Does * Have Grass-Roots Support (other than Freepers) on Dean's level?

If Bush* is so popular, than why doesn't he have high Meetup numbers, and why doesn't Rove run an open-source campaign and let the Freepers run wild. I'm glad that we have an online advantage, but what if Bush begins copying Dean's or Clark's campaign strategy? Would it work, or would their plan fail like Kerry's mimicing of Dean's website, or like some of Gephardt or Lieberman's online initiatives?

before carefully screened partisan audiences (fund-raisers) or on military bases. I don't think he could get the kind of enthusiastic crowds which show up for Dean or whoever the Democrats nominate in 2000.

in addition, as Bill Clinton said "Republicans fall in line" come election time.

a couple of nights ago talking about organizing to take back the country. :scared: I only caught a minute of it. It was so scary I changed the station in a hurry. :scared:

I'm not convinced that this whole meetup thing and the internet support is anything other than simply the first time this stuff has been used in campaigning effectively. Ultimately I think it's not going to make one whiff of difference come election how many meetup members someone had. The cross section of our population that is internet savvy and would be using such tools is overwhelmingly white and middle class. Which is great but unless so many other groups are mobilized in ways OTHER than internet based, the whole meet up thing is going to be little more than footnote as a turning point in american politics rather than what I would call "grass roots" support.

Just my take on it though. It's not unimportant, I'm just convinced it's just got nothing to do with who is going to win the general election in '04.

Even if Meetup.com is internet-based, a good way to attract less fortunate would be to post flyers of the Meetup in their region or to take out adds in local newspapers. Basically it would be similar to pre-internet "Meetups"

Remeber a couple years ago when the Internet was supposed to change everything we did? We'd buy cars and houses and pets and find true love all with the click of a mouse. For internet site operators, there was gold in them there hit counts and web sites that cost 19.95 to build soon became IPOs worth millions. Then reality set in.

I kinda view the meet-ups like this. It's a great concept and I see it as a great tool in the communications and establishement of long-term networks to ensure party growth and participation, but right now this is way too new to gauge what overall effect on the election process the Internet has. We're going to know a lot more in two years and hopefully find what was effective...especially in the important process we're in now, of learning about our candidates and issues. Certainly we are far more informed in confronting RW jerks through forums such as D.U. where a wide assortment of infomation can be shared and discussed.

If the Democrats are to counteract the money and built-in base (just dream of church busses full of Ralph Reed robots walking into polling places)we're going to have to work real hard on getting those who either don't vote or find it "inconvenient" to do so. There has to be efforts in recruiting voters everywhere and anywhere we can and make sure they get to the polls. What it is folk, is the age-old, elbow-grease working door-to-door and having faith and passion in our causes despite who we are confronted with.

The BushCo junta is giving us great opportunities...the economy, the invasion and so on, but they also have a well-oiled media and money machine that they will turn on full-blast next year to "suck the air" and try to steal another election. We have to meet this tidal wave with strength and full conviction of our beliefs or this country faces 4 years of real peril.

The key isn't getting the message out to ourselves...I can't think of anyone on DU who wouldn't want to go out this very second and cast a vote against the BushCo regime, it's getting others who either don't want to bother or just don't plain know how (and you'd be surprised how many people think the process is far more complicated than it is) to think about what's going on in this country, whose responsible for what's wrong, who can fight for what's right and that their vote is important in bringing an end to this national nightmare.

Respecfully, I think you miss the point. While what you say about the demographics of the interent may be true, the meet-ups are where the internet meets the real world. In that regard, we move away from the cyberworld and implement plans for taking the online enthusiasm to our neighbors.

Yes, there are other ways of mobilizing groups, but they are no more effective.

bush, unfortunately, has a huge "grassroots" movement...they meet every Sunday and in far greater numbers than we meet. They are also tax exempt and receive goobs of "faith based" funds.

In addition, he has the "bush rangers" who hold their meet ups on gold courses, and in board rooms everyday.

They will be out in force come next November.

They will say anything and do anything to win. Anything.

Could you picture a bunch of rich CEOs attending Meetups? Where would they go, the Waldorf-Astoria?

The Bohemian Grove of course, or perhaps the (WEF) World Economic Forum.