American Public Media: "Drafting a President"

Weekend American has done a piece on "Drafting a President" and the Draft Hagel movement has a link of the page. With luck, our Draft Hagel movement can achieve the same result as the Draft Ike movement did fifty years ago.

Message from the Draft Hagel Movement

This message brought to you by the Draft Hagel 08 Movement:

What is the purpose of a draft movement?

To create a buzz, a groundswell of support, to influence a decision. We do not care which party the candidate desires to represent, only that he/she is the right person for the job. This is what we need to do. We cannot wait for a decision, and then jump into action. We need to be in action to influence a decision.

At this point in time, Senator Hagel is focused on his job as a US Senator, as he should be. While he thinks about a decision to run, it is the job of Draft Hagel 08 movement supporters to show him that the energy is out there to ensure that a decision to enter the Presidential race has the potential to be successful.

Looking at the direction and future of our country, it is hard to imagine that doing so could ever be considered a waste. Start a local group in your area. Have some type of political experience, or want to gain some? Contact us to be a regional or state coordinator. Whatever your commitment to the movement can be, make it vocal and let's go! At no other point in this country's history has it mattered more!

The Draft Hagel 08 Team
www.drafthagel08.com
info@drafthagel08.com

Draft Hagel '08 - Mission: Memorial Day!

From Draft Hagel '08:

We have a mission to accomplish by Memorial Day if we want to see Chuck Hagel's views presented to the American people in the 2008 Presidential election!

We are asking that, by May 28, you try and find 25 new supporters to sign the online petition! How? Talk to people you know, talk to people they know, let them know that we need their help in making sure that America does not have to suffer through the 2008 election, that signing the online petition shows Senator Hagel that we need his views expressed through the Presidential election! If you and a friend were to stand on a busy corner over a weekend, that's all it would take to accomplish the 25!

If you hear someone say, "It's too early to make that decision," tell them you're not asking them who they will support in 2008, but rather that you would like their help in making sure a true American has the right to be one of their choices!

Are you a doctor, nurse, teacher, lawyer, scientist, housewife, househusband,etc? Start a local coalition of like individuals in your area!

Wondering how to go about any of this? Don't be afraid to ask us for help - info@drafthagel08.com !

Let's get to work! We've got a mission to right the direction of our country!

Draft Hagel merchandise site

If you're looking for Hagel merchandise (of the Draft Hagel variety primarily) check out the new site: THE OFFICIAL DRAFT HAGEL '08 STORE.

Campus Coordinators

We have a new push on in the Students for Hagel element of the Draft Hagel movement. We are taking the movement to colleges and universities around the nation.

We are recruiting Campus Coordinators to take the lead in organizing the grassroots movement on campuses across the country. If you are a college student interested in helping with the Draft Hagel movement on your campus, please let us know (email me or post a comment).

Today we are happy to announce the first of the new Campus Coordinators.

Steven Place at Catholic University (Washington D.C.)

John McNamara at Hillsdale College (Michigan)

Draft Hagel merchandise site launched!

The Draft Hagel store has been launched! Now you can show your support with buttons and stickers. Check out the store, as it has some cool items and designs.

Donate now!

The new official Hagel campaign website is up and running and can accept donations on-line. The donations go to his Senate campaign war chest, which can be directly transferred to a presidential campaign fund. Let’s build some momentum and get some money into Chuck Hagel’s campaign coffers. Please donate today at www.hagel08.com , even if it is just a little (though of course more is always better). Let's show America what kind of grassroots support Senator Hagel has.

What we can do while we wait

Chuck Hagel announced today that he is going to focus on the important issues of today rather than focus on a campaign right now. We commend him for that. He left open the possibility of running for President in 2008 and we want to see that happen.

The grassroots effort to support Chuck Hagel is already underway and we invite you to join it (or to become more active). Here are some ways we can work to support Chuck Hagel now.

One of the key things that must be done is networking. A grassroots movement is being built and it needs to grow. To further that, fill out the form on the right hand side of this page. To get involved join one of the many Chuck Hagel for President groups (listed at the right side of the page - some at Yahoo, Google, Myspace, and Facebook). Also, visit DraftHagel08 and sign the petition.

