First Door on the Left

A brief announcement from Joe Trippi, Campaign Manager, Dean for America:

As of 10:00 PM ET, Howard Dean has raised $697,128 online today, bringing our total for the quarter to $7,004,356.

With a few hours left to go before the closing deadline for our fundraising report to the FEC, you did it. You raised $700,000 in one day over the Internet and put Howard Dean over $7 million.

In 9 short days, tens of thousands contributed over $3.8 million to Dean for America. $3 million of that came in online contributions.

As Governor Dean said in his announcement speech, “We are the great grassroots campaign of the modern era, built from mouse-pads, shoe leather and hope.”

For months you have helped us build that grassroots campaign — a campaign that seeks to build a new politics of meaning for our country and a new kind of campaign powered by people. No one really seemed to notice until today. Your efforts today were amazing and in my view historic. There is simply no precedent for this kind of response over the Internet — in contributions and support this early in the process — for any other candidate I can think of from either party.

Congratulations, America!

The best reason in the world to contribute to the Howard Dean campaign: George W. Bush.

Meeting last month at a sweltering U.S. base outside Doha, Qatar, with his top Iraq commanders, President Bush skipped quickly past the niceties and went straight to his chief political obsession: Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Turning to his Baghdad proconsul, Paul Bremer, Bush asked, “Are you in charge of finding WMD?” Bremer said no, he was not. Bush then put the same question to his military commander, General Tommy Franks. But Franks said it wasn’t his job either. A little exasperated, Bush asked, So who is in charge of finding WMD? After aides conferred for a moment, someone volunteered the name of Stephen Cambone, a little-known deputy to Donald Rumsfeld, back in Washington. Pause. “Who?” Bush asked.

Not only is Mr. Bush incapable of finding any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (the main justification we were given for going to war with that country), he doesn’t even know who in his administration is in charge of finding them.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — the man is as dumb as toast.

Top that off with the fact that his perpetual “war on terrorism” is an obvious failure, and you’ve got every reason in the world to replace him with somebody in whom we can place our trust and confidence.

Less than two years after the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan is re-emerging as a terrorism hotspot on radar screens.

A spate of attacks and an increase in intercepted electronic ‘chatter’ indicate that the Al-Qaeda network could be re-establishing its foothold there.

Intelligence officials said this communication buzz and tapes reportedly released by Mullah Mohammed Omar, former leader of the Taleban, suggest that Osama bin Laden has renewed his partnership with it. The Taleban have been regrouping in the far-flung areas of the country.

The Al-Qaeda has also formed new tie-ups with outfits such as the Hizbi Islami of renegade Afghan warlords like Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Some of its members, who had fled to Pakistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, are beginning to return.

It’s time we had a true leader in America. It’s time for Howard Dean!

As of 1 PM ET, Howard Dean has raised $226,929 online today, bringing our total for the quarter to $6,534,157. Today, we have had almost 1,000 repeat donations for this quarter.

Howard Dean will personally call 5 donors, selected randomly, who contribute on the Internet today. (You will receive a thank you email through which you will be able to supply your phone number.)

How would it be to receive a personal phone call from the future President of the United States? You know they have my number!!

Howard Dean announced yesterday that he had raised close to $9 million this year, establishing himself as a top-tier candidate in the Democratic presidential field. The figure stunned his rivals and transformed Dr. Dean from a maverick into a more traditional contender.

Much of the money was collected over the Internet, his aides said, leaving little doubt there are now ways to solicit contributions other than the telephone calls and elaborate fund-raisers that are the stock and trade for most mainstream candidates.

Dr. Dean’s aides said he would report raising at least $6.2 million in the three-month period that ends at midnight, on top of $2.6 million he raised over the first three months of the year. Dr. Dean announced the figure 36 hours before the filing period ends, timing the release for a slow-news Sunday afternoon.

“We are thrilled,” Dr. Dean’s campaign manager, Joe Trippi, said. “Right now our new goal is $6.5 million by midnight tomorrow.”

The other campaigns said yesterday that they would wait until the fund-raising period was over before releasing their results.

“He’ll beat everybody,” Steve Elmendorf, a senior adviser to Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, said of Dr. Dean.

I realize the campaign says the goal is $6.5 million, but I really think we can do at least $7 million. What do you say? We have until midnight tonight, so please contribute now! Help Governor Dean take our country back!

Dr. Renana Brooks, in this article written for The Nation, states:

To create a dependency dynamic between him and the electorate, Bush describes the nation as being in a perpetual state of crisis and then attempts to convince the electorate that it is powerless and that he is the only one with the strength to deal with it. He attempts to persuade people they must transfer power to him, thus crushing the power of the citizen, the Congress, the Democratic Party, even constitutional liberties, to concentrate all power in the imperial presidency and the Republican Party.

Bush’s political opponents are caught in a fantasy that they can win against him simply by proving the superiority of their ideas. However, people do not support Bush for the power of his ideas, but out of the despair and desperation in their hearts. Whenever people are in the grip of a desperate dependency, they won’t respond to rational criticisms of the people they are dependent on. They will respond to plausible and forceful statements and alternatives that put the American electorate back in touch with their core optimism. Bush’s opponents must combat his dark imagery with hope and restore American vigor and optimism in the coming years. They should heed the example of Reagan, who used optimism against Carter and the “national malaise”; Franklin Roosevelt, who used it against Hoover and the pessimism induced by the Depression (“the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”); and Clinton (the “Man from Hope”), who used positive language against the senior Bush’s lack of vision. This is the linguistic prescription for those who wish to retire Bush in 2004.

We have to remember this as we go about the task of removing Mr. Bush from the White House in 2004. He is an extremely negative and pessimistic person, as you can prove by listening to any of his speeches. We have to counter this with an optimistic message. I think Governor Dean is well on his way to doing this when he declares “You have the power!”

How does Mr. Bush plan to campaign? The New York Times reports:

By early next March, Democrats will probably have settled on a nominee for president.

At that point, with no opposition in the primaries, President Bush’s re-election campaign is expected to begin spending the massive amount of money it is raising to paint an unfavorable picture of the Democratic candidate in voters’ minds and to establish the terms of the fall contest in a way that benefits the president.

He does not plan to present himself in a favorable or positive manner (which would be nearly impossible to do, anyway), but he instead plans to paint an unfavorable picture of his opponent. Again, negativity will rule. The Democratic party must resist the temptation to sink to the low level that Mr. Bush will set and continuously accentuate the positive in their positions and candidate.

America right now is a dark and gloomy place. It’s time to make it a bright and happy place again!