E-mail link to AFL-CIO. Urge them to wait to endorse a Dem nominee.

[flpoljunkie]

A candidate who says in Tallahassee on November 4th that Southerners must stop basing their votes on "race, guns, God and gays" is not a candidate who can win the South, and we need to win the South. You cannot win people over with arrogance and condescension, in the South, or anywhere.

http://www.aflcio.org/siteguides/contactus.cfm

Email link to AFSCME, an affiliate of AFL-CIO, even better.

Their web address is http://www.afscme.org

[SaveElmer]

1. Count me Out

Go Dr. Dean !

[meegbear]

2. Didn't they already make the emdorsement?

[Zynx]

3. And Kerry wins the South how exactly?

[Padraig18]

4. I'll pass. n/t

[CMT]

5. AFL-CIO will not make an endorsement

of any one democrat running. Individual unions will, but for the full AFL-CIO to do so, I think a candidate needs 2/3 of the unions behind him and the SEIU and possible AFCME endorsments of Dean will effectively derail that.

I also take issue with the idea that a candidate running for president can't tell a southern audience to stop basing their votes on "race, guns, God, and gays". I think it is high time someone spoke out openly like this and told these audiences that instead to base your vote on hope and economic and educational improvements for everyone.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

6. And furthermore...

SEIU has already chosen Dean, and probably AFSCME too.

[Duder]

7. They already interviewed John Kerry

[quinnox]

14. lol, I think this one is amusing

[GainesT1958]

8. I just don't think that the SEIU nod is going to have the impact...

That Dean's people hope it will. Dr. Dean's going to have to prove himself to the voters--after his "natural" base in New Hampshire--and he's still got a way to go before he does that. What he's going to have to learn--along with many of his supporters--is that one cannot be condescending to ANY prospective voter and win them over. And, despite so many things going our way, we're going to have to gain peoples' trust next year, not just rely on their growing distrust of Dub & Co. to roll to vicotry. The best way to gain in the "electability" factor is to demonstrate you can connect with people; not "know what's good for them". After all Dub's the one operating as though HE "knows what's good for us", and look at where THAT'S gotten us. :eyes:

No prospective voters should be "told" how to behave by ANY candidate; they should always be ASKED, especially when a candidate ASKS them for their votes--as opposed to TELLING them they "should vote for me". It would appear as though Dr. Dean needs to learn THAT one, too!

B-)

[CMT]

10. well it is not only Dean people who think it is pretty important

Kerry, Gep, and some of the others really have tried to block Dean getting this endorsment, they seem to recognize that it is important as would be AFCME if Dean gets that too.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[GainesT1958]

11. And lest any Dean supporter misinterpret my criticism...

I am NOT--repeat, NOT--"bashing" Dr. Dean; just offering constructive criticism of his style. Though he's not my first choice in the primaries--I support Gen. Clark--if Dean indeed DOES emerge in, say, April, as our prospective nominee, I want him to be able to go into the convention--and into the campaign directly against Dub--as somenone who's stronger as a candidate for the experience, and knows how to connect with voters who, as Tip O'Neill used to put it, "like to be asked". Should he do that, with his straight-foward manner on the issues, I DO INDEED think he has a GREAT shot at nailing Dub next year. But he's GOT to work hard to stave off that "arrogant and dydactic" moniker once and for all; to be sure, "Chip" Rove & Co. will waste no time doing their level best to reinforce it in voters' minds. I want Dr. Dean to be able to head 'em off with that one hands down come late spring.

:kick:

B-)

[RevolutionStartsNow]

13. Fair enough

and good points. Dean does have to work to make sure he can appeal to a very wide audience. He needs to continue to get his message out there, and get in front of people.

I've had my own reservations about Clark, but they are dissolving as I watch him on the campaign trail, fiercely attacking Bush and refusing to bash his fellow candidates. I also think that Clark has the resume and persona to bring the swing voters our way. I am starting to fantasize again about a Dean/Clark ticket.

[Egnever]

12. Thanks for the link!

I sent them an email thanking them for choosing Dean !

[BrewCrew]

15. trust me

I know all this all works at the AFL.. When SEIU and AFSCME officialy get behind Dean, it will be mathematically impossible for any candidate to garner 2/3s of the Unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO Executive Council.

These are great endorsements for Dean. But besides that I want to focus more on what seems to be a split within the labor movement as a whole. The AFL-CIO is split right now between service unions (like AFSCME and SEIU) and Industrial Unions (Teamsters, Machinsts, Steelworkers). That split is even more relavant now, as we can see with the endorsement of these two big unions going to Dean and Gephardt having the backing of a majority of the industrial unions. I think the sticking issue is trade---service unions just havent lost the jobs because of our 'race to the bottom', thus dont feel as much loyalty to Gephardt. I just hope these two factions can get together and rally behind our nominee.

[MercutioATC]

16. Just sent a message - encouraging them to endorse Dean.

From one AFL-CIO member to another, I told them I thought that Dean was a great choice!

[Demobrat]

17. Oh sure, that'll work.

They've met with all the candidates and made up their minds. Somehow I don't think spam from the loser's supporters is going to influence them much