Today Howard Dean's campaign announced that it has raised at least $7.5 million in the second quarter of 2003 -- a higher number than has yet been raised by any other Democrat running for president in a single quarter -- from more than 59,000 people, including 48,000 first-time donors to the campaign. Only 129 donors gave $1,000 or more, according to a report by the campaign; 18,422 gave less than $50. On Monday, the Dean campaign raised $802,083 on the Internet from more than 11,000 people, including more than 9,000 donors new to the campaign. All told, more than 70,000 people have now given to Dean.
When the history of this past week in the Democratic primaries is written, the relative impact of MoveOn.org, Meetup.com and "smartmobbing" technology on Dean's ability to raise such an unexpected sum will all feature prominently.
But reading the threads on the message boards at BlogforAmerica.com -- the official Web log of the Dean campaign, where donors discuss their reasons for giving and for backing Dean -- it quickly becomes obvious that the single most important factor in Dean's stunning fundraising numbers is the most old-fashioned weapon in any campaign's arsenal: message.
Dean has been able to build a following and raise the bar on per-quarter fundraising not by working his friendships with wealthy trial lawyers, relying on decades of contacts with the rich and powerful, or building the best Internet-based campaign American politics has yet seen. He's done it by steadfastly promoting a pugnacious, optimistic, forward-looking message and by coupling it with a campaign organization smart enough to let his supporters help him. In the post-McCain-Feingold world, the Democratic Party has struggled to figure out how to attract small-sum donors: In the last election cycle, 64 percent of donations less than $200 went to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, while Democrats grew fat and sick on big money from those who gave more than $1 million. Dean has cracked the nut and done what six months ago looked to be impossible: He has figured out how to compete based on donations the size of the fat cats' monthly Starbucks expenditures.
Welcome to Dean's world. We all will live in it.
On Dean's blog, the message-board threads have acted as constant, ongoing, real-time focus groups for everything the governor says and does. The campaign takes it all in. Plenty of ideas adopted by the campaign start out on the threads of the Dean blogs, say Dean campaign aides, and the Dean for America Internet team is constantly updating and modifying the site in response to the posts. To follow the blog is to watch the campaign unfold in real time with a startling level of intimacy and transparency; it is to enter a freewheeling, unending conversation where thousands and thousands of Dean's supporters chew over every aspect of his campaign and strategy, message and image, policies and past record.
In this world, whatever the mainstream press is saying about Dean's role as the campaign's angry candidate is rejected. His supporters say that they are drawn to him because they find his message inspiring, upbeat, honest and forward-looking -- and because it makes them feel strong again.
A quick summary of the main themes Dean's supporters returned to again and again during yesterday's "Deanathon" online fundraising drive shows that they believe his message is more about patriotism and hope than it is about disaffection or rage. Admittedly these comments all come from true believers. But when was the last time any Democratic candidate generated true belief?
"All the analysts say we are donating based on anger," posted "pfb" on the Zonk Board, a thread forum on the unofficial Howard Dean blog that allows users to link to and share news articles within their comment posts. "That's makes me angry, but I won't turn green (Hulk pun not Nader) over it. I beg to differ their opinion and say we donate based on HOPE of an investment toward a better future."
"I have never been patriotic," Laura Deal from Berkeley, Calif., wrote on BlogforAmerica.com, yesterday. "I've never felt 'proud to be American' The ever present images of the American Flag since 9/11 have felt oppressive to me. It has never felt like 'my' flag. Last Monday when Howard Dean said 'we call ourselves simply, Americans' and that the flag belongs to all of us, something awoke inside me: a kind of hope an faith that I can be proud to be American, that the flag does belong to me. It's amazing how you don't realize you are missing something until you have a chance to get it. Howard Dean has given me hope. Today I proudly call myself American."
"The events of the past week have made me feel proud to be an American again," wrote TJ. "I'm reclaiming my flag from Fox News. I'm reclaiming my flag from those that tell me I'm unpatriotic for simply disagreeing with W."
For Dean's supporters, the most important part of the Dean message is that it makes them feel that they have the power to control their own destiny:
"[E]ating is much less important this month than making sure that the people are heard," wrote small-money donor Stephanie on the comment thread. "I hope this lets the other candidates understand that the status-quo isn't acceptable anymore. We the people want to be heard in our government. We have the power as individuals to make a difference finally we have the opportunity."
Robert Deeble posted several times of the course of the day, including this cri de couer: "We have become a nation of sheep or have been dazed by what has happened in Washington. Dean has reawakened us to our own power. We CAN change our destiny with Howard Dean leading the charge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!";
Supporters have a new sense of their civic obligations because of Dean. "If there is one thing that I have learned in the past few weeks I have been 'awakened' by the Howard Dean campaign, is that it is not enough just to have opinions. I have to get out there and do something," added John Lee. "The line has been drawn, and the radical right can go no further," wrote Tino Scifo from Texas. "The american people have spoken this week. Change is coming, hope is coming, Howard Dean is our leader and we will fight until we have victory!
This sense of renewed personal power and hope seemed more important to most posters than any specific policies that Dean supports or does not support, and few on the threads agreed wholeheartedly with the former governor on all his positions. Most recognized that he is a centrist who is fiscally conservative and socially liberal.
Wrote Keith Amman: "The electoral college setup is like a handicap game in which the Republicans start with a three-stone advantage. The Democrats, starting from behind, ought to be playing an aggressive attacking game. Instead, the recent pattern has been for them to play timidly and defensively, never seizing the initiative, never forcing the Republicans to react. You can't win a handicap game that way. Dean, on the other hand, has seized and held the initiative, something the other Democrats have failed to do. This is why I and other voters feel so good about his campaign: He's taking risks. He's not marking time. He's not letting the Republicans dictate how the game will be played. It has nothing to do whether he's an anti-war, single-payer liberal or a gun-favoring, budget-balancing centrist."
A poster who goes by the name "Anon." wrote: "The thing that is amazing to me about Dean so far is that he demonstrates how, if you hold a center position solidly and with integrity, the center gets so big that there is room for both the Left and Right in it, all the way out to the extremes."
Most of all, these people seemed to be supporting Dean because other people they know and trust are supporting Dean. The Internet campaign magnifies the voices of friends and relatives above the voices of the famous or the powerful.
Heather Palazzo's experiences appear common: "I have to say that the very first thing that really committed me to Howard Dean was not the man himself but the people, the regular everyday people, who are passionately committed to him. You guys are one of Dr. Dean's greatest assets! :) I really started doing my Dean research after coming into contact with so many amazing people who seemed to be crazy for Dr. Dean. I mean, if all of these smart, likeable, committed people believe in him, he must be a great guy."
"Thank you Dr. Dean!" effused Sharon. "Our democracy is _supposed_ to be PEOPLE-POWERED, and you are the first candidate to run a campaign truly based on representing the people. I think the media and other candidates think Dr. Dean's power comes from the internet and it doesn't... it's just a tool that lets us hear each other, when big money and the media want to tune the people out. It's what Dr. Dean has to say and who he is as a person that motivates me and to get involved."
By the end of the day, MikeNJ was asking, "Does anyone else feel like they're an extra in a Frank Capra movie?"
Today Howard Dean has demonstrated to his doubters -- and they are legion -- that he is not just the angriest man in the race. To his supporters, he is also the most optimistic Democratic candidate running. And after raising more than $7.5 million from them in the last quarter, he has a right to be.
Garance Franke-Ruta is a Prospect senior editor.
