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Last night I spoke to the nation on television. Now I am writing to you, the one and a half million supporters who are the heartbeat of my campaign.

I need you to join me now for the sake of our country. I need you to work with me hand-in-hand from wherever you live, in whatever community or family you are helping to lead. This is going to be one of the toughest elections ever, and we will need every one of you. If you can give even a few hours of your time before Election Day, then click below. Our campaign needs 5 million voices to reach out to the 55 million voters we need to win. Let me know that you will be one of them:

I remember the first meeting in the headquarters of my first campaign for Congress in 1972 very clearly. All of my supporters -- all 30 of them! -- were gathered in one place for the first time. There were buddies from college and from Vietnam, and there were people I had never seen before in my life -- people who simply knew it was time for a change, and wanted to do something about it.

I took a deep breath and struggled to explain why a 28 year-old just back from war should -- and could -- make a difference in Washington. I thought I was there to convince them. But it dawned on me that they were the ones convincing me. These were people who had families, jobs and classes -- and yet they were signing up for double shifts phone banking and door knocking. For most, it was their first campaign, and yet it was many of their ideas that enabled us to shock everyone by winning a fierce primary.

Last night I began my general election campaign for president. And now I feel like I am back at that first campaign meeting again. Only this time, I am not talking to 30 initial supporters in a tiny storefront office, but to one and a half million people in an email.

Some of you, again, are old friends. But most of you I've never met in person. Nearly half a million of you walked into our virtual campaign office in the last several weeks. I know you are people -- just like in that first campaign -- who see it's time for a change and want to do something to make it happen.

Once again, it's you who have convinced me that this is a campaign we can win -- no matter how many forces are assembled against us. When I decided to run for president almost a year ago, I never imagined how big this campaign would become -- or how determined people like you would be to stand up to George Bush and lead America in a new direction. George Bush has raised $220 million dollars -- for his primary campaign alone. He spent most of that money to try to mislead Americans about my record and my life.

But those of you who joined my campaign early on stepped forward to do something that's never happened in presidential politics before: you went toe-to-toe with the special interests, toe-to-toe with Bush's 924 "Pioneer" and "Ranger" corporate fundraisers. You contributed an astonishing $195 million dollars. You enabled us to campaign just as aggressively and just as broadly as George Bush. Without you, we'd have our backs to the wall and people would be talking about our campaign being no match for a strong, heavily-funded Bush juggernaut. Instead, we're kicking off the general election from a position of incredible strength. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

We have got 14 weeks until Election Day. It's hard to fathom just how much we're up against. When we talk about building a stronger America and putting ordinary people back in the driver's seat of politics, we know powerful special interests will be working to stop us.

But there's a guaranteed way we can win this: take a leap of faith, throw out every last shred of cynicism, and believe in one another. That's what winning campaigns are all about -- a group of people believing in themselves and acting on that belief. Do the math: there are two million of you receiving this email. All of you came to this campaign and contributed or volunteered because you care deeply about what's happening to our country. I know that every one of you, if you believed it would make the difference, would give hours to this campaign between now and the election.

Well, I'm telling you: if you give a few hours to this campaign, that will be the difference. Isn't that what we learned four years ago when 537 votes decided everything?

This campaign has been nothing but remarkable so far. But you haven't seen anything yet. One million donors will become one million activists. We'll double and triple our numbers. We'll mobilize the vote for a stronger America in every single community. That's what we've got to do to win this.

So again, I'll repeat: I need you to join me for the sake of this country.

I need you to work with me hand-in-hand from wherever you live, in whatever community or family you call home. If you can give even a few hours to this campaign before Election Day, then click below to let me know that you'll be one of the 5 million voices speaking to the 55 million voters we need to win.

Are you with us?



Thank you,

 

From Kerry via the party:

Last night I spoke to nearly 30 million Americans on television. Now I am writing to you, asking for your help, your time, and your commitment.

I need you to join me now for the sake of our country. I need you to work with me and the Democratic Party, hand-in-hand from wherever you live, in whatever community or family you are helping to lead. This is going to be one of the toughest elections ever, and we will need every one of you.

That's why I'm asking you to donate generously to the Democratic Party. The party has been preparing to beat Bush and elect Democrats for four years. The party is stronger than ever, and is running the largest grassroots mobilizing effort in history, determined that our candidates will have the financial and organizational muscle needed to win.

