Dean Clark Alliance How do we INSTITUTE this and get the message out?

[Quixote1818]

I posted the letter at the bottom earlier. It seems that on this board their is a huge amount of support for aligning the Dean/Clark camps to knock off the other camps who have had preferable treatment from the media and both Kerry and Edwards voted for the War. The Dean/Clark camps were both born on the Internet and inspired by our candidates anti war feelings. We have a kinship here and our basic values are the same for what inspired us.

However:

This post is about action! Lets put our heads together and figure out how to get this message out. States wear Dean is doing well Clark people help out states Clark is doing well Dean people helps out and vote for the other candidate. Right now I would say that we need Dean's help in the South West and Clark people can help Dean in states like Delaware, Missouri and North Dakota. South Carolina looks better for Clark but I don't want to give Clark a better advantage over Dean so perhaps we let South Carolina take it's course. Once it's Dean and Clark left standing let the best man win.

The most important thing is action and getting the word out. Can we start a website for this and who can do it? Who can get this out to the media? I suggest we take a vote hear on DU and if the vote is successful then we put this baby into action and take back America from FOX NEWS! Who can start the poll? I don't know how? Lets get this baby rolling.

The following was my letter to the Dean camp on Deans speach:

I was thinking about Howard Dean today and his speech that he took so much heat for. At first I thought he went a little to far but as the whole thing has faded and I look back and think of this wonderful guy worried more about his supporters (and I believe he did) than himself and wanting to bring all of you up and get you excited something in my heart is really moved. We hear the media and everyone telling us that he didn't act "proper" or he should have acted this way or that way. All I can say is Howard Dean is an individual with a wonderful heart and you could truly see his heart in that speech. Who decides what is proper behavior or what is not? We have all gone crazy at rock concerts and it's inspirational and wonderful. So why can't a guy get a little rowdy and try to be their for his supporters who I am sure had lifted Dean's heart for so many months. He wasn't thinking of himself up their he was thinking of all you Dean supporters and how hard you had worked for him. He felt he had let you down and that hurts.

Emerson once said: "Who so would be a man must be a nonconformist."

That's what being a liberal and a democrat is all about. If something is in your heart let it shine and be seen by the world. Who the hell cares what anyone thinks is proper behavior for being a president. Who the hell made those rules?

Emerson also said this: "Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment."

We hear Clark trying to defend Michael Moore's right to free speech and the Republicans are all over him telling him he didn't act properly and with good values. Well, bull shit! We can't let FOX news and all the stiffs out their tell us what is proper and what is not. In my book a guy speaking from his heart and making a fool out of himself is beautiful and inspirational and I wish Howard Dean the very best. I hope all the Dean supporters rally around Dean and let that speech be your battle cry in the fight for the right to be a nonconformist and defending all our liberal values. But most of all that your movement sprouted from goodness and things you believe in strongly in your hearts. My hats off to Howard Dean! If he Win's I will have tears in my eyes. He started an wonderful, powerful, inspirational movement that took root from all your hearts when you saw people dying that shouldn't have had to die. That's a beautiful thing that you all were so moved for all the right reasons. Howard Dean is an inspiration and deserves better than this. You all do! I just wanted you all to know it took me a while to see it but now I understand what it was about to be for Howard Dean! So scream on to that dream and show the world what you are all about. Thanks for the inspiration. May Clark and Dean's movements live on because we both know they are the movements with by far the most heart.

[Melodybe]

1. mass e-mails to the campaigns

BTW your post was beautiful, thanks for saying such nice things about us.

Kinda makes me all teary to be appreciated.

[Quixote1818]

3. Great Idea I have all the grassroot sites for Clark saved on my computer

For a mass mailing.

[robsul82]

2. Well, if this were Hollywood...

...we'd kidnap both of them and not let them leave until they worked out their issues, at which time they would discover a kinship with us and we'd all be WH staff. It'd RULE!

Later.

RJS

[Quixote1818]

5. Lets put together a letter and all sign it and send it to both offices

[jmusgrat]

4. It would be great...

It would be great to do that, but I think it would take a lot of emailing/calling/ support/ other things to both camps to have that happen. I think it would be almost as good as the Clinto/ Gore ticket. Another Dem ticket steamrolling to victory.

[Quixote1818]

6. News travels fast I think we can do it!

[Quixote1818]

7. What about a website? Who can start one?

[Qutzupalotl]

8. Clark has said he won't be Dean's VP

He's on record saying that national security has to be at the top of the ticket, which I take to mean him or Kerry.

