Democrats join town meeting (Kerry and Dean pre-forum)

[chimpymustgo]

-Posted on Tue, Aug. 12, 2003

By Nancy Phillips
Inquirer Staff Writer


In the heart of South Philadelphia, U.S. Sen. John Kerry yesterday sampled the city's signature fare - the cheesesteak - as he mingled with diners at Pat's King of Steaks, then shared a table with union leaders who support his candidacy for president.

The senator from Massachusetts, in Philadelphia for a town meeting with other Democratic presidential contenders last night, made a pilgrimage to Pat's, long a favorite campaign stop for local and national pols.

A rival candidate, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, appeared briefly later in the afternoon at a rally in the park outside Independence Visitor Center.

-snip-

As word spread that Kerry was in the neighborhood, the crowd grew and people brought cameras and well wishes.

"Go after 'em hard, John. Go after 'em hard," said Arthur Davies, 64.

"I sure will, boss," the senator replied, pumping Davies' hand.

Davies, a truck driver for a local pretzel company, said he intended to vote for Kerry.

"I like him," he said. "I like him a lot. I think he's strong on the social issues, but he has the military background, and I think that's important to go after Bush."

-snip-


More than 600 people turned out on a humid day under skies that threatened rain to show support for Dean, whose candidacy has rivaled Kerry's in the battle for front-runner status at this early stage of the race.

-snip-
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http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/6512719.htm

*****
Let's see, the Philadelphia Enquirer reports 600 people. The Dean campaign says 4000. That's a pretty big perception gap.

[Northwind]

1. Go look at the pictures on the Dean blog

That is a hell of a lot more than 600 people. Like maybe 3400 more.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Everone agrees on this though:

A small group of campaign supporters applauded as Kerry arrived at Ninth and Passyunk...


You be the judge of the numbers!

[CWebster]

3. Look at the photos and judge for yourself

I noticed, however, that you neglected to mention that the Kerry campaign had to arrange for some folks to stop on by while Kerry nibbled at his cheesesteak( for which he made the gaffe of asking for swiss cheese instead of cheesewiz--man doesn't he get briefed before these forays into the little people's turf? ;-))

[AfricanDonkey]

15. And you know that because? Cmon this is just sad

STOP ATTACKING OTHER CANDIDATES!

We have the best candidate and there is no need to stoop to their level!

[molly]

17. Wasn't Dean's pre-arranged or did all those people

show up spur of the moment?

[CWebster]

18. I guess they knew he was coming...

"Kerry found it tough to strike up a conversation of any political substance among people eating french fries from paper cups, but his campaign had planned for that and invited guests. A handful of leaders from Local 56 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union showed up at Pat's for a late-afternoon bite and engaged the senator in a brief discussion of issues important to the union, which is supporting Kerry's candidacy. The senator nodded approvingly as Jack Swift, a union vice president, spoke of the need to contain rising health-care costs and preserve overtime for workers."

but they probably didn't need to plant anyone to discuss the issues.

[dajabr]

19. Yes, about 350 people signed up to attend the rally...

The other 3,000+ were word of mouth. The turnout was a nice suprise and well beyond what was expected.

[molly]

23. Where did they get all their signs - handed out or brought?

[CWebster]

24. And the t- shirts?

Yhey must've arranged it so all the people who wore t-shirts got to stand in front for when the photo was snapped, and then later, back at the secret laboratory they added all the signs.

[Nicholas_J]

25. All of these Dean things are pre-arranged

I have than from a member of the Dean campaign directly.

[ryharrin]

26. Of course it was pre-arranged. But by "philly4dean"

The local Dean group, not the campaign. And as was said, way more people than were expected showed up. I can't wait to see how many ppeople come to his events later in the month in NYC.

[Duder]

4. From the Note...

Incidentally, a Dean aide tells us the campaign broke its single event attendance record with a pre-Philly forum rally of more than 3,500. That number jumped to 4,000 when cited later by another Dean aide. One newspaper says crowd was in the 600s.