Click here to contribute securely.

I remember the first meeting in the headquarters of my first campaign for Congress in 1972 very clearly. All of my supporters -- all 30 of them! -- were gathered in one place for the first time. There were buddies from college and from Vietnam, and there were people I had never seen before in my life, people who simply knew it was time for a change, and wanted to do something about it.

I took a deep breath and struggled to explain why a 28 year-old just back from war should -- and could -- make a difference in Washington. I thought I was there to convince them. But it dawned on me that they were the ones convincing me. These were people who had families, jobs and classes -- and yet they were signing up for double shifts phone banking and door knocking. For most, it was their first campaign, and yet it was many of their ideas that enabled us to shock everyone by winning a fierce primary.

Last night I began my general election campaign for president. And now I feel like I am back at that first campaign meeting again. Only this time, I am not talking to 30 initial supporters in a tiny store front office, but to millions of online activists across the country.

Some of you, again, are old friends. Most of you I've never met in person. But it's you who have convinced me that this is a campaign we can win -- no matter how many forces are assembled against us. When I decided to run for president almost a year ago, I never imagined how big this campaign would become -- or how determined people like you would be to stand up to George Bush and lead America in a new direction. George Bush has raised $220 million dollars -- for his primary campaign alone. He spent much of that money to try to mislead Americans about my record and my life.

But those of you who joined my campaign early on, or who supported the Democratic Party, stepped forward to do something that's never happened in presidential politics before: you went toe-to-toe with the special interests, toe-to-toe with Bush's 924 "Pioneer" and "Ranger" corporate fundraisers. You enabled us to campaign just as aggressively and just as broadly as George Bush. Without you, we'd have our backs to the wall and people would be talking about our campaign and the party being no match for a strong, heavily-funded Bush/GOP juggernaut. Instead, we're kicking off the general election from a position of incredible strength. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

We have got 14 weeks until Election Day. It's hard to fathom just how much we're up against. When we talk about building a stronger America and putting ordinary people back in the driver's seat of politics, we know powerful special interests will be working to stop us.

But there's a guaranteed way we can win this: take a leap of faith, throw out every last shred of cynicism, and believe in one another. That's what winning campaigns are all about -- a group of people believing in themselves and acting on that belief. Do the math: there are more than three million of you receiving this email. If each of you recruits just three friends to help, then we'll have nine million voices to talk to the 55 million people we need to win the election.

All of you came to this campaign or to the party and contributed or volunteered because you care deeply about what's happening to our country. I know that every one of you, if you believed it would make the difference, would give just a little more to this campaign and the party between now and the election.

Well, I'm telling you: if you give a few hours to the campaign, or a few dollars to the Democratic Party, that will be the difference. Isn't that what we learned four years ago when 537 votes decided everything?

Click here to contribute securely.

This campaign has been nothing but remarkable so far. But you haven't seen anything yet. We'll mobilize the vote for a stronger America in every single community. That's what we've got to do to win this.

So again, I'll repeat: I need you to join me for the sake of this country. There's too much work to be done, and there's too much at stake.

Are you with us?

Thank you,

John Kerry

From www.moveonpac.org:

Tonight's the big night. In the whole span of his campaign, this will be John Kerry's best opportunity to speak directly and without interruption to the American people. With the world watching, he will lay out his vision for the future of our country.

The last four years have been tough. We've lived through September 11th and two wars, at least one of which is still under way. We've watched with horror and outrage as President Bush and his administration have manipulated these events for political ends, rolling back civil liberties, alienating our closest allies, racking up an enormous debt at home and causing great instability abroad.

For four years, we have been a nation governed by fear.

Today, we're not asking you to sign a petition or make a phone call or give money. We're asking you to do something that you may not have done in a long time. We're asking you to hope. Because, as John Edwards said last night, "Hope is on the way."

When you watch John Kerry tonight, allow yourself to imagine a better future. Imagine an America which is respected throughout the world, and which strives to do right by all of the citizens of the world. Imagine living in a country where the values of community, respect, and empathy are held highest. Imagine having a President who, like President Roosevelt, believes that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

We'll have a lot of work to do on November 3rd when Kerry is our new President. But we'll wake up that morning able to dream big dreams for a country and a world that are once again headed in the right direction.

