Please Step Up to Take Back Your Party

Apparently fat cat donors are not opening their wallets to the DNC because they aren't sure they like Howard Dean. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_23/c3936057_mz013.htm

...Dean's business-bashing '04 campaign makes him a hard sell in corporate circles. "There's a wait-and-see attitude from business and major contributors," says Nathan Landow, a Maryland developer and big-time donor. "This guy has some work to do to get the comfort level up." William W. Batoff, a Philadelphia real estate developer and longtime Democratic fund-raiser who backed President Bush in 2000 and 2004, is less diplomatic. "Howard Dean is the wrong person to be chair," says Batoff, who claims he will help fund the Dems' congressional efforts but will boycott the national committee while Dean reigns.

"....a longtime democratic fundraiser who backed President Bush in 2000 and 2004" ?  Of course these people think Howard Dean is the wrong person to head the DNC -- they want GOP-leaning, butt kissing DINOs in charge. Are these the donors we want pulling the DNC strings with their big cash donations?

Folks, if we really want to take back our party each of us has to step up and give a little to the DNC, and take it back from fat cat Bush-voting Democrats.  Regular small donations -- even $25, $50 -- quickly add up to a whole lot of cash as we saw with Chairman Dean's unprecedented presidential race.

Please pull out your credit card and give what you can to take back our party from Bush-voting 'Democrats', http://www.democrats.org/support/index.html?dsc=NETA250

•  Who is this clown???

  Just when you think you've seen everything some media outlet digs up some other fool that sets a new standard for idiocy.

  We might as well board up the Party now that all of those "Democratic Fundraisers the supported Bush TWICE" are boycotting the DNC.

  What are the chances of finding this guy's nemesis that is an RNC fundraiser but voted for Gore and Kerry??

  by savvyspy on Thu Jun 02, 2005 at 07:04:46 AM PDT

•  Or better yet...

  help build a party that doesn't rely on corporate fatcats.

  by GreenSooner on Thu Jun 02, 2005 at 07:07:10 AM PDT

•  To give or not to give

  This is a great subject for a diary.

  Roonie is right; there are two aspects to "taking back" a political process.

  One is partipation, the other is fundraising.

  If we truly want to take control of the process and the platform, we have to be willing to step up and fill that inevitable gap.  Even a very small $5 donation would help.  It adds up.

  On the other hand, I have also adopted a "wait and see" kind of attitude, I am now realizing.

  I haven't donated any money to a party or PAC since the election, partly because I donated alot during the campaign, and partly because I want to wait and see what direction things are going.

  I personally trust Gov. Dean, Senator Reid, and the current party leadership in general to do the right thing politically.

  I suppose I still feel a bit betrayed by Kerry and how much $$ he had as he walked away from the '04 campaign.  He has millions left over, probably staying stashed for an '08 run.

  But didn't he give some to the DNC too?

  by Don Overwith on Thu Jun 02, 2005 at 07:24:53 AM PDT

  •  Giving locally

    As I've told the FIVE telemarketers who have called me representing the DNC over the past month, I'm saving my contributions for local candidates/campaigns.

    Which brings up another issue.  I've run telemarketing campaigns many times, with volunteers and with professional national telemarketing groups, and I've seen the effectiveness of telemarketing slide deeper and deeper over the past several years.  The negative public opinion caused by a telemarketing campaign -- especially in the off-season like this -- seems as if it would completely offset any financial gain.  

    And another thing -- I gave to the DNC last cycle, but not a lot.  I can't imagine the calls major donors must be getting.

    by ThirstyGator on Thu Jun 02, 2005 at 07:38:38 AM PDT

  •  Donate to DNC

    I gave a bit right after Dean became chair -- there was an appeal to support him.  My theory is to give ONLY when the request comes right from Dean, to show support for him and his policies.

    by Owl of Minerva on Thu Jun 02, 2005 at 07:42:18 AM PDT

  •  agree with all your points Don

    In fact, until I saw this article, I was also waiting and watching. I'm giving now. I'm very glad Dean isn't pandering to the fat cats, and, just like with his campaign, I feel he needs ME - I like that feeling.

    by roonie on Thu Jun 02, 2005 at 07:50:07 AM PDT

•  I am giving monthly to the DNC

  I never did that before Dean. I used to give to the Greens, and before that The New Party. So I'm doing my part for a little d Democratic Party, for now.

  If the DLC types get their way... then there is no point in having a Democratic Party, in my opinion. There is a already a firmly established corporatist party, we don't need two of them.

  by tiggers thotful spot on Thu Jun 02, 2005 at 08:19:00 AM PDT

•  Sounds like a shakedown...

  ...to me. These corporate assholes have to be intelligent enough to know that Dean isn't exactly the Mao Zedong that they make him out to be. But he doesn't kiss enough corporate ass, so they're trying to get him into line.

  by metal prophet on Thu Jun 02, 2005 at 10:13:13 AM PDT