Random Thoughts, Notes, & Incidents

"Vote with a Vengeance" - Introducing The Election 2004 Project:

Below is the slightly edited correspondence between myself and the webmaster of a new site called "The Election 2004 Project" at votewithavengeance.com. I'll let the emails themselves fill you in on the what this is all about, and I hope you'll visit the site.

For clarity, his emails are in green, my reply is in blue (and by the way, he posts all the emails he receives through his site, so I'm going to go ahead and post his emails to me).

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I was hoping you would check out my website, The Election 2004 Project. The URL is www.votewithavengeance.com

I'm a strong supporter of third-party candidates and actively & aggressively finding constructive Democratic alternatives to candidates like Gore/Lieberman. I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me with forming a broad-based online grassroots Left/Center coalition, to work toward actually making a difference in 2004.

Tony
Webmaster of The Election 2004 Project
www.votewithavengeance.com

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Thanks for sending your link - Very nice web site....

I'd be happy to be in the loop for a left-center online coalition, whatever that involves or means. At the very least, I'd be happy to include a link to your site and point people your way.

Even among "independents" I'm in the minority: In your polls I chose Jim Hightower for Greens and Barbara Ehrenreich for independent, each of which are at 3% in their groups. Oh well, the only time I ever voted for a winner was 1992, and look what happened then!

Take care, and keep me informed of progress on the coalition,

- Ken Goldstein

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... What I mean by Left/Center coalition is a WIDESPREAD group of people who share the basic common goals of: removing Bush from the White House, nominating an AUTHENTIC candidate to headline the Democratic Party ticket in 2004, organizing grassroots consolidation between various activists on the Left (i.e. bringing together Greens, Progressives, partisan Democrats, liberal Democrats, moderate Democrats, independent Democrats, Socialists, Independents, moderates, and anyone else dissatisfied with the Bush Administration) to support such a candidate's presidential bid, and make sure we seek out and elect a leader who can work toward implementing LONG-TERM progressive goals while working constructively with those on the opposite end of the political aisle. That may sound like a tall order on paper, but I truly believe it can be done...the only way, however, is if we start an actual aggressive movement for open discussion along these lines. But in order to achieve this, we need to reach out and get people involved from all over the country, from a wide variety of geographical regions and demographics (all different ages, races, genders) if we're ACTUALLY going to make a difference.

I apologize if I sound too preachy, but 2000 left a very bitter taste in my mouth, and I'm determined to see things done much differently this time around. With the 2002 midterms coming up in 5 months, the only way we can make a difference is if we act now! I'm contacting various online contacts whom I've made over the past year during which I've operated The Election 2004 Project, so we can work as a team to take online activism to a whole new level, and spread if OFFLINE as well. The more people we can get involved, then the more people we'll be able to reach and inform. And the more excitement we can generate for innovative new candidates, then the more new voters we can get registered, and the better and higher the voter turnout will be in 2004.

I would be honored if you (among what will hopefully become many others) would be willing to help me rally a core base of coalition leaders to initiate the type of movement I've described above. The establishment doesn't think we can actually make a difference - - so let's prove them wrong!

Tony
Webmaster of The Election 2004 Project
www.votewithavengeance.com