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Influence of MoveOn undeniable
Boston Globe ^ | February 16, 2004 | Yvonne Abraham

Posted on 02/16/2004 1:48:35 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

Edited on 04/13/2004 2:11:38 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

BERKELEY, Calif. -- The biggest powerhouse in progressive politics had decidedly inauspicious beginnings: an overheard conversation at a local Chinese restaurant, a high-tech chain letter, and $89.

Five years ago, tech entrepreneurs Joan Blades and her husband, Wes Boyd -- whose company gave the world the flying-toaster screen saver -- were eating lunch and listening to a group at a nearby table lamenting the time and energy wasted on the President Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal. Blades and Boyd decided to start a petition urging Congress to forgo impeachment, censure Clinton instead, and move on. They e-mailed it to their friends, asked them to pass it on, and paid $89 to set up a website where people could register their support.


(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; agitprop; antiamericanism; antiwarmovement; bushhaters; campaignfinance; campaignlaws; clintoncronies; communists; crime; electionlaws; email; fec; foreignconduit; foreigncontributions; foreigninfluence; fraud; fundraising; influence; internet; lovedclintonswars; lyingliars; mediabias; morondotorg; moveon; moveondotog; moveonmorons; moveonorg; politics; propaganda; socialists; softmoney; usefulidiots
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Fox News is turning more liberal lately. Alot of freepers say they won't watch them anymore. The Dims call them RW. Fox better watch it. In trying to get people like moveon.org to watch, they may wind up shooting themselves in the foot.
21 posted on 02/16/2004 3:30:04 AM PST by beckysueb (Lady Liberty is in danger! Bush/Cheney 04.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
I'm not convinced of MoveOn's effectiveness yet. They talk a big game but what have they produced? Howard Dean was their man. The MoveOn members had a faux-primary in summer of 2003 and Dean won easily. That's who they would have picked to run if they had to have picked anyone. Look where he is now.


We will see in the end when the election is over and our President has won how much influence they have.

22 posted on 02/16/2004 3:32:58 AM PST by garylmoore (It is as it was)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
They should 'moveon' to another country.
23 posted on 02/16/2004 3:49:59 AM PST by moonman
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Isn't this an interesting piece of spin by the BG on the origins of MoveOn...These guys are starting to make the Beeb look fair and balanced.
24 posted on 02/16/2004 3:51:47 AM PST by mewzilla
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Especially since neither of them had ever been involved in politics before that lunch.

[sigh]

25 posted on 02/16/2004 3:53:38 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
I didn't read half of this article but here is really whats happening in America. All of this crap is orchestrated by the media and politicians to steal and take what they can from the average person.If either the media or the politician's had to work for a living they would starve to death. They all are con men and women and the average person falls for this crap.
By dividing America and stirring up this crap they can get those on the INTERNET to donate. This is just a way of replacing the solicitation over the telephone that has been taken away but I was about to forget it is not illegal for a politician to solicit over the telephone is it, wonder why?.Anyway look at the money they are generating and these Bozo's are sitting back laughing at the Jane or John going off to work and making them rich. Then the one that gets elected reaches out to corporate America through PAC,s and takes millions more and caters to them. Either way it is passed back on to the working stiff who pays these crooks bills and salaries.
Wonder where they going to get the money from when we export all the jobs out of the country and we all go to work for the government or go on welfare. America's brilliance is catching up with her!
26 posted on 02/16/2004 3:54:09 AM PST by gunnedah
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To: beckysueb
I watch Fox and Friends and Brit Hume's show. I assume they're in the time slots when most people are watching. They can't be a conservative advocacy organization or they would be dismissed outright. By leaning to the right, they pull fence sitters and those educated in most public schools, to the middle. And that is the beginning of their enlightenment.
27 posted on 02/16/2004 4:08:28 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
The vast "middle" needs to be educated.

Too many here only want to preach to the choir and here there own views parroted back to them.
28 posted on 02/16/2004 4:12:21 AM PST by Bluntpoint
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To: samtheman; Cincinatus' Wife; JohnHuang2; MeeknMing; shaggy eel; Byron_the_Aussie; Jim Robinson
<< Where is our equivalent to this? >>

Equivilent?