Fundraising is critical, so donating money certainly helps. Two ways to do this are to donate to his PAC, and/or to his Senate campaign. Any money in his Senate campaign can be transferred to a Presidential campaign.

A key element is simply spreading the word. Talk to people about Chuck Hagel and discuss why he will make a great President. Also, share your reasons for supporting Chuck Hagel here; we'd love to hear why you like Senator Hagel. You'd be amazed at how much impact just talking to people has.

Also, buy merchandise and get his name and the idea of him running for President into people's heads. At this point getting people to think about the possibility is critical. Also, getting those people that are likely to volunteer on a campaign or donate money to think about Hagel for President is important, as they are more likely to be thinking about it earlier than your average voter.

Another thing that people can do is drive the Internet Buzz surrounding Chuck Hagel. There are numerous ways to do this. Everyone can vote for Chuck Hagel in online polls. Also, everyone can comment on blogs, expressing their support for Senator Hagel. If you have a website or blog, add a banner or a link to this site (http://hagel2008.blogspot.com) and others that support Chuck Hagel. If you have a blog, post about Chuck Hagel.

If anyone has other ideas, please share them.

The Draft Hagel movement issues press release

PRESS RELEASE - For immediate release

DRAFT HAGEL '08 MOVEMENT SAYS RUN, CHUCK, RUN!

Historical Opportunity Is at Hand for Nebraska U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel

Citing draft movements that have succeeded in encouraging politicians to run for office, including the first President of this nation, George Washington, and the thirty-fourth President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, backers of a "Draft Hagel '08" movement say that momentum is building for a Chuck Hagel candidacy.

"The party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan needs to come together again for a candidate who can take the Democrats' chief issue against the GOP away from them--the war in Iraq," said the group’s Chairman. "Nobody has asked more intelligent and searching questions about this war than Chuck Hagel, and this, combined with his Vietnam combat experience, gives him standing with a broad cross-section of the American voting public."

The group states, "At this time in our country's history, we need a leader who will guide our nation into the 21st century. We need a leader who understands that America is a nation of millions, not a few; that our foreign policy determines our standing in the world; and that our democracy depends on discussion, debate, and accountability. We admire Senator Hagel's service to his country and greatly appreciate that he speaks for its people. For these reasons, we strongly encourage Senator Chuck Hagel to run for President in 2008!"

Hagel has a natural appeal to the Republican Party's conservative base. A U.S. Senator from the nation's heartland, Hagel has top conservative rankings for his support on traditional values and fiscal responsibility. His supporters say that the two-term Senator is the one candidate who can bridge the divide between the social and economic conservatives in the modern Republican Party. Also, his pragmatic approach to politics makes him a conservative with crossover appeal, with support from many independents and Democrats. Senator Hagel has always practiced civility in politics, something that the electorate has increasingly called for following the 2006 election.

While serving in the Senate, Chuck Hagel has become one of the most prominent voices on foreign policy in the nation. He has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since entering office in 1997. Senator Hagel has a long history of leadership and experience in business, as well. In his business career prior to entering politics, Chuck Hagel was the President and CEO of multiple companies, providing him with critical executive experience.

"More people are beginning to realize that the best candidate the Republican Party has to offer is not yet in this race," said the movement’s Chairman. "But we hope to change that by not only urging Senator Hagel to get in this contest but also by educating the American people about this extraordinary leader, who has proven he will stand up for the will of the American people.”

To show your support, sign the petition to encourage Senator Hagel to run for President in 2008 by visiting the “Draft Hagel ‘08” website at http://www.drafthagel08.com/.

For more information, contact:

Jeremy Mullen

General Inquiries: press@drafthagel08.com

END
http://www.drafthagel08.com/pdfdocs/PR_02-28-07.pdf

Draft Hagel 08 website launched!

Today the Draft Hagel 08 website was launched. Check out the site and sign the petition.

Grassroots in Florida

There has been a new state by state focus to the Hagel grassroots movement with many new state groups created. For example, for supporters in Florida there is a new Yahoo group. There is also a new blog, Florida for Chuck Hagel. Stop by the blog and say hi.

Join the draft Hagel movement!

There is much that we all can do now to help the draft Hagel movement.

First and foremost is to contact Senator Hagel and urge him to run for President. You can either email him or can fill out the contact form on his Senate website.

