DNC chair. Enthusiam, organization and money. And he was loyal to the Dem nominee during the campaign.

He deserves it.

If he gets it I'm going back to contributing to the DNC.

[itzamirakul]

2. Thanks for sharing

this information. Perhaps it will help some doubters see Dean and his organization a little more favorably. As for myself, I am happy to be further enlightened as to what the organization is accomplishing.

Quite a difference from the DLC who spend their time bashing all Democrats who will not be respectful, obedient little Republican-lite sheeple.

[marcologico]

3. Gee, on KOS too. What a surprise.

What's next, a Superbowl ad?

[sandnsea]

15. That's not helpful either

Did somebody assign you to just come here and stir up Dean shit? Or have you annointed yourself? I don't think I've seen a thread where you haven't pissed on Dean. Believe me, when I notice it, it's getting pretty bad.

[last1standing]

29. He did take time out from slandering Dean today to support Salazar.

Marcologico not only has a vendetta against Dean that he can never back up past a few slanderous remarks but he also thinks that it was OK for Salazar to support Gonzales because he might get something in return from the repubs in Colorado.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1565982#1566250

But now he's right back on the old horse trying to sway opinion on DU without providing anything resembling fact or reason.

[marcologico]

35. I see with the eyes of truth. Sorry if that offends you. n/t

[NYCGirl]

39. Who did you borrow the eyes from? They sure as hell aren't yours.

You wouldn't know the truth if it came up and bit you on the ass.

[last1standing]

43. Eyes of truth? Did you really type that with a straight face?

LOL

What offends me is your juvenile method of slandering others and not being able to back up a single thing you post. Why don't you just try to type something that isn't just calling Dean names and ridiculing his supporters?

I have the Eyes of Truth!!!!!! hahahahahaha

[quaker bill]

45. Make an appointment with an optometrist

I understand that they have developed effective treatments for myopia.

Alternately, I have heard of therapists who do effective work on narcissism.

Rest assured, there is a cure for your condition.

[crispini]

32. Ah, marcologico....

[CWebster]

4. Do you really think the Repugs are terrified of Dean?

Think of the crowds he attracts. They have to bus in and pay people to attend a Bush appearance.

[marcologico]

5. Are you kidding? Targets don't get any bigger.

He's their next cartoon Kennedy.

[Just Me]

16. They target every threatening progressive, every threatening moderate,

any one who is strong and convicted and has a scintilla of integrity.

Therefore, their every "target" is my best friend!!!

[Warren DeMontague]

17. Targets don't get any SMALLER, either.

Here's a little trip down memory lane: Many of us, like myself, supported Kerry because we were told he could win. He didn't.

More than that, though, we were told that all of his "pluses": His support for the IWR, his Vietnam service.. would make him invulnerable to the GOP's demonization machine.... Well, we know how that turned out.

News flash: They could- and would- demonize Ghandi if he ran against them. Doesn't matter who the "target" is, their paid Right-Wing Corporate Media Smear crew will make him into commie pinko liberal leftist enemy #1.

More importantly, however, I think it's about time OUR party got behind someone who isn't afraid to speak his mind and take politically dangerous stances.

It's Mr. Dean's turn. Deal with it.

[sunnystarr]

23. You're sooooooooooo right !!!! (nt)

[truth2power]

33. Yeah! What impeachdubya said! n/t

[last1standing]

27. The last thing we want is republicans calling us names.

So I gues we should all just take your advice and do whatever they want us to just so we don't get our feeling hurt.

What's your agenda in constantly attacking Dean without any facts or even opinion to back up your torrent of slander? Can you just tell us all that? Why have you made a personal vedetta against Dean?

[FreedomAngel82]

21. Totally

Bush has loyalty oaths too which is a bunch of nonsense. He's supposed to be for the people. :eyes: Anyways, look how the media totally took on the Dean yell and people talking about that. At least he gets them scared and stuff. From what I've seen of Dean he's totally fearless of them which is what I think we need to run the DNC.

[SheilaT]

6. I've been pointing out

over and over that it's the Dean people who are revitalizing the Democratic Party. They're the ones who ran for office last November (count me as one of them) and have continued to stay active in their local Democratic Party. It was never Kerry who pulled people out to support him, but rather he ended up benefiting from all those who originally got in because of Dean. Or Clark. And to a lesser extent some of the others.

