Note to readers: this post is written in my capacity as co-founder of Democrats For Principle Before Party/The Denver Group.
The Democrats For Principle Before Party match described in the previous post was met in fewer than six hours. The Democrats For Principle Before Party initiative is the offshoot of The Denver Group, a small grass roots organization, dependent almost entirely on "small dollar donations". We do not do email blasts because we do not have the staff to do them. We are extremely to have friends around the blogosphere who have been helping draw attention to our fundraising drive aimed at running ads in the mainstream media before the general election. (To learn more go to the website of Democrats for Principle Before Party.)
Notwithstanding any of that, in fewer than six hours we raised enough money to match an offer to donate $500 to retiring Senator Clinton's primary debt, we did it when we had set aside the entire weekend as the time period for our "rapid fire match". For sure, everybody loves a two-fer and I know the people who donated to raise money for our ads want us to be able to fund the ads. But the more significant lesson of this match is that shows the complete dedication rank and file Democrats have to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Senator Clinton is the candidate who won more votes than any other Democratic contender for the Party's nominination in the history of the Democratic Party. She continues to motivate and inspire Democrats everywhere as she tirelessly works for downticket candidates, as she always has, because of her deep appreciation of the fact that a political party is a collective effort, not a podium or a platform for one individual. Senator Clinton just gets it.
Does the DNC, now led by Howard Dean and, if Senator Obama gets his wish, to be led by whoever he handpicks, pay the slightest attention to any of this? Of course not. This DNC is an organization that has gone so pathologically awry that it continues to alienate millions and millions of Clinton Democrats and Independents and Republicans who shared the view that Senator Clinton was the most qualified and most talented candidate on the Presidential landscape this year.
If the smallest political organization can raise $500 in fewer than six hours in the name of a match for Senator Clinton, an organization with no access to email lists or email blasts or cellphone numbers for text message alerts, then can you imagine how different this election would look if the DNC as an organization had at least given the Democratic Party a serious option to run Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for President?
What a wasted opportunity. Thank goodness Senator Clinton will be there in the Senate after November 4 - as Senate Majority leader if the Senate Democratic Caucus would wise up and show itself to be smarter than the folks over at the DNC (admittedly not the most difficult bar to surpass (smile)).
smile back, Heidi Li!
I am so pleased about the success of the last matches.
Posted by: Mirlo | September 20, 2008 at 06:32 AM
Don't give up, Heidi Li!
We will take back our party yet!!
And then we'll have a REAL Democrat in the White House.
Posted by: Stray Yellar Dawg | September 20, 2008 at 07:34 AM