Second, join in the movement. Networking is critical. Fill out the form on the right side of the page so we can build a list of supporters. Also, join one (or more) of the many groups in the movement to talk to other supporters (Google Group, Yahoo Group, Myspace Group, or one of the Facebook groups). We also are making a push to build state by state networks, so please feel free to join the group for your state (CA, CO, FL, IL, MD, MO, NY, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA). If there isn't one for your state, request one and I'll make one.

Third: spread the word. Talk to people about Chuck Hagel and discuss why he will make a great President. Also, share your reasons for supporting Chuck Hagel here; we'd love to hear why you like Senator Hagel. You'd be amazed at how much impact just talking to people has.

Fourth: related to spreading the word, buy merchandise and get his name and the idea of him running for President into people's heads. At this point getting people to think about it is critical. Also, getting those people that are likely to volunteer on a campaign or donate money to think about Hagel for President is important, as they are more likely to be thinking about it earlier than your average voter.

A fifth way you can help Chuck Hagel on the road to the White House is to donate money. Two ways to do this are to donate to his PAC, and/or to his Senate campaign. Any money in his Senate campaign can be transferred to a Presidential campaign.

Sixth is to drive the Internet Buzz surrounding Chuck Hagel. There are numerous ways to do this. Everyone can vote for Chuck Hagel in online polls. Also, everyone can comment on blogs, expressing their support for Senator Hagel. If you have a website or blog, add a banner or a link to this site (http://hagel2008.blogspot.com) and others that support Chuck Hagel. If you have a blog, post about Chuck Hagel.

If anyone has other ideas, please share them.

Maryland for Hagel group

I've just been informed of the newest addition to the Draft Hagel Movement, a Maryland for Hagel Yahoo! Group. If you live in Maryland, get on board! (If you don't live in Maryland, check out the list of groups on the right side of the page to get involved in the grassroots movement in your area.)

The GOP field on-line

There is an interesting article at The Personal Democracy Forum on GOP candidates and the web. On the whole, the Republican candidates are waaay behind the Democrats in terms of on-line organization. While this blog is the centerpiece of one GOP effort to do just that, apparently we're a little behind. Take a look at the article and let's see what we can do to remedy that.

New additions to the grassroots movement

There are two new Yahoo!Groups in the Hagel grassroots movement: Illinois for Hagel and California for Hagel. If you live in either state, please feel free to join the respective group and meet fellow supporters.

Be sure to check out the full list of Chuck Hagel groups (at Google, Yahoo!, Myspace, and Facebook) in the links on the right side of the page.

More Bloggers for Hagel

Two more blogs have officially announced their support for Chuck Hagel in 2008.

Edward Nashton at CopyWrite2007 had this to say:

Ewan Watt has it right again. Chuck Hagel in 2008 should be the most obvious choice for conservatives since the Gipper in 1980.

While Senator Hagel has certainly made waves in recent days by challenging the neoconservative foreign policy establishment, most Americans forget that the senior Senator from Nebraska is as solid on his domestic policy as his foreign policy. Just last year for example, the American Conservative Union rated Senator Hagel's voting record for 2005 96%--comparing favorably to a lifetime rating of 86%.

Given his solid credentials though, Senator Hagel will find the 2008 race an uphill climb as he faces off against two of the most recognized politicians in the U.S.--Rudy Guiliani and John McCain. We here at CopyWrite hope that Americans take note of Senator Hagel's recent efforts to salvage what's left of the war on terror and give him a chance to articulate his vision for the U.S. over the next two years.

Good luck Senator Hagel. Know that the CopyWrite Empire is firmly behind you.

Ewan Watt over at Ewan's Blog also came out in support of Senator Hagel for President and added a set of links to the grassroots movement here on the web (thanks for the link, by the way).

Hagel for President in the News Again

Our grassroots efforts have made the news again, this time in the New York Sun.

Question from a Reader

I got a question from a reader today that asked what they can do to help. Here is a post that anyone interested in helping out should read.

Today's Omaha World Herald article

This blog was featured today in an article by Jake Thompson at the Omaha World Herald, "Bloggers Urge Hagel to Seek Presidency." If you haven't read the article, it is definitely worth a read.

Michigan for Hagel blog

There is a brand new Michigan for Hagel 2008 blog that is up and running. Check it out and say hi.