Here in Johnson County, Kansas, all of the new blood in the party were Dean supporters at first.

[marcologico]

7. So did Kansas go blue?

That might explain why Kerry didn't campaign there.

[lojasmo]

8. All Kerry's campaign did here was steal resources from local candidates.

Minnesota went blue, and despite the Kerry campaign's shenanigans, Kerry lost our county.....but we elected 2 democrats to the state house for the first time in 37 years...thanks to DFA, Acorn, Minnesota progressive caucus, and 21st century democrats.

[atommom]

9. No, he just thought it was a lost cause, which I think was a mistake.

[mandyky]

11. Which is why we have to run 50 state campaigns

every day and year, not just for the Presidential election.

[SheilaT]

10. I hope you're being ironic.

No, Kansas was as red as it could be.

The Kerry people most emphatically did NOT campaign in non-blue states. They even pulled out of Missouri which was considered a swing state. Meanwhile, they continued to pull local volunteers across the border from Kansas to Missouri to campaign for him, which meant that Democrats on the Kansas side had an even tougher time in their campaigns. One result was that not a single new Democrat was elected to the state legislature from Johnson county, which is just across from Missouri and has the largest number of Democrats in the state.

Our incumbent Democratic Congressman Dennis Moore was re-elected to his fourth term, but he had absolutely no coattails.

One problem here at least is that a lot of older people who have been Republicans all their lives do not fully understand that the Republican party has moved and is no longer the party of their youth.

[last1standing]

28. And maybe that's why your precious Kerry didn't win.

You're fighting a battle in a war that over. You lost and so did the rest of us. But I know, your money's on Kerry. sigh.

[marcologico]

36. He's won a hell of a lot more states than Dean ever will, but then

one is an easy number to beat.

[last1standing]

42. You make a lot of predictions and twist a lot of facts.

And still come up with nothing. It's those swift boat tendencies of yours coming out again. That's why so few put any stock in what you say, the average DUer can see through the kind of BS you throw at us.

Instead of constantly attacking Dean without anything to back you up, why don't you look into why the guy you have your money on lost an election that was his to lose? Maybe you want to look at his strategy or his positions on certain issues. Maybe you want to look at the fact that if most of his die hard supporters were much like you, they didn't inspire confidence in those around them. You are doing much more to hurt Kerry here at DU than you are to your object of slander.

In other words, you're debating like a child, throwing out insults and taunts like "He won a hell of a lot more states than Dean ever will". Why don't you just call Dean and all of his supporters "doodyheads" and run home to mommy to tell her we started it? It would be using the same level of debate.

This is why no one takes you seriously.

[Debi]

13. I think it's great that you put your name on the line

not just once for Dean but REALLY put your name on the line by running.

Igore the doubters - once the Dems are back on the upswing they'll come on board (and claim THEY revitalized the party).

Dr. Dean knows that it isn't about the spotlight shining on him, but the light shining in all of us!

We pick up seats this year...in citywide elections next year....Congress/Senate and state houses in 2006.....I feel a REVOLUTION coming on!!! :kick:

[Scout1071]

19. Sheila, I live in OP, KS

And I'm definitely blue! I'm so tired of the misconception that all of Kansas is red. Yes, high percentage out west, but the east has a whole lot of blue. And if anybody in the democratic party put even the smallest bit of effort into educating and courting the kansas voter, I'm sure that many more would turn blue. How do you think we elected a Democratic Governor? It's time to focus on suburban communities and mid-size cities. That's where they won it. Same with Missouri. Both KC and St. Louis go blue, but the rest of the state (Columbia, Springfield, Jeff City, Sedalia, etc.) go red. Believe me..these are not exactly rich areas and just need to understand that they are voting against their own economic and civic interests.

[Pirate Smile]

34. Don't forget your Democratic Representative too - Dennis Moore.

[Scout1071]

40. Exactly. And it's entirely possible to sway the people to the south.

I mean really..they are a tolerant bunch and if they could just get a better grasp of what the Pubs are up to, they'd be outraged! We need to go with door-to-door combat. Grassroots on steroids.