But you're right about the values and general thrust of the campaigns of Dean and Clark being very similar. We will all need to rally behind the eventual nominee, and you know what? At this point, I don't see us going very wrong. Of the top four, I see Kerry and Dean not doing as well against Bush as my top two guys, just based on what I sense of their likeability to average Joes. But we have four strong candidates with a reasonable shot at getting the DictatorTot out of office, and that's a goal all of us can agree on.

(edited for clarity)

[robsul82]

9. Gore back in '92 was screaming about not being VP.

It's ego and normal politics. That's all.

Later.

RJS

[Qutzupalotl]

10. I'll grant you that.

But it's a statement that could come back to haunt Clark if he changes his mind. Edwards had a better answer to the VP quesiton: "I don't want to be vice president. I want to be the president." There's nothing to hold against him if circumstances change. Clark is forced to stick to his word, since it was more specific.

I like Dean, but I don't see him doing well in the southern states. I could be proven wrong. :) He certainly could be the nominee, and I'll stand and salute him if he is.

[robsul82]

11. Didn't haunt Gore, won't haunt Clark.

He'll be an EXCELLENT second-in-command to Commander-in-Chief Dean. :)

Later.

RJS

[Melodybe]

12. Dean is the favorite of former repubs here

All of them like Dean, all of them and I know A LOT of people.

I'm pretty chatty.

[Maddy McCall]

13. Speaking as a Clark supporter

I am not sure that I want any part of a Clark-Dean cooperative campaign.

I am still a Clark gal, and I am not ready to throw in the chips yet.

Sorry. :shrug:

On edit, I will add that Dean is way down on my list of potential running mates. However, the bottom line is that Dean is a Noreasterner who should have ALREADY hit his stride; Clark is a Southerner who has yet to hit his stride.

[robsul82]

14. I really don't know why some people don't know what "vice versa" means...

In this deal, no one is "throwing in their chips." It's a variation on the Kucinich/Edwards deal in Iowa. And hey, it'd be hilarious to hear them bitch about it and try to explain their deal too.

Later.

RJS

[Maddy McCall]

17. Like I said, Dean supporters have a lot more to worry about than

Clark supporters.

Dean's campaign is over if he can't score big in New Hampshire, which neighbors Vermont.

Clark is a Southerner. Southern primaries are still in front of us.

:-)

Again, sorry, I will gamble on a Clark-and-only-Clark future. His is looking much brighter than Dean's right now.

:-)

[bain_sidhe]

18. No, it's not a "variation on the Kucinich/Edwards" deal

All of the upcoming contests are *primaries* - each man gets what he gets, there's no threshold to get over.

What I've envisioned when I think of "supporting each other" is to not let the media (or other campaigns, for that matter) get away with dirty tricks or marginalizing the other candidate. For example, I see somebody perpetuating smears against Dean or acting like Dean's a dead duck, I remind them he's first or second in some of the upcoming states, and running well in many states, and reports of his demise are not only exaggerated, they're downright suspicious. Dean people do the same if Clark's candidacy is unfairly characterized.

I'm not talking about, or supporting the idea, of one candidate's supporters voting for the other candidate under any circumstances except the withdrawal of one of the candidates. And I don't expect that to happen in the near future.

Hope this clears up where *I'm* coming from. You're free to try and set up whatever you want, of course, but I'm not interested in getting involved in something like this.

[heidler]

16. It's too early yet. When either Clark or Dean or both see that they are

out of the running they will become more interested in teaming up before it is too late.

[janx]

15. They can be allied at this point about the integrity of the primary

process and the media.

All that takes is suggestions on the respective blogs. The campaigns will pick up on it, believe me.

It really won't take much more than that.

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. I think we should all cool it on the VP talk for now

Timing is off to even think that way out loud almost lol. Both camps honestly have to be geared up to win the top spot. You know I'm a Clark guy, but I also actually want our eventual nominee to win the Presidency. I am not completely sure whether Dean would help Clark most in that role, or if Clark would help Dean most in that role. Too soon to sort that part out. I am clear that we have to all stay on message about what is important to this country, and stop tripping each other up in a side show cat fight. For the most part we already have which is great. Probably there are other ways to cooperate also. I will be on the road for a week starting some time tomorrow, will be scarce at best around here till then. Tuesday though, I will be in New Hampshire! Good luck to all.

[maxr4clark]

20. Give me a break

Just run your candidate on his strengths.

[slinkerwink]

21. that's why Dean and Clark supporters have a lot to lose if Kerry

is nominated because it takes the issue of IWR, NCLB, and the Patriot Act off the table, which Dean or Clark can use effectively against Bush. If Kerry is nominated, we will LOSE in a landslide!