Posted 10:47 AM by Blah blah

From Bich Ngoc: Gov. Howard Dean for President! (Politics)

6/25/03
Dear friends,

You probably already know that I'm deeply concerned about the current political leadership and the overall direction of our country, because I realize I rant about it a lot. I'm writing tonight because I hope you're frustrated with what's going on, too -- and more importantly, I hope you want to do something about it.

One thing you can do right now is to get involved in the presidential primary race, by either giving your money or volunteering your time. Yeah, it seems a bit early, but the earlier you get involved, the better chance there is for you to make yourself heard.

Right now I support Gov. Howard Dean [of Vermont] for the Democratic presidential nomination, for various reasons.

[Dean's blog.]

I have to be honest: I don't know if Dean is truly the best leader for our country, and I don't know if he has enough support to win the nomination. But I'm putting my faith in him because right now, he seems to be the only candidate who has the balls to challenge Bush and his own peers, while still garnering enough support to be a viable contender for the nomination. He's also learned to engage voters online, which is something no other candidate has embraced, and I'm geeky enough to love that fact. And of course, he spoke out against the war and the tax cuts, and he's got the best record of any candidate in regard to gay rights.

But most importantly, I think Dean speaks to the people -- and even to younger voters like me, who are often ignored by politicians. I saw Dean speak at the College Democrats of America conference last February, and he electrified the room. He had my support by the end of his speech, and now I've decided to put my money into his campaign.

Today I donated $20.18 to his campaign, because the FEC filing deadline for this quarter is June 30, and I'd like for him to do well. Why $20? Well, I'm flat broke these days, trying to pay rent, eat and whatnot on my meager non-profit earnings, so I thought $20 would do. The 18 cents is to show that I'm a student contributor, since 18 is the voting age. But you can give any amount you want, of course. Please contribute if you want to support Dean. And if you've given already, do so again if it's within your means.

Dean's campaign site.

To donate.

To attend or hold an event in your area.

Of course, if you don't want to support Dean for any reason, look into the eight other candidates and see what they have to offer. There's a wide field for this election cycle, and for God's sake there's gotta be one good candidate to take down Bush. You can go to Project Vote Smart for more info about any candidate:

They list all candidates and even potential ones. (I hope you know the top nine! I heard only 23 percent of Americans polled could name at least one candidate -- for shame.)

Thanks for reading. I'm done rambling for the night.

Love,
Bich Ngoc
____________________
Internet Helps Make Dean a Contender (NY Times):

"Howard Dean's prominence among the nine Democrats running for president is largely attributable to his campaign's early embrace of the Internet for organizing supporters and raising money.

Dr. Dean, a former governor of Vermont, has generated more money and attention online than any other candidate, through direct appeals and a growing base of supporters who are hooking up on a Web site called Meetup.com, which enables people with like interests to connect and meet.

The efforts have vaulted Dr. Dean into the top tier of candidates trying to build momentum for the first primaries, more than six months away....

Raising nearly $3 million in the first quarter, an impressive sum for an outsider, Dr. Dean led all candidates in contributions. He added $7.5 million in the next three months, nearly half from Internet transactions. That put him third in the money race behind Mr. Kerry, at $13 million, and Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, at $12.4 million. "