But another says it was more than 3,000.
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/6512729.htm

The photos on the blog show a very, very big crowd. http://www.blogforamerica.com/

Note reader, you too can play Park Service Ranger: YOU make the call.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

5. Read this account

FORMER Vermont Gov. Howard Dean breezed into Philadelphia on a surge of national support yesterday, drawing more than 3,000 supporters to an Independence Mall rally that nearly upstaged a forum of seven Democratic contenders.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/6512729.htm


Not sure how there can be such a large discrepancy -- it is hard to confuse 600 with over 3000. In any case, this article summarizes some of the comments. Sharpton always wins for best one-liners!

[CWebster]

6. Oh it's easy

you know, for example, like when they report a couple hundred attended a peace protest that numbered over 10 thousand.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

9. And it's not as if 600 is chopped-liver.

The pictures show a minimum of 2000 people but would 600 be any less impressive?

Best to return to the "Kerry is 'pacing' himself" theory, imho.

[AfricanDonkey]

16. STOP ATTACKING!

You guys make yourselves look like complete idiots. Kerry is going to announce and steal the media away in Sept. We must be ready for it and we get ready for it by building our ranks to buffer the media blitz by Kerry, NOT by attacking the other candidates in a childish and shrill way.

[tedoll78]

20. Honestly.. I wonder about that.

If the media keeps on this California obsession, everything might end-up drowned-out. Kerry might get some play, but it won't be at the same level as Dean got.

I'm also wondering how the 3rd quarter fundraising numbers will turn-out. (Not sure where I read this) But traditionally 3rd quarter fundraising always ends-up softer than 2nd quarter. Will Dean continue with his strength? Will Kerry boom? And how would the entry of Clark into the race affect these answers?

Regardless, this is going to be interesting.

[Larkspur]

7. Best putdowns

• Best Putdown - Kerry (referring to Dean): "I don't think you can just transfer a state with less than a $1 billion budget to the United States of America."

• Best Response to Putdown - Dean (back to Kerry): "I remember George Bush's father on a stage talking about Bill Clinton being a governor of a small state.

[dajabr]

8. You almost made it!

I was enjoying the article about Kerry - it was a nice companion to the video i saw of him walking through the Philly streets. And then you had to take a jab a Dean. Typical...

Biggest issue: Unseating the current prez
Dems gather for town meeting
By DAVE DAVIES & CHRIS BRENNAN
[e-mail]


Steven M. Falk / Daily News

Seven Democratic presidential hopefuls stump at town meeting at the new Constitution Center at the and Arch streets.


FORMER Vermont Gov. Howard Dean breezed into Philadelphia on a surge of national support yesterday, drawing more than 3,000 supporters to an Independence Mall rally that nearly upstaged a forum of seven Democratic contenders.

"You're how we're going to win," Dean told his cheering supporters. "When we send you stuff, you send it to your e-mail list. A hundred people on everybody's email list here, that's four hundred thousand people!"

Mayor Street appeared at the Dean event, saying, "I'm proud to be at a Howard Dean rally, because everything I've heard him say tells me he gets it."

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/6512729.htm

If you went to any anti-war marches, you'd know not to trust most media crowd estimates. No different here.

[CWebster]

10. Actually

before I saw the photos, I read the 600 count estimate in the Phila Inq this morning and was impressed. LOL!

[blm]

13. If Dean ever SPOKE at an antiwar rally, then I'D trust him

on his position. But, he didn't, did he? He left that to Kucinich while he was counting the $$$$$ from anitwar liberals who bought his act.

[dajabr]

14. I'm sorry blm, what does this have to do with my post? nt

[blm]

21. You said...

"If you went to any anti-war marches, you'd know not to trust most media crowd estimates."

Well, if DEAN went to any antiwar marches......

[dajabr]

22. Well, what?

He'd have been off the campaign trail? When the snow was on the ground, I was much happier to hear Dean rail against the war at his own campaign events. So, ignore that and judge his credibility based on what marches he attended? I went to one. Does that make me more anti - IRW than Dean?

[blm]

11. The article was decent

to both Kerry and Dean.

[dajabr]

12. Must be the ghost of Ben Franklin...

Keeping a glimmer of hope alive for solid, non-biased journalism :-)