Dean in Flagstaff, AZ: A brief recap

[expatriot]

DEAN! I went to the event a Dean supporter and left a Dean disciple. This man is an AWESOME speaker... a true pragmatic progressive populist (how's that for alliteration).... Most importantly, he is a no holds barred straight shooter.... this is an exact quote of how he began his speech:

"I want to tell you a few things about myself before I begin ripping Bush a new you-know-what."

wowzers... Other points of his speech...
He ripped No Child Left Behind to shreds....
He ripped the tax cuts to shreds....
He announced that no matter who wins the Democratic nomination that he would actively support them in their bid against Bush.
He announced that (being in Arizona) he was the candidate to win the western states by making further gun control legislation a states' issue. His disclaimer was that he did support the current automatic gun ban and registration requirements. He said that it should be a states' issue... he said that we shouldn't be spending important political capital on the issue plus he said he could get the western states behind him on it (I am especially thinking of Arizona and Nevada which would most easily fall under the DEM column if there was a DEM candidate that was pro-state rights on gun issues).

Oh, and he also rallied behind our new awesome Dem governor, Janet!

There were hundreds of people there, it was awesome. Truly awesome.

[mistertrickster]

1. Good deal, Expat

Thanks for the report . . . I'd like to see him, but it's a waste of time for any candidate of either party to come to my state (Kansas), thanks to the "electoral college."

It's permanently a red state so there's no point in a candidate actually campaigning here.

[Bandit]

2. Never say never

;-) Things change, sometimes shockingly so.

[expatriot]

5. your comment inspired a funny image in my head...

of this school board member in rural Kansas suddenly jolting awake in the middle of the night and screaming out, "Of course, it is so clear now! Creationism is complete B.S.! How could I have been so blind!"

:)

[Dudley_DUright]

21. Oh how I would love to see that

As a scientist, I am so sick of having to fight these creationism battles all the time. Why can't these people keep religion out of the science classroom?

[expatriot]

4. About permanently "red" states and volunteerism....

I've been thinking about this... and do you think it would be too cynical for a campaign to use the realities of the electoral college to their favor by operating on the following premise:

IF YOU LIVE IN A SOLID STATE, EITHER BLUE OR RED:
The best way you can help is to fundraise: donating money yourself and volunteering in fundraisers.

IF YOU LIVE IN A BATTLEGROUND STATE OR A PROSPECTIVE BATTLEGROUND STATE:
The best way you can help is giving time, footwork, etc.

I mean it is common sense and I am sure campaigns do this automatically, but I wonder if a campaign could be more efficient if they were more direct about it. Or do you think the practical cynicism it implies would turn people off?

[msanger]

12. Virginia will be BLUE!!!

expatriot,

that is not a bad idea, but I've got another take on the situtation.

I live in Virginia, and I'm going to make it a blue state in 2004. We have a democratic governor, and we can put the state into the Democratic nominee's column.

Looking at what Dean and Moveon.org have done in terms of organizing, I think we have a real shot.

We have to put all the states in play.

Concede nothing (I'll try to learn how to spell.)

[expatriot]

7. Maybe something you could do is organize a car or van pool up to IA

If you live in Eastern KS, Iowa is just a real quick trip thanks to I-35. I mean you can make Des Moines from K.C. in less than 3 hours if you are a lead foot. (originally from IA... and incidentally I was doing 'Adopt-an-Iowan' for a long time before Dean's campaign made it an official policy, I am still working on some old friends but I have gotten at least two behind Dean, one that would have probably gone Kucinich without my 'guidance' and another one that would have remained disaffected.

[Cha]

13. Don't you have a Democratic Govenor in Kansas!!

Maybe Dean will come there and talk to those constituents!!

[AnnabelLee]

3. Thanks for the report

"I want to tell you a few things about myself before I begin ripping Bush a new you-know-what.":D

[quilp]

6. We have a "media" complaining " Dems have no candidates"!

"The Dems have no one of sufficient stature"! To run against Bush?? A "reporter" on Charley Rose said "Dean's problem is he isn't likable". I still haven't gotten over it. It is hard to know exactly where our "media" spends its time.

[Bandit]

8. The Media's Problem is they aren't likable

IMHO ;-)

[Warpy]

10. The media spends its time

...sitting on its collective arse in an air conditioned office, waiting for another press release from the White House or right wing stink tank to come over the wire.

The most effort any of them puts out in gathering information is surfing the web to find out what the "official" (meaning right wing) pundits have to say.

This applies to the pol beat, of course. Some of the local reporters actually go on site and look at the fire, while they shove their microphones into the faces of shocked and grieving relatives and ask how they feel.

[Teacher4dean04]

9. Thanks for the report

I have wanted to see him speak in person since I saw his first debate. But I don't think he'll be making it to Nevada anytime soon. Maybe the filming of Fear Factor here will give him an excuse to visit this sorry state. :silly:

[expatriot]

11. don't you agree that his pro-states rights on gun control will help in NV?

I think NV and AZ have wonderful Dem potential if we can manage to get some rural libertarians over on our side who are disaffected with Bush over civil liberties issues. Dean's practical stance on letting states manage their own gun policies is a recipe for success with these same said libertarians.

[Teacher4dean04]

18. I'd like nothing more

than to see Dean take NV. Unfortunately, this state is incredibly passive and apathetic to the voting process. (I'll be handing out leaflets for Dean at the end of the month to try rectify that, though). I know very few people I can actually have an intelligent political discussion with, especially on the national level. People here (well, in Vegas anyway) tend to be caught up in their own little worlds. Heck, they voted in *Bush despite his stance on the Yucca Mtn. project.

Mostly disturbs me to have teacher friends who support *Bush and in the same sentence will complain about how No School Board Left Standing is ruining education. Funny how some teachers can't add 2 + 2 and get it that *Bush was behind that stupid law.

[Cha]

14. Great report!,,,expatriot,,,,I love Dean's opening remark...that,,,

Sweetie!!

Go Dean!!

:dem:

[Capn Sunshine]

15. The BEST THING ABOUT DEAN ON THE STUMP

Is his ability to convey SINCERITY. Other candidates sound like they are reciting something someone made up for them, Dean sounds as if he had a major hand in writing his.

[ChrisNYC]

19. I read somewhere

That he delivers all his speeches off the cuff, he never has notecards or a script. Probably has a lot to do with why he comes across like he's just talking -- he is!

[Eloriel]

20. No major hand -- HE WRITES HIS SPEECHES!!

One of his campaign bloggers said that there are only 2 speeches he didn't write entirely himself, and his Announcement speech wasn't one of them. Mostly tho, he doesn't use written speeches. He's TOTALLy unscripted.

Expatriot - so glad you joined the Dean Team! He's outtasight, isn't he? So many people have become supporters just from hearing him speak.

Eloriel

[Clete]

16. Isn't it nice to listen to someone articulate?

Also there is a difference between a straight shooter and a grammatically challenged yo-yo that the press apologetically tries to call a plain speaker.

[Egnever]

17. Hahah give em hell Doc!

I just love this guy!