Open Your Dean Email on Thursday

[Vis Numar]

First, plan on attending Wednesday’s critical Meetup. If you’re not already signed up, go to:
http://dean2004.meetup.com

Second, on Thursday, you will receive from Governor Dean the most important email of this campaign. Please check your inbox, and be sure to open the email. The future of this campaign — and this country — is in your hands.

Joe Trippi
Campaign Manager
Dean for America

P.S. Be sure to watch Governor Dean tonight at 7 pm ET on the “America Rocks the Vote” youth forum on CNN.
------------------------------------------------------------------


What can this email by Dean be about, anyone?

[meegbear]

1. virus?

[Khephra]

2. Please...

:crazy:

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

3. During the conference call

with Joe Trippi on Sunday, he told the meetup hosts to remind everyone at the meetup to check their email on Thursday, that it was the most important email of the campaign. But because they didn't want anything leaked to the press, he wouldn't say anything about what the email was about, only that it would change the campaign. I'm dying to get Thursday's email!!

I know they are deciding in the next couple of weeks if they will opt out of matching funds, but I don't think they are making that decision by Thursday.

So far, they haven't missed a step in this campaign. If Joe Trippi says this email is huge, I have no doubt they've done something amazing to further the campaign.

[msanger]

4. dean's not electable

Remember that? Too liberal (or conservative,) too out-spoken, no national organization.....

All he (and the deaniacs) have done is change the face of elections in this country - probably forever.

While I wish all the democrats well, I can imagine Kerry and Gephardt losing some sleep over "the announcement."

[w13rd0]

5. Ok, a few guesses:

We already know the SEIU is likely going to endorse Dean, so it's probably not that. Oh, what could it be?

Its announced that Jesus has accepted the VP slot.

Nancy Reagan is endorsing Dean.

Dean has formed a strategic alliance with the Andromeda galaxy, and all your planets are now belonging to Dean.

Gore endorses Dean.

Dean has lost 20 pounds eating Subway's low fat menu items.

Joe Trippi wrastled Jon Benet Ramsey's killers to the ground, amd they are being brought to justice.

The Dean team has footage of Bush urinating in the Pope's coffeepot.

The Bush twins are endorsing Dean, proclaiming, "You think GWB is doing a bad job as President, well, he's an even worse father."

ok, I can't think of any more possibilities right now...

[CMT]

11. this sounds like what Newsguy was alluding to

when he said a major announcement would be made in October. It probably just got pushed back a few days.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

6. My guess...

It's not an endorsement or other announcement like that., it's clearly going to be a call to action of some sort ("the future...is in your hands"). I expect it will either be about fundraising or a final GOTV push in NH and IA.

[quinnox]

7. Perhaps a new fundraising drive

Probably Dean wants some more cash for new commercials.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

8. Or maybe for this...

[KaraokeKarlton]

9. Maybe it's a bunch of endorsements

I'm wondering if the campaign might be sitting on some other big endorsements and announcing them all at one time. If it's just one nedorsement I would say it's got to be either Jimmy Carter or Al Gore. Maybe they are doing that infomercial nationwide. And the infomercial will likely call for contributions to Take Back America. Then, they will opt out of matching funds because the infomercials will bring in more money than you can shake a stick at. Toss in the union endorsement and Carter and or Gore endorsement and Dean's opponents will be scrambling around like chickens with their heads cut off.

[Le Taz Hot]

10. My guesses

Remotely possibility: Some sort of request for input by his supporters as to whether or not he'll take matching funds.

Almost certain: They've already made the decision to NOT take matching funds.

[TSIAS]

12. This might be the big news

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-dean-money,0,2256164.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

BOSTON -- Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean, making a powerful case to abandon the U.S. public finance system, will ask 600,000 supporters to decide whether he should take the historical step to avoid campaign spending limits, the Associated Press has learned.

Dean is asking his backers this week to vote by e-mail, Internet, telephone or U.S. mail on whether he should remain in the system or join President Bush in raising unlimited campaign contributions. He would be the first candidate in Democratic Party history to reject federal campaign money and the spending limits that come with it.

