Dean leads Democrats in fund-raising for quarter (Ketchup Boy Comes Up With LAME Excuses)

Boston Globe ^ | July 1, 2003 | Anne E. Kornblut

[PJ-Comix]

WASHINGTON -- Boosted by late online donations, Howard Dean appeared likely to outpace the other Democratic presidential candidates in his fund-raising in the last three-month period, raking in more than $7 million in a surprising surge that could alter the dynamics of the race.

[PJ-Comix]

''I think it makes it more likely this is turning into a two-man race, and that's a prospect we welcome,''

Yeah, sure. Ketchup Boy just loves the fact that Dean is now hogging the spotlight AND the campaign contributions. It's all part of the Kerry Master Plan to let Dean surge ahead. < /sarcasm>

Steve Elmendorf, an adviser to Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, said that Dean is a ''problem for Kerry, rather than for us.''

But...but didn't Ketchup Boy's campaign manager say how HAPPY he was that Dean is ahead?

Jordan said that the Kerry campaign is ''millions ahead of schedule'' and that the $11 million is ''more than any Democratic presidential candidate has ever had at this stage of campaigning.

Translation: "Kerry recieved about $7 million in contributions the first quarter so he will be getting only about $4 million this quarter. Rather than portray this as a big dropoff in contributions, we will focus on the $11 million total."

Edwards's aides insisted they were not disappointed by the decline in his total. ''Our strategy was to have the biggest number the first quarter, put it on the board the first quarter, to show our campaign was viable,'' Edwards spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri said.

It looks like Ketchup Boy's campaign isn't the only one that can come up with incredibly lame excuses.

[Former Proud Canadian]

This is fantastic news. Dean is a candidate in the mold of Mondale, Dukakis, and McGovern. His nomination would send the dems to electoral hell for at least four years. The only person who would make a better nominee is Sharpton. Hey, we could have the best of both worlds. How about a Dean/Sharpton ticket?

[KC_Conspirator]

I was going to vote for Sharpton in the MO primary b/c we can vote for any candidate, but it looks like Dean may get my vote 9 months from now.

[mewzilla]

Run, Howie, run...

[epluribus_2]

You forgot a BIG one - DEAN *** is **** GORE - without the charm.

[Miss Marple]

We are looking at a repeat of the McGovern fiasco. I was a democrat back in those days and I remember how the campuses were absolutely positive that McGovern would beat Nixon. Of course, no one ever talked to anyone outside the campus, and I remember how stunned my friends were with the Nixon landslide.

The left cannot face the fact that most of the country is not in tune with their thinking. They like Dean because he says what they want him to say, which is why he is getting all this money. They are convinced that if his message gets out, they will win.

Dean is articulate, granted. But he is also belligerent, arrogant, and flat-out nasty. He will be a nasty campaigner as well, even against other democrats. HA!

[TontoKowalski]

You were a McGovern democrat????

It's not quite 8AM, and I need a stiff shot of whiskey.

[Miss Marple]

I grew up in a yellow dog democrat family, and went to college in the late 60's and early 70's. McGovern was the first vote I cast, I am ashamed to say.

I voted for Peanut Man because of the pardon of Nixon, a vote which I regretted over the next few years of the Carter Administration, which were like dog years in that each one seemed like several.

By then I had grown up, married, had a child, and was working for a large corporation. I was outraged at the giveaway of the Panama Canal, the lack of intelligence in foreign policy, the betrayal of the Shah, the ineffective dealing with the hostage mess, not to mention the climbing interest rates, the energy crisis, and other assorted idiocies.

I showed up when the polls opened to vote for Ronald Reagan, and I have never voted for another democrat since. LOL!

However, my early years are a good reminder of how liberals think (which isn't much) and how easily they fool themselves into thinking they are the "voice of the people."

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

However, my early years are a good reminder of how liberals think (which isn't much) and how easily they fool themselves into thinking they are the "voice of the people."

Even Reagan himself was a Democrat, and there exists (I'm told) a tape of Reagan introducing Hubert Humphrey at a Democratic function, the Reagan speech being described as "quintessential liberal stuff." Hard to believe, but there it is.

I know a couple of intelligent liberals, and I just can't fathom the unthinking disconnect from what I see as reality. A Christian Boy Scout leader who is a union man from a Yellow Dog Democrat family. Unwilling to know that anti-scout sentiment is rampant in the Democrat Party and nonexistent among Republicans.

[Miss Marple]

I have a sister who is still a democrat. Despite the fact that she dislikes high taxes, supports the war on terror, has seen multiple instances of local democrats who are crooks, etc. etc. she still refuses to consider that perhaps the Repulicans might have some things right. She still clings to the "rich Republican" mantra even when shown who the rich people are mostly supporting...democrats.

I think that some people just hate to admit that they are wrong.

[Bob Buchholz]

That reminds me of my favorite quote:

A man of 20 that is not a liberal has no heart. A man of thirty that is a liberal has no brain.

I have seen this quote attributed to Churchill, Otto Von Bismark and Disraeli. Don't know which one said it but it is oh so true.

[TontoKowalski]

I think that some people just hate to admit that they are wrong.

My Dad's Dad was a local dim precinct chairman or some such thing. Southern Democrat. You know the type.

My Dad was aghast that I was voting straight party Republican... "Your Grandfather would roll over in his grave..."

I told him to take a good hard look at the Dimocratic platform... "My Grandfather would roll over in his grave if he knew what was going on in his party."

It wasn't an instant sell, but my Dad's a very loyal Republican now. Mom always has been, and she always refused to go to the polls with him because she knew he'd cancel out her vote. So he had to remember to go on his own, and motivate himself, which he didn't always do...

Now she drives him there.

[Miss Marple]

LOL!

[COBOL2Java]

McGovern was the first vote I cast, I am ashamed to say.

Don't feel bad, Miss Marple. Mr. MaGoo was the first presidential vote I cast too. Ah, to be young and stupid again! :-)

[TontoKowalski]

Well, since it's true confession time...

I was a big Perot supporter. The first President Bush had made me quite angry with the "no new taxes" reversal. I thought Perot was charasmatic, and I certainly wouldn't dream of crossing to the Democrats... so I landed in his camp.

I came to my senses before the actual election, but it was people like me who were initially enthusiastic who encouraged the nutcase to continue...

[ChiefsMan]

I may be able to top that. The first vote I ever cast was for Dukakis. Like a typical moron college student, I thought the fact that Bush won was basically the end of the world.

I have been trying to convince my mom and grandma (both wonderful ladies, politics aside) that the Democrat Party they love so much has been gone for about 30 years. I may as well be talking to a brick wall. Ma still proudly claims that Carter is her favorite President.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I think that some people just hate to admit that they are wrong.

People don't like to admit an error, and the bigger the error the more loathe they are to admit it. Buy a lemmon automobile, and you will defend it, to yourself and others, as long as you can--but if you do have to drop that defensiveness you then will be all the more disgusted with the car.

Cognitive dissonance, I believe it's called.

[Miss Marple]

Hmmm. I see a pattern here. Maybe the voting age should be raised to about 25 or so. LOL!