PROGRESSIVE POPULIST CAUCUS OF THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY
12/08/2004

Dear Texas DNC Member:

In a meeting of the Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party held in San Antonio on November 20, the assembled group of grassroots Democrats from all over Texas unanimously resolved to support Howard Dean for DNC Chair should he decide to run for the Chairmanship, and to add our voices to the many grassroots Democrats who are urging him to run. We ask you to do the same.

We enthusiastically support Governor Dean because he has proven his commitment to expanding the grassroots base of the Party.

The Democratic Party cannot continue as the party that beats the Republicans in raising the most donations of over one million dollars, while the Republicans kick us in the teeth in grassroots base-building. Governor Dean pioneered in the use of modern techniques to break fundraising records through accumulating high volumes of small-donor contributions. Rep. Charlie Stenholm has often said that he would rather have 20 one-hundred-dollar contributions than one 2,000-dollar contribution because the 20 contributions represent more votes than the one contribution. The national Democratic Party must invigorate and expand its grassroots base to serve as the Party's funding source. In that way the Party's fundraising will go hand-in-hand with organizing to win elections, as it should. Howard Dean knows how to make this happen.

The Democratic Party cannot continue letting insiders' clubs of the consultant aristocracy dictate its strategies. These insiders' clubs of political operatives have turned our national campaigns into exercises in cynically letting polls and computer data dictate the campaign message. Voters can see through this. They know they are getting cynically crafted scripts instead of authentic messages. It is time to return our politics to authentic messages of the heart and soul. Howard Dean knows how to do this.

The Democratic Party cannot continue as the party that timidly "seeks the middle" in a strategy of risk avoidance. The Democratic Party's national message must offer bold vision to the country. The Democratic Party must commit to fighting for the people against the powerful, with no holds barred, rather than seeking blandly to "play it safe." Howard Dean understands this. Howard Dean further understands that the way to reconnect with heartland America is to bring the people into the governance of the Party rather than just assuming we will have their votes while wealthy elitist insiders run the show. Howard Dean understands and is committed to building the Democratic Party in and campaigning everywhere in America, not in just 16 states. Howard Dean has proven his commitment to taking on entrenched Republican interests everywhere through his "Dean's Dozen" program that endorsed worthy Democratic candidates in "red states" everywhere. Howard Dean continually proves his commitment to cultivating new potential Democratic candidates from the ground up. Howard Dean didn't wait for pollsters to tell him what races were "worth targeting" before supporting progressive grassroots candidates all over the country in the 2004 elections. He invested his personal support and the support of Democracy for America based on the quality of the candidate, not the quality of the polling.

Indeed, Howard Dean has proven his commitment to building and expanding the Democratic Party's base by dedicating himself to party-building through Democracy for America, rather than going off to lick his wounds.

Howard Dean has energized and motivated millions of Americans with his call to stand firmly in opposition to the Republican assault on our Constitutional liberties and our Constitutional checks and balances. Howard Dean has inspired Democrats everywhere with his call to "never, never, never again apologize for being a Democrat." Howard Dean will bring to the DNC Chairmanship the spirit of our nation's founders who rose against imperial tyranny and won against impossible odds, always persevering and always motivating themselves with bold vision. Howard Dean will bring to the Chairmanship the essential American spirit of belief in the people and belief in people-governed democracy.

The Democratic Party needs Howard Dean. We urge you to encourage him to run and to support his election. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely and Democratically,

Stan Merriman, Chair
David Van Os, Co-founder
Progressive Populist Caucus