--more--

[LuminousX]

13. Whoa

Nice!

If he opts out, it will be because his supporters said so. That is simply amazing.

[TSIAS]

14. I wonder how they'll control this

A lot of people get emails from the Dean campaign. I'm sure a lot of them support another Democratic candidate or support Bush.

I'll probably vote for him to opt out if I get the email.

[TSIAS]

15. Here's the message, in its entirety

http://www.blogforamerica.com/

Your Country, Your Campaign, Your Decision


I am writing to place the most important decision of this campaign in your hands. We need to choose whether we will decline federal matching funds or accept them.

Our political system is drowning in a flood of large corporate interest money. The pens that sign the checks of the lobbyists in Washington are the same pens that write our legislation.

Oil corporations write energy laws in the Vice-President’s office. The pharmaceutical industry drafts our Medicare laws. Billions of dollars worth of contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan are awarded to Bush contributors. For the Republican primary election, even though he has no opponent, George Bush is raising $200 million from large corporate interests.

The Bush campaign is selling our democracy so they can crush their Democratic opponent.

We are building the only campaign that can stop this outrage. Our campaign has not been talk about future reform, it has been the action of real reform. Through hundreds of thousands of donations averaging $77, the impossible is happening -- ordinary Americans are poised to overpower the largest mass of special interest money our nation has ever seen.

But soon our opportunity to compete dollar-for-dollar against George Bush’s army of special interests may be gone. If we accept federal matching funds, our spending will be capped at $45 million -- and the greatest grassroots movement in the history of presidential politics will be stopped from raising money almost immediately and will reach the spending limit well before the end of the primaries. We will not have any funding until the Democratic convention at the end of July.

I have always been committed to public financing. But the federal matching funds law, though it was meant to provide an incentive for ordinary Americans to participate in the funding of our elections, is doing the opposite of what it intended. It could end up punishing a movement that has raised more from ordinary Americans than any campaign in history, while rewarding the campaign that has blatantly abused both the spirit and intent of campaign finance, selling off piece after piece of our country.

This is how the Bush campaign believes they can defeat us. If we accept federal matching funds -- and the $45 million spending cap that goes with it -- they will have a $170 million spending advantage against us. From March through August, they will be able to define and distort us, and we will have no way to defend ourselves.

We do have the option to go toe-to-toe with the big corporate donors of George Bush by getting 2 million Americans to give a hundred dollars each. By declining matching funds, we free ourselves to raise the money needed to defend ourselves during the crucial months from March through August against the attacks of George Bush and his special interest backers.

But let me be clear, if you decide to decline federal matching funds, it will require a significant commitment from all of us who have brought this campaign to this point. Declining matching funds means turning down almost 19 million dollars that the federal government would give to this campaign.

That means we will have to raise that money ourselves if we are to win the primary, beat George Bush, and take our country back. Declining federal money and funding a campaign with grassroots support has never been done before, and if you choose this option it will be a challenge-- but with your commitment, your dedication and your hard work, we can do it.

This decision is no longer mine to make. This is a campaign of the people, by the people and for the people. Your successful effort of raising a historic amount of money through small contributions has made this choice possible. This is why I am putting this decision in your hands.

I am asking you to vote on what kind of a campaign we will conduct from this point forward. No matter how well intentioned both our options are – the choice is difficult: do we choose option (a) to fund our campaign ourselves and decline matching funds, or do we choose option (b) and accept federal matching funds and the spending limits?

You will receive a ballot via email on Thursday and have until midnight Friday to vote. The results will be announced on Saturday.

The fate of this campaign rests in your hands, and I believe the future of our American democracy rests on your decision.

Sincerely,

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

PS For more information about the vote, visit www.deanforamerica.com/decision.

Posted by Mathew Gross at 10:50 PM
Link | Mail This Entry to a Friend | TrackBack (0) | Comments (10)