John Edwards said it far better than we could last night:

Tonight -- tonight, as we celebrate in this hall, somewhere in America, a mother sits at her kitchen table. She can't sleep because she's worried. She can't pay her bills. She's working hard trying to pay her rent, trying to feed her kids but she just can't catch up. Didn't used to be that way in her house. Her husband was called up in the Guard. Now he's been in Iraq for over a year. They thought he was going to come home last month, but now he's got to stay longer. She thinks she's alone. But tonight in this hall and in your homes, you know what? She's got a lot of friends. We want her to know that we hear her. It is time to bring opportunity and an equal chance to her door.

We're here to make America stronger at home so that she can get ahead. And we're here to make America respected in the world again so that we can bring him home and American soldiers don't have to fight this war in Iraq or this war on terrorism alone.

So when you return home some night, you might pass a mother on her way to work the late-shift. You tell her: Hope is on the way.

When your brother calls -- when your brother calls and says that he's spending his entire life at the office and he still can't get ahead, you tell him: Hope is on the way.

When your parents call and tell you their medicine's going through the roof, they can't keep up, you tell them: Hope is on the way.

And when your neighbor calls you and says her daughter's worked hard and she wants to go to college, you tell her: Hope is on the way.

And when your son or daughter who's serving this country heroically in Iraq calls, you tell them: Hope is on the way.

Superstar Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama said it too, in his keynote speech Tuesday night:

In the end, that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?

John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope. I'm not talking about blind optimism here-the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't talk about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it.

No, I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.

After the last four years, it's easy to feel cynical. It's easy to feel pessimistic and afraid for our country's future. But we will never make the country we want to make out of fear and anger alone. Hope is on the way, if we believe it so.

Sincerely,

--Eli Pariser
  MoveOn PAC
  July 29th, 2004

P.S. If you'd like to experience the big speech with friends and neighbors, you can still sign up for a Kerry house party. To find one in your neighborhood, go to:
https://volunteer.johnkerry.com/event/search/?MilesFrom=25&Zip=94108&TimeSpan=WholeCampaign

PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC www.moveonpac.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

https://contribute.johnkerry.com/contribute.html?team=4580

What a remarkable day today is going to be. You and I are going to have the great pleasure of watching John Kerry stand before America and lay out his plans for leading our country in a new, more promising direction.

And then, we're going to have the awesome responsibility of carrying his vision of a stronger America to the White House.

Last night in my speech at the convention, I tried to make it clear how much is at stake in this election. I talked about the values you and I share, the principles we cherish, and the belief we have that our optimism and energy can not only carry us to victory in November, but -- far more importantly -- carry America forward over the next four years.

At the heart of our campaign, there are literally millions of people who are pouring their hearts and souls into winning this election. If ever there were a day for you to give voice to the depth of this support for John Kerry, this is it.

This is John Kerry's big day. But it's your big day too. I urge you to use it to make a strong personal statement of your support for John Kerry. Attend a house party tonight. Ask your friends to sign up on JohnKerry.com. Commit to registering a friend to vote. Make a contribution. How you participate is up to you. But whatever you do, don't sit on the sidelines.

There are only 14 weeks until November 2 -- the day America chooses between Kerry-Edwards and Bush-Cheney. We've got to make every one of those days count. But most important right now, we've got to make this day count. Today is the day that John Kerry sets forth his vision for America's future -- and the day we need you and others like you all across America to help spread that vision.

That's the path to victory in November and to a stronger America. Let's start our journey together right now.

Sincerely,

John Edwards

 

What a remarkable day today is going to be. You and I are going to have the great pleasure of watching John Kerry stand before America and lay out his plans for leading our country in a new, more promising direction.

And then, we're going to have the awesome responsibility of carrying his vision of a stronger America to the White House.

To get him there, John Kerry needs a strong, united Democratic Party behind him. That's why I'm asking you to make as generous a gift as possible right now to the Democratic Party, which is fighting side by side with us to help elect John Kerry and Democrats.

Click here to contribute now.

Last night in my speech at the convention, I tried to make it clear how much is at stake in this election. I talked about the values you and I share, the principles we cherish, and the belief we have that our optimism and energy can not only carry us to victory in November, but -- far more importantly -- carry America forward over the next four years.

