Dean withdraws from Virginia Democratic fund-raiser

[maddezmom]

Dean withdraws from Virginia Democratic fund-raiser


By the Associated Press

Published February 6, 2004

RICHMOND, Va. -- Howard Dean will skip the Virginia Democratic Party's annual fund-raising gala Saturday on the eve of the state's presidential primary, the Dean campaign said Friday.

~snip~

Dean's withdrawal from the Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner leaves Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts, John Edwards of North Carolina and former Gen. Wesley Clark of Arkansas as the candidates headlining the largest annual gathering of Virginia Democrats.

His decision is no surprise. Dean has spent far less time or money in Virginia than the other three candidates, and he was the last of the three to sign on to attend the dinner.

Clark, Edwards and Kerry are televising campaign ads in the state, Kerry and Edwards have visited the state several times, and all three have a full weekend of campaigning planned for Virginia.

Campaign spokesman Garrett Graff said Dean will return to Burlington, Vt., and spend the night Saturday at his home.

more: http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--dean-noshow0206feb06,0,3626502.story?coll=dp-headlines-virginia

[LuminousX]

1. He also has an equally important obligation to fulfill

He promised his son he'd go to his hockey game.

on edit: this may not be the same event I was thinking about...

[Renew Deal]

10. I don't think this is the same event.

That was a democratic party event in Wisconsin.

[Zomby Woof]

2. but...but...

Virginia is DEAN COUNTRY! Or so I was told. :-(

[liberalnurse]

6. Thats the spirit.....

Sarcasm is the way of our democratic party. Lets keep up the good work and alienate Dean supporters, such as my self.

I have friends who too find mean spirited scarcasm a real turn-off to the voting booth. Oh yes, Ohio has yet to vote.

[Zomby Woof]

12. I am not concerned with Dean supporters

Dean supporters and Dean himself alienated the rest of us long ago with far worse behavior. So I am enjoying the implosion.

I am sarcastic for myself, not the Democratic party. I am not on this forum to change anyone's mind, win anyone's heart, or prevent alienation. People should think for themselves.

I am in it for the good of the country, and stopping Dean's campaign is for the good of the country. I have been very, very happy with the collapse of his campaign.

[molly]

15. I feel exactly the same way

and it started here late last summer.

[GalleryGod]

26. Molly: What's Different from Dave & Buster's 3/16/2 and Today?

Even Skinner was there
Khepra,too.
And the STAR of our show, William Rivers Pitt!

:cry: :shrug: Taps!

G.G.:smoke:

[molly]

39. Yep GG those good ole days!

I remember meeting everyone at D&B's. I was thrilled. It was one big happy family back then. Even last year's Philly gathering was great. Remember when Will came to Wilmington? Who'd ever thunk?

:shrug:

[GalleryGod]

23. DU is an extremely strange place to traverse, Zomby What with Quaint

Customs and minders everywhere-some what like Klingon System.

So your points are cogent and very much on point!
:toast:

[quaker bill]

43. Also please enjoy the next 4 years of Bush*

You worked quite hard at it. Telling you the quakerbill troof.

[Zomby Woof]

44. Nixing Dean does not mean Bush will win

It does increase the certainty that Bush will lose, however.

I am quite enjoying Dean's demise.... ahhhhhh.... :beer:

[quaker bill]

47. Correct

It just makes it much more likely.

[blm]

17. Reaping what has been sown. Karma.

Can you honestly deny it?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

19. the 50 state strategy has lost a lot of air

and it would alienate me from Dean were I a supporter.

[RetroLounge]

32. But you never were

so I guess you can't speak to that.

[WI_DEM]

9. and where is Kucinich country?

eom.

[Renew Deal]

11. Hawaii

or Cleveland

[maddezmom]

13. I bet DK does well in ME

Bauer, the Kucinich campaign’s co-coordinator, said Maine is one of the most important states for the campaign.

"The Kucinich campaign has suffered from invisibility, so we’re building its recognition, piece by piece, and caucus by caucus," she said. "Maine is a very liberal and independent state. ... The campaign is counting on Maine to break (into the) double digits. And it’s very likely we’ll be in the top three."

Bauer said just under 1,000 Mainers have volunteered for the campaign - a significant number, she said, in a state where caucus attendance has topped out at less that 4,000 in past years.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/02062004/news/74445.htm

edited to add link :)

[BearFlagDemocrat]

30. The Kucinich Campaign

has suffered from their Candidate. He's running a Representative District campaign in a national race.

[Zomby Woof]

16. LOL

I can always expect a comeback to be about DK, when the thread topic is about Dean. This thread isn't about DK, as far as I can tell.

Besides, DK never campaigned with a big sign behind him saying "(State) is KUCINICH COUNTRY"! So your comeback was ineffective AND off-topic.

Some months ago, I was assured by a number of Dean supporters that Dean would win Virginia when he ran against Bush, and of course, we were supposed to stop supporting our candidate and get in line behind Dean, our inevitable nominee. Karma is a bitch, ain't it?

