New Dean strategy raises eyebrows

[isbister]

MILWAUKEE -- As Howard Dean saw his standing rise in polls last summer and his face show up on the covers of national newsmagazines, the former Vermont governor and his staff settled on a strategy for winning the Democratic presidential nomination.

Flush with an unexpected flow of cash from enthusiastic Internet supporters, they decided to pour resources into Iowa and New Hampshire, hoping back-to-back wins in the first two presidential states would break his rivals, clearing a path to victory.

Today, his bank account nearly drained by his go-for-broke strategy, his political viability in question after consecutive losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, Dean has settled on a new strategy.

It not only contradicts his earlier one, but it also defies conventional political wisdom and marks another attempt by his unconventional campaign to plow a new course to the presidency...

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2004/02/02/new_dean_strategy_raises_eyebrows/

[LosinIt]

1. Another shining example of TBM -- Trial By Media

[Adjoran]

2. Dean mismangaed his money

It wasn't spending in Iowa and NH that hurt, it was wasting so much cash on staff and consultants. He's spent over $33 million so far, mostly on salaries and fees.

Given his present circumstances, his strategy is risky, but it could work. If Democratic voters don't have some doubts about Kerry, he can't win anyway. If they do, they will vote for Clark or Edwards or Lieberman. Dean has to hope that two emerge as alternatives instead of one clear challenger. If that happens, he can get back in contention if his plan of paying attention to the later states pays off.

[stickdog]

3. Three questions for the consistently anti-Dean media.

Which candidates have more money than Dean?

Which candidates can raise more money than Dean?

From where?

Has any other Dem candidate EVER raised the kind of money that Dean is STILL raising from small, average American, middle class political donors?

[RetroLounge]

4. More media bullshit posted by a Kerry Supporter

surprise, surprise, surprise...

Broke? Don't think so...

[isbister]

6. Re: Broke? Don't think so...

The article didn't say Dean was broke, it said:

Today, his bank account nearly drained by his go-for-broke strategy, his political viability in question after consecutive losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, Dean has settled on a new strategy.

Dean himself has spoken about the go-for-broke strategy not working as they had hoped and the big picture of his going through 41 million dollars to a few million does indicate a nearly drained bank account. That is not to say he will not be able to fill it back up again.

What I would term as "taking a vacation" during the middle of the election, when he's beaten that "I'm a national candidate" drum so often does raise questions about his candacy. ( I didn't think Clark's complete withdrawal from Iowa was the best move either) The question is legit and being questioned by his own supporters:

Andrew Stern, president of the 1.6 million-member Service Employees International Union, which has endorsed Dean, said any candidate who does not win a primary or caucus tomorrow "was going to have a hard time winning the nomination."

It doesn't necessarily mean that he will fail, it just going to be a tough hill to climb.

Sure Gephardt's guy and Rothenberg were harsh in their evaluations but Dean was well quoted, explaining his position, in the article:

"To suggest that anybody ought to drop out of the race after 10 percent of the delegates are selected is ridiculous, I think the people of Wisconsin ought to have some say in who the next president is."

"If we get blown out again and again and again . . . if somebody else gets more delegates and they clinch it, of course I'm not going to go all the way to the convention just to prove a point, but I'm going to be in this race as long as I think I can win. And I have always said that I don't think this race is going to be decided until after March 2 or perhaps March 9 or even later than that, and we're going to do everything we can to stay in."

"The most important thing is to have the most delegates. As of today, we have more delegates than any other candidate. We're going to continue to work for delegates. The person with the most delegates on July 25th becomes the Democratic nominee and the next president of the United States."

The strategy may work, it may not. That remains to be seen. It appears (to me) as if Dean is using Wisconsin as some sort of benchmark, so we'll know better then.

[adadem]

5. We already have

a president who has grossly mismanaged money...we don't need another.

[stickdog]

15. Yep. What we need instead is a candidate who loans himself OUR

MONEY at a high interest rate just to keep his campaign afloat!

It's not like we've ever seen anything like that before.

[SheilaT]

7. It's not as though

he started with $41 million in the bank and is now down to $10 million. He raised the $41M over six months or more, and at this point still has $10M in the bank. How is this mismanagement?

Kerry is in the hole at this point.

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. I think this raises serious questions about his ability to run the nation

Saying "We took a big gamble and lost" does not inspire confidence in his ability to make solid judgements.

Does the nation really want someone who's a riverboat gambler with the common folks' money?

[On the Road]

9. Every Other Candidate Took an Even Bigger Gamble

Dean is the only candidate who planned for the long haul with a national organization. He has more money and a more extensive organization left than any of the other candidates.

The impact of the IA/NH results show that in the current environment, early results basically decide the election. The more I read about the finances, the more I think Dean's strategy was reasonable. It doesn't sound to me like he pissed away any money.

[bobthedrummer]

10. Dean's new strategy is getting personal and wanting people to like

him via knowing about him. I relate to that truck driver's son Dennis Kucinich myself, but Dean is my main alternative candidate, in any event I'm voting Democratic in November and voting for Dennis Kucinich in the February 17th Wisconsin Primary.

Here is a link about Dean's new strategy being used in Milwaukee.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/feb04/204427.asp

[Skip Intro]

11. I'll take honesty over ambiguity any day

It takes a special quality to say "we tried something, it didn't work" - and then plot a new strategy from the current situation, as opposed to stubbornly sticking to the original plan, or just quitting because things didn't go the way you had hoped.

I can proudly support someone who can say "we made a mistake," especially compared with someone who, for example, continues to refuse to say invading Iraq was wrong. Of course, that particular person doesn't come right out and say it was right either. The contrast makes Dean's frankness and honesty all the more appealing.

[bobthedrummer]

17. I respect him taking personal ownership of the "gamble"

he clearly stated that he knew what he was doing and that it didn't work and now he's opening up personally, not a bad choice at this point.

[w4rma]

13. Kerry is broke too. (n/t)

[D G]

14. Exactly

I'm supposed to *love* that Dean takes risks no matter what the consequences are. Sorry, I've had enough of that with 3 years of the Shrub. I'd be thrilled to have a "boring" president (Kerry) or even better, a solid, confident and thoughtful leader (Clark). I don't need an attack dog (Dean).

[stickdog]

16. You mean, like the gamble Kerry took on 500 American lives?

And counting ...

[drfemoe]

12. I know someone who

can't raise their eyebrows any more. The nerves have been paralyzed by Botox injections.