Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003 Volume 10, Number 18 Page 1 of 9 he Meetup.com: Mitch T and Howard get it Howey It’s the ‘21st Century precinct’ By BRIAN A. HOWEY in Indianapolis As the Internet powered Howard Dean to presidential prominence and an Al Gore endorsement, the idea of the Political “21st Century precinct” arrived in Indiana. The word had gone out on Meetup.com of a Mitch Daniels get-together at the Athenaeum's Rathskeller in Report Indianapolis Wednesday night. As the 8 o'clock hour neared, the ballroom next to the Kellerbar began to gather people, The Howey Political Report is published by NewsLink probably close to 75 in all when Republican gubernatorial Inc. Founded in 1994, The Howey Political Report is candidate Daniels appeared. There had been four previous an independent, non-partisan newsletter analyzing the political process in Indiana. events by the Meetup.com crowd before this one in Indianapolis. Another had taken place in Richmond. Brian A. Howey, publisher “Howard Dean has used this phenomenally well,” Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington writer explained Christie Luther, who heads up Daniels' volunteer Jack E. Howey, editor efforts. Spending no money for fliers, postage and envelopes, the word had gotten out to the grassroots. And The Howey Political Report Office: 317-254-1533 PO Box 40265 Fax: 317-968-0487 folks are showing up. New folks. Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265 Mobile: 317-506-0883 As a blues band played in the Kellerbar, and a dozen [email protected] people conspicuously partied and cackled on the other side www.howeypolitics.com of the ballroom, Lori Jannsen, another Daniels campaign member, explained to the gathered group, “Our goal is to Washington office: 202-775-3242; Business Office: 317-254-0535. bring a lot of new people into the movement.” The Daniels campaign wants these new people to write letters to the edi- Subscriptions: $350 annually via e-mail; tor and, as Jannsen said, “Come together and bring ideas.” $550 annually including the HPR Daily The campaign talks back, letting this new community Wire. Call 317-254-1533 or 254-0535. know what the Daniels effort is doing with e-mails. There © 2003, The Howey Political Report. All rights are “Mitch's Notes from the Road” that go out to thousands reserved. Photocopying, Internet forwarding, faxing or of supporters. The Meetup.com folks also tend to write $25 reproducing in any form, in whole or in part, is a viola- checks to the campaign. That doesn't sound like much, but tion of federal law and is strictly prohibited without 80 folks bring in $2,000 for 45 minutes work. These people consent of the publisher. “This is a dark day in the history of liberty and Ticker: Scholer won’t run again p. 2 the Supreme Court.’” Where does Gore-Dean leave Bayh? p. 6 2004 Horse Race: Donnelly in 2nd p. 7 - U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, on Columnists: James, Colwell p. 8 Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling upholding 2004 HPR 50 Most Influential List p. 9 campaign finance reform Covering 10 years of Indiana politics Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003 Page 2 of 9 leave with a sense of the 21st Century class warfare the Indiana General precinct. Assembly launched against local units of They come from everywhere and government. That could create a breeding anywhere. Dean's campaign connected ground for dozens of city, county and with a teenager living on an island off the school officials to think about challenging Alaskan coast, according to a story in last legislators in 2004. GALLUP HAS BUSH AT 55 Sunday’s New York Times Magazine. This Daniels surveyed the room and PERCENT: A Gallup poll of young man has gone on to make major observed, “These are new faces. It's excit- 1,004 adults, conducted intellectual contributions to the Demo- ing to see that somehow, someone new over December 5-7 (+/- 3%), crat's presidential campaign. came to our cause.” shows: 55% "approve of the way George W. Bush is han- The Republican took questions. dling his job as president", Table to table What about a running mate? someone 43% disapprove; 2% don't Daniels went from table to table, asked. “Are you available?” Daniels know; 48% "approve of the sitting down and talking to every volun- responded. He told the group that decision way George W. Bush is han- teer. When he rose to speak after about 20 would be made after the primary election. dling the economy"; 49% minutes of hobnobbing, Daniels observed, disapprove; 3% don't know. “This is magnificent. It wasn't organized. Perotista redux 53% "approve of the way George W. Bush is handling It came from the bottom up. Some of you It was a truly amazing thing, just as the economy"; 