Common Sense, 21 c. edition
Drawing from some of America’s most influential historical figures,
Common Sense for a New Century proposes that the very values that helped found our United States over 225 years ago are at stake in the 2004 election.
Common Sense was the first American best seller. It sold 120,000 copies in
the first three months after its publication in January 1776. An estimated
500,000 copies were sold that year. Such sales were phenomenal, considering
that the population of the entire country was only about 1.5 million.
Although the Revolutionary War began in April of 1775, its aims were
ill-defined. Prior to the publication of Common Sense, not one of the
thirteen colonies had instructed its delegation to the Continental Congress
to vote in favor of independence. The best estimates are that only
one-third of the delegates to Congress favored independence. Certainly
other writings and events helped shift public opinion in favor of
independence, but no single writing or event had the profound effect of the
arguments advanced by Paine in Common Sense.
“We are not going to promise the American people a paradise. Instead they are going to hear a summons to do their duty.” Joe Trippi
***“the Harry Truman of our generation”
Tom Harkin has endorsed Howard Dean.
“Tom Harkin said yesterday that the Bush administration – and their
special interest cronies plan not just to trash the Democratic
candidate, but to poison the entire political atmosphere.
But together, by taking action, we are going to stop them. And we are
going to change our country.” Joe Trippi