FR trumps it in Spades!

BumPing
29 posted on 02/16/2004 4:12:26 AM PST by Brian Allen (O! Ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth!)
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To: Bluntpoint
here = hear
30 posted on 02/16/2004 4:13:00 AM PST by Bluntpoint
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To: gunnedah
The belief that "a sucker is born every minute," is true. People are willing to part with their money for causes they support. If they've been raised to hate conservatives, they will eagerly respond to anti-conservative appeals. And if they've lived in the real world and educated themselves, they're likely to be conservative and support those causes. Politicians play the game to raise money and get reelected. It's a constant battle, with about 1/3rd of the country actively participating in the process. Unfortunately those paying the taxes are losing their voice as those who take, have reached the threshold where they can vote more money out of your pocket and into their own. Government has its place and we need one, just a much smaller one.

The way I see it, conservatives of all stripes need to stick together or we'll be beyond saving. I believe Bush has proposed spending in a manner that will begin to turn the country back toward self-sufficiency. It didn't happen overnight and it isn't going to be fixed in his presidency. But he is focused on the defense of our country and, like Reagan, the spending will rise and it will fall but our security is paramount. The Supreme Court nominations are critical in stopping the onslaught of socialism creep from the bench.

31 posted on 02/16/2004 4:24:57 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
The all or nothing mentality just leaves us with nothing.

Social change never occurs in a linear fashion.
32 posted on 02/16/2004 4:30:24 AM PST by Bluntpoint
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To: Bluntpoint
Too many here only want to preach to the choir and here there own views parroted back to them.

Too many isn't that many and it's nice to hear your views are supported. If you watch CNN or Fox News all day long it is overkill. So I suppose if you stay on FR all day it sounds like a lot of parroting. I read a few threads and move on to other things and sites, so I appreciate what the posters on FR have to say and I don't feel I'm preaching or reading to hear my views parroted back. A lot of Freepers are waaaaaaay more conservative than Americans in general and their wish to have a country, that quite frankly never was, isn't going to happen. But I admire their outspokeness and consider their points of view. I'm sure we all in some way influence each other.

33 posted on 02/16/2004 4:30:31 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Bluntpoint
Very true.
34 posted on 02/16/2004 4:31:00 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Actually, I was directing my comment more to "Rove's" strategy as compared to some who want to exercise their "all or nothing" moral vanity and then take some sort of sick solace in losing elections.
35 posted on 02/16/2004 4:35:23 AM PST by Bluntpoint
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To: Bluntpoint
Makes sense.
36 posted on 02/16/2004 4:56:06 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; Clemenza; nutmeg; firebrand; rmlew; PARodrig; sauropod; hellinahandcart
Today, the organization has 1.7 million members -- as many as the Christian Coalition at its height.

Remember that the Christian Coalition was responsible for getting Reagan elected. Were it not for them Reagan would have been just another governor who tried for the White House. The establishment GOP via the RNC did NOT want Reagan. The same crowd that still runs the RNC to this day.

I would not be so dismissive of these people. Crackpots or not, all politics, to quote "Tip" O'Neil is local. And grassroots organizations is the way to go.

37 posted on 02/16/2004 5:15:04 AM PST by Cacique
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To: Always Right
"...it is really a far-leftwing arm of the Democratic party big donors.......and the darling of Al Qaeda......
38 posted on 02/16/2004 5:34:06 AM PST by yoe (WMD come in small containers/vials...small minds don't want you to know that.)
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To: StatesEnemy
as well as the "accidental" transfer of missile technology to China by two Clinton contributors, to another Clinton contributor...
39 posted on 02/16/2004 5:40:13 AM PST by steve8714
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To: Cacique
I would not be so dismissive of these people. Crackpots or not, all politics, to quote "Tip" O'Neil is local. And grassroots organizations is the way to go.

This group has no uniting principles like the Christian Coalition. MoveOn's candidate was Dean, and you see how far they got with that. I am not dismissing them because they have big-money behind them and a sympathetic media to carry their water, but they are hardly a 1.7 million member grass roots organization. Not many of these alledged members have actually contributed a dime, most probably just signed up to recieve e-mail.

40 posted on 02/16/2004 5:41:23 AM PST by Always Right
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