[GalleryGod]

24. "...is a dish best served cold"

Chilly? Yes. Appropriate? Even more so.

[RetroLounge]

33. Kucinich country?

don't you mean county?

[Hoppin_Mad]

27. Wow ! You actually admit you're part of the 'Stop Dean' movement ! -nt-

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maddy McCall]

45. I'm not part of any "movement" either

and I could have authored ZW's post, because I feel just like him.

However, ZW, myself, and others who don't like Dean have NOT gotten together to plot Dean's demise. No one had to do it. Dean did it to himself.

Just because people share similar feelings doesn't mean they are a "movement."

[RetroLounge]

31. Don't See DK on the agenda

How come?

[Zomby Woof]

41. off topic again

This thread is about Dean, and how he decided to stiff his "COUNTRY". ;-)

[Atman]

3. It sounds like he's given up to me.

Why wouldn't he want to go? Why not at least TRY to get face time? This is NOT the MO of a man who thinks he stands a chance in hell, sorry to say. Too bad. I finally decided I liked him, then the press annointed Kerry. Now he's gone. Sheesh.

[ModerateMiddle]

25. I think he doesn't want to have to

put on a public "united" face when the results of Washington and Michigan come in.

[quisp]

4. and I had just put a Dean sticker on my car...

I'll tell the truth. Virginia is a hard place to be a Democrat.

I can't decide if I should stick with Dean and try to keep all the dogs in the fight, or if I should go with Kerry to hurry up and get the selection process over with already.

I'm really feeling that the sooner we can select the candidate the sooner we can all concentrate on hammering Bush.

[BootinUp]

5. There is another...

Clark

[Toucano]

7. Two sides to that coin.

"I'm really feeling that the sooner we can select the candidate the sooner we can all concentrate on hammering Bush."

That also means the sooner the RNC can start hammering our nominee.

There is some advantage to keeping them guessing. They have to work on 4 or 5 candidates, rather than one.

All our guys are hammering Bush pretty darn well, I think.

[Renew Deal]

14. Go with Clark

You get some of Deans priniciples and Clark can win. The other two are pro-war, pro-NCLB, pro-patriot act.

[Desertrose]

20. how do *you know* Clark can win?

I love these pronouncements...

....we were told Dean had it locked up,too.

The one thing we really do know for certain is that we don't know anything for certain!


:evilgrin:

Peace
DR

[Renew Deal]

21. I knew

Dean couldn't win. See, I am right. :)

[Desertrose]

38. hells bells, I knew that one, too

.... so are we tied now?

DR

[newsjunkie]

18. You should vote for Dean

I can't belive Democrats are letting the media tell them who they should vote for in a primary! If we let Dr Dean's leadership slip through our hands the party will regret it I promise you. The GOP is already salivating at the thought of having Kerry to run against.There is SO much junk in his past for them to pick apart and plenty bones (pun intended).

[Edwards4President]

46. Do you believe that the only way a Dem could not be for Dean

is that they have been brainwashed by the media?

[MaineDem]

8. The state Democrats deserved to have him there

I'm sorry any candidate pulls out of a commitment like this. People have paid their money to go expecting Dean to be there.

Sad and I'd feel the same regardless of which candidate it was.

Edited for spelling.

[madfloridian]

34. In some ways I agree, but I doubt he would be comfortable at ours.

Our state chair, Scott Maddox, spoke out publicly against Dean, in the NYT in fact. He made his position clear about Kerry, and was quite critical of Dean.

If I were a candidate, I would not want to come to our State dinner. I don't know about VA.

[RetroLounge]

35. and where is DK on the agenda?

Do you find this sad too?

[MaineDem]

37. Actually, yes I do

I would like to think they all had been invited.

[displacedtexan]

49. Excellent point!

These annual Dem dinners/fundraisers keep local parties solvent. When speakers back out, it hurts ticket sales, which in turn hurts funding for local candidates.
It costs no more than air fare for Dean to attend... and even if he can't stay for dinner, he could meet with locals earlier in the day and conduct TV, print, and radio interviews.

I'm seriously concerned about Dean's campaign staff.

[stuzzy]

22. He already had another comiitment

to his son to see his last hockey game. This is the event. I read it in an article last night. I tried to find it again but I'm at work and spend a lot of time on it. He had promised his son he would be there. I think he owes his son to be there if he promised he would.

[pacifictiger]

29. wow

a politician who keeps a promise in spite of what insider political special interest and image have to say. Now that's integrity.

[MaineDem]

48. The other commitment conflicted with a Wisconsin event

On the 14th, I believe.

[mrgorth]

28. And again

Clark supporters show class while DK and JK supporters throw gas on the fire. Want 4 more years of Bush? Keep it up.

[NNN0LHI]

36. And YOU know WHO supports WHO? Pffft! n/t

[Zomby Woof]

42. make Dean the nominee

And you WILL see four more years of the Chimp. But since I am gleeful that Dean is toast, I won't worry about it after all. ;-)