Governor Dean sent the following message to his supporters tonight:
Tonight's results were no surprise, and we're moving on to the 41 states that will choose the nominee. This campaign will be a marathon, not a sprint, and I believe that by working together we will win it in the end.
We took a risk in Iowa by trying to win this race early. We were disappointed after a full assault by the other candidates and the special interest groups, but we picked ourselves up and got stronger. Now, as the field of candidates narrows, we continue to build toward a win in Wisconsin--setting up a clear choice for the voters.
More than 90 percent of Democrats have yet to vote. When they do, at least one of the choices will be a Washington insider--a product of the special interests, who is long on talk and short on results.
Your campaign offers something different. As a doctor and a governor with executive experience, I have a record of delivering results, and I am beholden to no one but the people.
Tonight we launch the next phase of our campaign the same way we began a year ago: in more than 1,000 neighborhoods across the country, our supporters will attend Meetups. Join your local grassroots group at 7 PM:
http://dean2004.meetup.com
The other candidates and the media will say that this race is over, but it's the American people that choose the nominee. The only way to defeat George Bush is to stand up for our principles, and that's how we will take back the White House this November.
Thank you for all that you have done to build this campaign.
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.