The Tennessean Bi-Partisan: A 2004 Presidential Election Game

[WestVegeta]

I will take Governor Howard Brush Dean III of Vermont, if he's still available.

[WestVegeta]

Burlington, Vermont

"Today I announce that I am running for the Presidency of the United States of America.  I speak not only for my candidacy.  I speak for a new American century and a new generation of Americans -- both young people and young at heart.  We seek the great restoration of American values and the restoration of our nation's traditional purpose in this world.

This is a campaign to unite and empower people. It is a call to every American, regardless of party, to join together in common purpose, for the common good, and for the common good to save and restore all that it means to be an American.

Over a year ago I began to travel the country in the way one does when seeking the Presidency.

I believed that by running for President, that I could raise the issues of health care for every American, and I wanted to balance the budget to bring fiscal stability and jobs back to United States of America. But most importantly, I have wanted my party to stand up for what we believe again.

I've met Americans all across this country doubting the words of our leaders and our government in Washington.  Everywhere I go people are asking fundamental questions: Who can we trust?  Is the media reporting the truth?  What is happening to our country?

The Americans I've met love their country.  They believe deeply in its promise and our values and our principles.  But they know something is wrong and they want to take action.  They want to do something to right our path.  But they feel Washington's not listening.  As individuals, they lack the power to change the course that Washington's put us on.

7 trillion dollars of our country's wealth disappeared.  Nearly 1 in 10 retired people have had to return to the workforce because they have lost their pensions.  Young people are returning home to live with their parents after graduation because they can't find a job.

Special interests are dominating every facet of our lives, and none of them are paying a cent for it under the current administration! You'll be hard-pressed to find a good paying job in this country, because mega-corporations are shipping them overseas, so they can avoid paying their employees a decent wage!

You'll be hard-pressed to find truly affordable healthcare plan, because middle class families all over our country are at risk of falling thousands of dollars in debt because of a single injury! That's just from the bill alone, we're not even talking about lost wages and unpaid utility bills!

You'll be hard-pressed to find affordable childcare, or education, or someone- anyone at all- who trusts the current administration!


I need you, America, to help me, so we can take our country back!"

[WestVegeta]

Memo: Gov. Dean's Schedule: Sep. '03 (From: jtrippi56@aol.com)

September 1-7
-Burlington, VT: Town Hall
-Concord, NH: Fundraiser
-Boston, MA: Rally
-Buffalo, NY: "Healthcare for All" Rally
-Albany, NY: Fundraiser
-Philadelphia, PA: Fundraiser, Rally
-Pittsburgh, PA: Town Hall (Special emphasis on Steelworker unions and concerns there- "working class" hero)

September 8-14
-Columbus, OH: Fundraiser, Rally
-Akron, OH: Rally
-Philadelphia, PA: Town Hall
-New York, NY: 9/11 Vigil
-Lansing, MI: Fundraiser
-Detroit, MI: Rally, Town Hall (Auto plants, emphasis on "jobs" here)
-Green Bay, WI: Fundraiser, Rally,

September 15-21
-St. Paul, MN: Rally
-Des Moines, IA: Fundraiser, Rally w/ Harkin
-Des Moines, IA: Meet and Greet, Town Hall
-Iowa City, IA: Rally
-IA: Bus tour
-Debate Prep
-Hartford, CT: Debate

September 22-28
-Trenton, NJ: Rally w/ Bradley
-Jersey City, NJ: Town Hall
-Dover, DE: Rally
-Providence, RI: Town Hall
-Richmond, VA: Rally, Fundraiser
-Charlottesville, VA: Rally, Meet and Greet (UVA, cement position as "youth candidate")
-Huntington, WV: Rally, Town Hall (again, "working class")

September 29-31
-Frankfort, KY: Rally
-Indianapolis, IN: Meet and Greet, Fundraiser
-Bloomington, IN: Meet and Greet, Rally (IU, "youth" outreach again)

[WestVegeta]

Fmr. Gov. Dean

Opening Remarks

"Thank you, my fellow Americans! It's an honor to be here tonight! I am extremely proud that you all have selected me to be your champion, the champion of the young, the old, the middle class, the working class, all races and creeds, thank you! I am here to ensure that every one of our children has access to a quality education, affordable healthcare, and a decent life in this country. I'm here to continue the commitment that we, the government of the United States, promises to its citizens: a world where anyone, regardless of their circumstances, can rise and succeed!"

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"I think the biggest problem we have on our hands, is that people are starting to think that we, the Democratic party, don't care about them, and that couldn't be further from the truth. There are two things we can do to fix this. Number One: In my campaign, I'm using a fifty-state strategy, because the concerns of all Americans deserve to be heard, not just the ones from California, or Iowa, or New York. That's how we get situations like West Virginia, where Vice President Gore thought it was in the bag, and one of the most Democratic states in the union flipped hard for Alexander. And let me tell you, if I'm the nominee, I'll do my best to flip it back. We also need to come back to our working and middle-class roots. I believe we must enter a new era for the Democratic Party—not one where we join Republicans and aim simply to limit the damage they inflict on working families. … I call now for a new era, in which we rewrite our Social Contract. We need to provide certain basic guarantees to all those who are working hard to fulfill the promise of America."

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"To secure stability across the Middle East, above all, we need to work with the legitimate, democracy-supporting governments that ARE there to ensure peace, and prevent hardcore fundamentalist movements from taking hold. We've passed the time for pulling out, now, we need to make sure that when we do leave, we're leaving behind a stable democracy. I think we're going to have to use troops and keep some of our men and women there, but we need to bring in the soldiers of other Muslim nations, because this has to be an international reconstruction effort."

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"The president of the United States can’t balance a budget. We’ve not had one Republican president in 34 years balance the budget. They did it in the Eighties with their reckless defense spending, and wouldn't you know it, they're doing it again now! You can’t trust right-wing Republicans with your money. You ought to hire somebody who has balanced a budget, and my record in Vermont proves exactly that. The Dean administration turned Vermont's budget around because, yes, we slashed spending, but we also knew that we couldn't make all these ridiculous promises like massive tax breaks for people that don't need it!"

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"I know, I get it. I get a little excited sometimes, and I might be too plain-spoken for some of the higher-ups. But I wouldn't say that makes me "unpresidential", not in the slightest. I believe that I am a man who can connect with Americans of all classes and creeds, and if I'm well-liked by everyday Americans who have to work for a living, then I fail to see how that's a bad thing! At the core of what makes one "presidential" is a willingness to stand up for what they believe in, and a desire to help their countrymen, something which isn't reflected in the Alexander Administration, which would rather hand over profits to multinationals than help the average citizen."

Closing Statements

"Once again, thank you for having me here, people of America! Thank you for believing in our cause so strongly that we've made it this far! Come next January, I hope to see you out there, voting for what we believe in: a future where every American can prosper!"

[WestVegeta]

Dean for America ads

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[WestVegeta]

Shoot, I just transcripted a commercial and forgot about Alexander being President. My bad :/
EDIT: Fixed.