43% disap- dragged your mother or a spouse. But this the Ross Perot volunteers of the spring of prove; 4% don't know. is a spontaneous meeting. It's very cool 1992 were. The Perotistas heard the call, 50% "approve of the way and exciting for us.” turned out in force, and reorganized George W. Bush is handling The Meetup.com volunteers leaned precincts into zip codes or “zippies.” They the situation with Iraq"; 47% into Daniels' words, because of the muf- measured in the 30th percentile in the disapprove; 3% don't know. fled blues in the distance and cackling polls. For a few weeks in ‘92, it seemed diners in the background. “This will be a a as if Perot could have won, until he suc- SCHOLER WON’T SEEK RE- campaign of ideas and change,” Daniels cumbed to his own paranoia. ELECTION: Many Tippe- promised in a soft, matter-of-fact delivery. Now, the Internet has become the canoe County Republicans will get the news by e-mail “It will be motivated by people not seek- conduit to scores of surfers, who con- today, but state Rep. Sue ing power, but to rescue the state from its tribute an average of $77 to Howard Scholer, R-West Lafayette, downward slide. And we are embarked on Dean, according to the New York Times. confirmed Wednesday that a campaign you can be proud of.” When the Burlington, Vt., based Dean she will not seek re-election Daniels said he has yet to “demean asked his Meetup.com volunteers whether (Lafayette Journal & or disparage anyone.” he should forego the federal campaign Courier). Scholer, who has “We will win by calling people to a funds, they responded yes. Overwhelm- served the 26th District for higher standard,” Daniels said, asking ingly. Dean is now determined to take on 61/2 terms, will step down at them to take better care of themselves. “I the $200 million Bush campaign by not the end of 2004, ending a believe the people are ready to aim a little taking a single cent from tax returns. political career that spans two decades. "It's been higher.” The New York Times observed that such a privilege to repre- And, Daniels explained, it is time the Dean campaign has taken its cues sent this area. I will certain- for Indiana to start thinking about itself as from Robert D. Putnam’s book, “Bowling ly help and encourage oth- one people and one state. There are Alone” and has created the new mode of ers who are interested," regions versus regions; all regions versus communication and involvement. said Scholer, noting that her the center. “In some places, there are peo- “Responsiveness is the essential sound of husband, Charles, retired ple who only get a soundbite from their the Dean campaign. It is embodied not from Purdue University a own state,” Daniels, mentioning the per- only in Dean himself, but also in the blog, couple of years ago. "I just ception of a disconnect in The Region, the which creates the impression of constant know that the Lord's telling Hoosier suburbs around Cincinnati, and dialogue between supporters and cam- me to do something differ- ent." Republican Connie the growing antagonism between almost paign staff, and in the organizing on the all regions of the state and Indianapolis. ground. People at all levels of the Dean Continued on page 3 That is being exacerbated by the political campaign will tell you that its purpose is Page 3 of 9 Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003 not just to elect Howard Dean president. didate could trigger 15,000 people firing Just as significant, they say, the point is to off critical e-mails. Politics as usual is give people something to believe in, and gone,” Goss predicted. to connect those people with one another. Mitch Daniels is getting it. Howard The point is to get them out of their hous- Dean gets it. He's taken John McCain's es and bring them together at barbecues, Internet campaign of 2000 and has rallies and voting booths.” increased its sensors, it's financial power Basham, who is president There is the “Dean Space” software (raising $7 million in the third quarter off of the Tippecanoe County that allows the campaign in Burlington to the internet), and its communication ten- Council, confirmed that she monitor the conversatons and activities on fold. He's producing scores of oddball and will announce her own polit- ical intentions Friday at the estimated 900 volunteer Dean web- on-the-ball volunteers. press conferences in Pine sites around the nation. A Democrat from Vermont is doing Village and West Lafayette. this. Al Gore, who helped shape the Basham said she's been The street is the web Internet (he really did), sees in Dean the instructed not to reveal in Discussing at the Chatterbox, a guy who gets it; who's hip to the new con- advance exactly what she nearby jazz joint, what I had just seen, my ductivity of the internet.