"We have supported public financing, but the unabashed actions of this president to undercut our Democratic process with floods of special interest money have forced us to abandon a broken system,"
The Devil made him do it, natch. The evil Bushfellah's undercutting Democracy again, forcing the helpless Deanfellah to abandon his principles. But this really is no offense, in spite of the bravado with which it's being sold. Dean is playing pure defense, and he really hasn't many options. I just wonder if the "fraction of a fraction" niche who contribute an average of $77 to his campaign don't amount to a small part of what George could put together, with a little organization and help from his friends. It's not as though there's a secret formula, and up until this election (I guess it is an election now, isn't it?) the Republicans were better at individual grassroots fundraising than the Democrats. So why wouldn't they pass Dean in sheer numbers somewhere along the road finally putting an end to that myth that the Democrats are the only "People's Party." Though the "little democracy" folks who support the Vermont Governor appear to be pretty passionate, the BIG DEMOCRACY supporters aren't exactly napping under the cottonwoods. And they can probably afford more than $77, too. So far no major candidate has ever waived public funding for the general election, but there might be some machismo posturing over whose campaign organization can whip whose before the conventions are over, and who knows where that sorta stuff can lead? Anyway, if the blogosphere is any measure of passion and savvy the Deansters will be outclassed by an order of magnitude. And my hunch is they just won't see it coming. They'll remain true to form: an exercise in wishful thinking.
This may be the biggest electoral rout in US history. Well, it's a long way to Nov. 2 isn't it? But still....
Posted by Demosophist at November 9, 2003 12:32 AM | TrackBack