And even on the MO side. I went to the Kerry rally. I ended up waiting in a non-air conditioned hangar for 5 hours with one warm soda machine for several thousand people. Neither the local nor national DNC did shit to pump up the crowd while they waited. No place to sit. Basically...it sucked. I have a great deal of live event management experience. I wrote the DNC and told them I was concerned. They should have had the local politicians warming up the crowd the whole time. They needed a dynamic personality to keep the crowd motivated. Live music. Throw out t-shirts. Throw out signs, buttons, whatever! Just do something. Get that based energized. I saw the security telling two women and their collective children that they would not be allowed to bring their sack lunches. So moms and kids stood by the table and had to eat them on the spot. Paramedics had to come for the elderly woman behind me who passed out from heat.

All in all, it was a miserably run event.

[dorktv]

22. This is so true. I know a lot of people who became involved just because

of Dean and ran for office this last time because of him.

[moggie12]

12. Excellent article -- this is what we need, good people getting involved

[sandnsea]

14. nice post, shit thread

Ain't it always the way. Oh well.

[marcologico]

37. Hypocrisy stinks. If you can't smell it, you're lucky, but you will. n/t

[ultraist]

18. DFA is already making a difference in my state of NC!

DFA contributed to three candidates here, two of those won! We also have an active DFA member who is on boards of our Dem Party HQ. He is a grassroots activist who has done great things for the Democrats.

Keep in mind, that even though NC is Edwards homestate, we still had an active Dean group during the primaries. After Dean suspended, they all came on board with the K-E campaign.

Nine more days!

Dean for Chair

:kick:

[FreedomAngel82]

20. Sounds like it's going good

Glad to hear good things coming from DFA. I do like Dean and it's good to hear that he's another real deal person. I'm glad he's probably going to get the DNC chair. :)

[Democrat 4 Ever]

24. I wish Democrats would get the message - it doesn't matter

one whit who leads the Democrats, who runs on the ticket, who speaks for us - the repugs are going to attack him with the ferocity that King Chimpy once attacked a highball and a line of coke. There is no one we can put forth they won't smear. Let us quit defining our future by misconstrued ideas of Dean from the campaign. They were put there by the repugs themselves. This is a concerted, planned and well-executed plan on their part to smear any and all Democrats - and we should quit helping them. If Dean is selected to lead the Democrats he deserves no less than our full support until he shows us he is not up to the job.

Dean is passionate, he is well organized and by God, he is willing to take on these thugs. He certainly knows what they are capable of and do we really think we can do worse than the last two elections? We get more votes and yet we still lose the election. We have to remember every day that this is not the thugs' fathers' Republican party and we had better wake up and make sure we aren't our fathers' Democratic party if we are every going to win again. The paradigm has changed and the Dems had better change with it. Making nice and expecting a gentleman's game of diplomacy is killing the Dems - let us all get behind Dean, support him in every way possible and beat these assholes at their own game. Enough already. I want a radical, wild, woolly, take no prisoners, pull no punches leader, won't hesitate to yell, scream or pitch a fit - we have been soft for too long. We have 21 months until the mid terms - let the games begin.

[calimary]

38. YES, and YES, and YES some more.

I'm sick of playing by the bad guys' playbook. I do NOT recognize any of their dictates or rules. I refuse to play by them. Dean's the same way.

Believe me, the grassroots knows this. We need Dean like we need the sun in the morning and the moon at night, and food to eat and clean air to breathe and water to drink, and loved ones around us. And chocolate.

[IronLionZion]

25. Excellent, thanks for sharing

Dean and DFA are changing this country right now regardless of who wins the DNC chair election. Their plans for 50 state party and supporting local candidates is exactly how we get the leaders we need and change this country from the ground up. That's how a liberal Catholic became governor of Montana, a bloody red state.

[mandyky]

26. Please consider joining or starting a local DFA or

other Democratic club in your local area.

[Scout1071]

41. Info on local clubs? Any links?

[Tigress DEM]

44. http://dfa.meetup.com

Put in your zip and it will bring up groups and profiles in your area.

[JNelson6563]

30. Thanks for posting

glad to hear of all the postive work going on in that region of PA.

Julie

[mzmolly]

31. Awesome!

Thanks :hi:

[quaker bill]

46. You know I didn't expect much either, and was pleasantly surprised

I have done plenty of activism over the years. I have never met with a group as diverse and yet as well organized, motivated, and willing to work together.

[GetTheRightVote]

47. Ladies and Gentlemen, finally we have a real leader,be careful Dean

Checking in on the http://dfa.meetup.com website.

:kick: