If you’ve not already started looking into the candidates running for the Democratic ticket in the next presidential election I suggest you take a good look at Howard Dean —- That’s a link to his official weblog. Yep, you heard me right. Dean, probably the front-runner for the Democratic ticket has a blog and is making huge waves with it.
Not only has Dean done the smart thing and opened up the lines of communications with his constituency, but he’s also been wildly successful in soliciting campaign donations online.
Campaigns typically raise small donations, if they bother at all, from direct mail lists of their previous contributors, but costs usually consume 50 cents of every dollar raised. This means that average Americans, unless they have previously given a donation to a candidate, are not even solicited. That’s one of the reasons more than 99% of Americans don’t contribute.
Dean has received nearly 80,000 individual donations online. The average donation has been $88.11. The man has received nearly $7M online. Its being called “The greatest grassroots campaign of the modern era.”
This guy is surrounding him with people who are in touch with the nation and is using all of the avenues available to him to overcome what seems an insurmountable obstacle (Bush).
This is definitely the guy to watch come 2004. Read all about Dean’s stances on the issues
P.S. This guy is currently the Governor of Vermont. So you know he’s gotta be cool ;) I’m even considering sending $25 or something to help him out. He’s gonna need a lot of help if Bush can walk into a dinner, speak for 20 minutes, and walk about with $2M. :o