At the heart of our campaign, there are literally millions of people who are pouring their hearts and souls into winning this election. If ever there were a day for you to give voice to the depth of this support for John Kerry and the Democratic Party, this is it.

This is John Kerry's big day. But it's your big day too. I urge you to use it to make a strong personal statement of your support to help elect John Kerry and Democrats.

Click here to contribute now.

Attend a house party tonight. Forward this email to your friends. Commit to registering a friend to vote. Make a contribution. How you participate is up to you. But whatever you do, don't sit on the sidelines.

There are only 14 weeks until November 2 -- the day America chooses between Kerry-Edwards and Bush-Cheney. We've got to make every one of those days count. But most important right now, we've got to make this day count. Today is the day that John Kerry sets forth his vision for America's future -- and the day we need you and others like you all across America to help spread that vision.

That's the path to victory in November and to a stronger America. Let's start our journey together right now.

Sincerely,

John Edwards

Become an eCaptain today.

As an eCaptain, you'll create your personal ePrecinct: a list of online friends, family members, neighbors — anyone you think would be interested in the Democratic message or who cares about the issues you care about.

Your ePrecinct can be as big as you want: recruit 10 people or 1,000 people.

Once you've created your ePrecinct, we'll send you inside information from the Democratic Party on candidates, issues, elections, and more that you can pass along to your list — with just one click. You send what you want to your ePrecinct.

Many of us have learned about John Kerry's positions and his life story in sound bites, often warped and distorted by a viciously effective Republican attack machine. But we've looked extensively at John Kerry's record, and talked to people who've worked with him, and we've come away convinced that John Kerry is a strong, courageous and progressive leader -- someone we can be proud of as the nominee for President.

And that's why there's something we want you to see.

This fall, award-winning filmmaker George Butler will release Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry, a biographical film featuring never-before-seen footage of John Kerry as a young man. For us, watching this footage transformed our understanding of who John Kerry is and what he's about. You will never forget Kerry's riveting and inspiring testimony to the Senate as the 27-year-old leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, or his crewmates' descriptions of his selfless acts under fire.

We've put together a "Kerry Kit," with a DVD featuring a 15-minute pre-release excerpt of this film, as well as Kerry's recent speech to Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition, all the MoveOn PAC ads, and lots of other materials. And to get it out there, we're giving away the first 100,000 Kerry Kits totally free - one per member.

They're going to go fast. You can check out a video clip of the film and then order yours now for free at:

https://www.kerrykit.com/

If you're sure that Bush needs to go, but still have questions about John Kerry, we invite you to check this out and make up your own mind. And if you believe John Kerry is the right man for the job, but are looking for tools to convince others, this kit will be invaluable.

You can send a Kerry Kit to your friends and family at cost - we want to make sure as many people as possible get the real skinny on John Kerry's record of leadership.

In a recent speech, John Edwards said:

"If you have any question about what John Kerry's made of, about his leadership ability, about his strength and his courage, just spend three minutes, three minutes with the men who served with him 30 years ago who still stand by his side. They saw up close when their lives were at risk that this man is a leader, that he has courage, determination, and he would never leave any American behind."

The film's footage offers these three minutes and then some. Kerry crewmates Del Sandusky and James Rassman vividly describe Kerry's courage under fire in Vietnam. Later, we see Kerry's extraordinary and powerful Senate testimony as the 27-year-old leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. And the materials that come along with the kit demonstrate that these same qualities, commitment and determination to speak truth to power have characterized John Kerry's actions throughout his long career of public service.

The Kerry Kit also features:

• Jesse Jackson's rousing introduction of Kerry, and Kerry's strong speech to the Rainbow Coalition earlier this year.
• Fact sheets that contrast Kerry's record with President Bush's, and show how he's been rated by progressive groups.
• Articles that go into more depth on Kerry's record, including his leadership exposing the Iran-Contra scandal and his extraordinary record of environmental protection.
• Kerry-Edwards stickers.
• And, as a special bonus, all of MoveOn PAC's TV advertisements to date.

Since the kits cost a fair amount to produce, we're only able to offer the first 100,000 for free. You can get yours now at:

https://www.kerrykit.com/

Sincerely,

--Eli Pariser
  MoveOn PAC
  July 28th, 2004

PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC www.moveonpac.org
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.