"Yeaaahh!" Worked for Lil' John, Didn't Work for Dean
Newsweek has an article in their latest issue about Howard Dean and his recent outrageous comments. Dean actually thinks his comments have been good for his party, and here's why:
- In one day, the DNC raised $100,000 from online unsolicited donations
- Under Dean the RNC is out raising the DNC by 2:1 instead of 3:1 in 2001
- It's estimated that $12 million of the $14 million raised by the DNC this year has been from small donations (under $250)
I'm a little disappointed in Newsweek because I would love to know the flip side:
- How much has the RNC raised from unsolicited online donations as a result of the Dean comments? (my prediction: a whole lot more than the DNC)
- How much of the RNC's $36 million raised this year have come from small donations? (my prediction: a similar proportion as the DNC since big, soft money donations are now illegal)
Bottom line, the fact that Dean thinks his comments are perfectly acceptable and even helpful should scare Dems and delight GOPers. It's interesting to see the numbers of how Howard Dean is as a fundraiser for Dems, but I think it’s even more interesting to see the numbers of Howard Dean's impact on GOP fundraising!
2 Comments:
It definately worries people like myself, who know that Howard Dean is not a popular person for Democrats in my neck of the woods. For example, when Dr. Dean came to TN, the Republican Party used it as a rallying cry. Not our finest our in the Volunteer State.
By Southern Dems Still Exist, at 11:21 PM
Sure, Dean may be a fundraiser for GOPers, but Bush is a fundraiser for Dems. The Democratic Party has decided they need to invigorate their base, and I believe Dean's the man to do it. He's very much like Bush - he's not afraid of saying something he believes, even if people are insulted, and he's not afraid of being a little silly. Lately, a lot of Democratic voters have felt like the Dem politicians have let them down, have sold out, are too willing to compromise.
Maybe the strategy of reinvigorating the base is not the appopriate strategy - maybe the Dems need to be compromising, going after the swing voters. That's a different argument. But even if base Dems don't like what Dean has to say, I think many of them appreciate his balls, just like many Repubilicans who differ with Bush say they appreciate how he sticks to his guns. Wasn't that one of Bush's campaign themes? You may not like me, but you know what you're getting? Can't it work for Dean, too?
By Idealist, at 12:42 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home