WHAT DOES 3,200 MEAN?


You hear it everywhere. The pundits discuss Howard Dean. They discuss the 33,100 people signed up for Dean Meetups. They discuss the blog, sometimes, and the netroots momentum behind Howard Dean. And then they say, “It remains to be seen whether this Internet activism will make any difference in the real world, or on election day.”

What they miss is that it is making a difference, today, in the real world. Last night, 3,200 people showed up in Austin, Texas to hear Howard Dean speak for 20 minutes. The event was organized online in less than ten days by local volunteers. 3,200 people. Carl with a K puts the number into perspective:

In 1999-2000 when I began work on Senator John McCain’s campaign… getting people to show up for an impromptu political rally outside of New Hampshire was near impossible… unthinkable even.

Things slowly changed as the campaign progressed and AFTER New Hampshire it was not uncommon in South Carolina for the campaign to be greeted by screaming McCainiacs numbering in the 1500-2000 range. That’s an important point to understand. McCain’s momentum flowed from state to state as he did better. There is no way we could have flown to Nashville (Gore’s hometown) and been welcomed by 3,000 supporters even if it had been the day after New Hampshire at the height of his popularity.

It becomes more clear each day that this campaign is different from any other insurgent candidacy of the past. Doctor Dean has a national support network ready at any time to turn out for him and get the job done. That’s something the Gary Hart’s and John McCain’s of this world were never able to harness let alone 6 months before a vote was taken.

3,200 people showing up for Howard Dean is incredible. We can also demonstrate the power of the netroots by again exceeding fundraising expectations over the Internet. Click here to contribute to Howard Dean’s campaign for America. We have only twenty days before the end of the second quarter.

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