Here's a totals update: FROM TRUTHANDHOPE.ORG
N.CA $5,375
S.CA $1738
NY $1990
CT $ 225
OH $ 65 WFD $ 580 (Women For Dean - Print Ads)
MN $ 90
MA $ 480
GA $ 100
MD $ 250
RI $ 100
VT $ 110
Thank you all for the tremendous outpourings of support. It is literally near unanimous in favor of our carrying on this fight to secure delegates for the convention. I will reiterate that NONE of the money raised will now or ever go to support Kerry or Edwards. If we ever for any reason considered a change in that stance, because of a Dean endorsement or the end of the primary season, we will notify all of you & raise those funds separately. But in the foreseeable future this will definitely not occur, and I personally am not keen on the idea.
When I imagine a Kerry VS Edwards debate, I am inspired to do little more than grab a pillow & a blanket.
We have taken in about $3,000 in the last couple hours, much from first time contributors for a dead candidate. As this grows & we take to the airwaves, it will send a powerful message that Dean's campaign did not go away quietly, and cringe all you like DNC, you will have to listen when the people speak.
As of tomorrow we will be registered with the FEC as a PAC. This will allow us to continue to expressly advocate on behalf of a candidate in a federal election.
TO DO's:
We will need to retool our message on the ads, quickly. The message needs to reflect the new strategy of supporting Dean to support a platform. A vote for Dean sends delegates to fight for thisplatform in Boston. Since the party has insisted on supporting candidates who stand for what the polls tell them to stand for, the way to make certain that all these Dean inspired promises being made by Kerry & Edwards actually happen is to send a clear message that the party whose nomination they seek supports this platform.
Considering how close the last election was, they cannot risk alienating such a large voting block, but without the delegates the voice will be a whisper.
This reminds me of Buchanan in 92 running as a protest vote against Bush, because he wanted Republicans to be Republicans & quite raising taxes, etc. He pulled 20-35% across the country. Voters could safely support his protest, while knowing that they could still support the nominee, the electable candidate, in the general election. It was not long after that the far right took over the party & eight years later they took over the Presidency. We can do the same in the Democratic Party.
A vote for Howard Dean is a protest against Democrats who have stopped governing as Democrats & are acting like Republicans. A years worth of stump speeches does not erase the voting record for the last 3 years of Kerry & Edwards. If the voters want to be duped into supporting who the media tells them is electable, but still in their heart support Howard Dean & his movement, this is the opportunity to do both! They can still vote for the nominee, but send a clear message in the interim that they expect a Democratic President to govern like a Democrat.
I am going to work on new ads to this end, and will accept any submissions for potential ads that you wish to send. Admittedly I am a little bitter at having to write a $3,650 check for the ads we just produced - then have to do it all over again. If anyone can conjure up some volunteer or donated efforts to record the new spots that would be a big help, otherwise we will have to pay for the service, as time is of the essence.
I will place a button for Idaho, Hawaii & Utah - with the caveat being that should we fail to have the ads ready in time, the money will be carried forward to the Super Tuesday states. We accomplished the task in a couple of days before, but I want to cover all bases. Also, we need to still raise at least $1,500 for any state in order to place a buy in that state.
Contact the press to let them know that we are not going away, that this is an issue driven campaign & the issues are still valid. We do not think that the leading candidates are committed to what they are saying. Let them know that we are not going to line up behind the nominee like good followers. We are not going to form a 3rd party, which can be easily dismissed as a fringe element, denied the opportunity for press or debate. We are taking the Democratic Party back for Democrats & installing a progressive agenda for the good of the country. Howard Dean was & is about changing the country not just Presidents, and that is what we are going to do!
I do not want to suffer through electing a Democrat to the White House & 4 years later having them run for re-election on the platform that we need Healthcare for every American, we need to fix the education system, we need to provide middle class tax relief, we need to support equality of rights, we need to repair our relationships around the world, we need to provide funding for renewable energies, we need to fix our trade agreements, and on & on because they failed to do so in the first term, as has happened for so long! We need to send a clear message that in case of failure there will be yet another 1 term President because the party that put them in office will not nominate them again.
If the platform & the current leadership of the Democratic Party remains unchecked, all of the Dean inspired rhetoric & promises will once again remain unfulfilled & Americans will have more reason to return to cynicism and another administration like the one we have currently taking power.
Because I do not want to suffer through that reality, nor another 4 years of the current administration, I am voting for Howard Dean as President of the United States.
Thank you for all you do & for still believing,
Eugene Hedlund
Founder
TruthandHope.Org