Ohio Dean Campaign Falling Apart

Apparently many of the more active Dean supporters in Ohio are making a concerted effort to jump out of Dean's campaign and support John Kerry.  Last night, well before the close of polls in Wisconsin I received this in an e-mail.

"If Howard Dean fails to win the Wisconsin Democratic Primary, we, the Dean
supporters of Montgomery County, endorse John F. Kerry for the office of
President of the United States."

As of tomorrow, Dean leaders throughout Ohio plan to shift their support
to Sen. Kerry.  The time has come for unity so that we can beat George W.
Bush.

The same e-mail asked me and every other person on our local Dean mailing list to let him know before 8:00 am so that he could include all of the supporters names in his press release.  Sorry buddy, no such luck.

Then at almost exactly 8:00 am, I began receiving e-mailed press releases from most of the major players in the Ohio Dean campaign stating that it's now time to give up and support the nominee that the party selected.  It's quite sad that these people who claimed to support Governor Dean because he's going to change Washington are the same people who are now trying to tell us who to vote for.

•  x

  They are trading the cow for magic beans.  But it won't work out as well for them as it did for Jack.

  by Mary Mary on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:18:50 PM PDT

  •  moof!

    Well, they will get an unpleasant giant... probably no princess though.

    by Gustavo on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:34:08 PM PDT

    •  x

      probably no princess though

      If they're looking for that, they've got Edwards. <g>

      by Mary Mary on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:36:40 PM PDT

•  That's outrageous

  I'd be furious.  Who is that person to be announcing an endorsement on behalf of the Dean supporters in a particular county?

  I still completely fail to see the advantage in Dean supporters en masse endorsing Kerry before their own primary.  

  I hope you sent out a scathing reply to your email list, and if you did, please share it here!

  by Maura in VA on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:21:22 PM PDT

•  Just in it for themselves...

  Want to keep what meager power they have, apparently.  Tell him to swing everyone to Edwards.  Kerry is not the nominee yet (and if we're lucky will never be).  

  by Asak on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:23:45 PM PDT

  •  Asak, this continious harping

    on this subject, repeatedly posting that Deaniacs should and must jump to your guy, brow-beating us within minutes of the AP story (before all the bodies have been pulled from the building)... well, it's in pretty poor taste.  Can't let the corpse get a little cold before you start hitting the widow up at the funeral, eh?

    It pretty much assures I will not be voting for your guy on the 2nd.  

    by Carl Junior on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:28:43 PM PDT

    •  Well...

      My guy is Dean, so I assume that means you'll now be voting for Edwards.  

      by Asak on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:30:54 PM PDT

      •  Huh?

        My guy is Dean, so I assume that means you'll now be voting for Edwards.

        Explain to me how that statement makes any sense at all?

        Your guy seems to be Edwards, sense you ar eshilling votes for him.

        But Dean is your guy, huh?  You are going to be voting for him in the primary, are you?  I am glad to hear that even yourself won't be taking the advice and voting for that charlatan Edwards.

        by Carl Junior on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:46:56 PM PDT

•  It is pretty outrageous

  It is pretty outrageous.

  Summer soldiers and fair weather patriots. Pfeh.

  At my MeetUp this month, a bunch of us declared that we would show up in March, regardless of the outcome of Dean's Presidential bid, and there was no talk about endorsing the current frontrunner en masse.

  Seems to me that these Ohio folks really didn't 'get' what Dean's campaign is about. Hint: Bigger than this election.

  Oh well.

  (And KerryDems don't start screeching at me, I've been ABB since December 2000 and continue to be so, so let's pre-empt the inevitable fear tactics, shall we?)

  by J from VJ on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:26:48 PM PDT

•  I'm in OH

  and I was pretty outraged from that email I received as well...They want to support John Kerry??? Kerry is not someone I will support, even in the GE...Edwards maybe, but I will be watching to see what Dean does today...I don't think Dean would sell out and endorse Kerry anytime soon...If he endorses Edwards this week, I could maybe vote for him in the primary...If he doesn't, I will probably still vote for Dean.

  by ohio beth on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:28:32 PM PDT

•  Funny

  It just seems FUNNY to me the desperation to get the Dean backers to 'follow the "leader"' after the backstabbing 527 tricks that have been pulled by the Torricelli cabal.  

  I might vote for Edwards in the California Primary, but the request will have to come from Dean's own mouth.  I will vote for Dean in the California Primary otherwise.  

  Do the Washington political operatives machinations make anybody besides me sick to your stomach?

  The prospect of a campaign of empty political promises papering over the disgusting backstabbing of real Dem candidates leaves me rather cold.  And then we are going to get four years of lost 'fighting for you' rhetoric to boot.  Yeeeeech!  

  Iraq CHICKEN-hawk War- 528 Dead, more than 11,000 Medivacs, over 1,200 Amputees... fought the CHICKEN-hawk Way... with other people's money and lives.

  by RedMeatDem on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:31:04 PM PDT

•  We will see a lot of this...in the coming days

  If Grossman can do it why not members of the grassroot.

  At least it will separate the grain from the shaft. I heard that Kerry had "planted" several precinct leaders in Dean's Iowa team that suddenly dissapeared before the caucus.

  Some campaign focus on issues and bringing people together while other campaigns focused on tearing other campaigns apart.

  by Chicken Little on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:39:07 PM PDT

•  Let's be clear

  I live in Toledo and organized for Dean in this region of Ohio for almost all of 2003.  However, after his Mini-Tuesday showing I went from fully Dean to undecided.  People here in this discussion might consider that the height of disloyalty, but it made sense to me.

  Winning politics is never a game of purity, it is a game of compromise and power and eventually a lot of people are going to have to concede that in order to beat Bush.  I think a lot of Dean supporters (and I agree that at times I've done this myself) have confused the Dean presidential campaign with the Dean "movement."  

  Although I guess we'll find out what's really going on in a couple hours, it is my bet that while the Dean presidential campaign ends, the Dean movement is only beginning.

  Let's not lose sight of that and start cannibalizing each other over any future political decisions.

  by davidpmann on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:46:30 PM PDT

  •  Toledo, eh?

    Luckilly, I managed to escape from there almost a decade ago. Only get back for the holidays with the Fam.

    So, is the mayor still trying to drive the smokers from the city like St. Patrick did to the snakes in Ireland? The Blade still worthless?

    by ElitistJohn on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:57:16 PM PDT

•  Your headline is bullshit

  I'm the coordinator for NE Ohio for Dean - the largest of the regional statewide grassroots groups with over 1,000 Dean supporters.

  Ohio for Dean is not falling apart and it's bullshit to accept one unofficial email from one among the nearly 20 statewide Dean groups.

  I'm on the statewide steering committee and have yet to receive any Ohio for Dean press releases.

  Who sent the release? Post it here. Put up or shut up.
  

  by em dash on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:46:40 PM PDT

  •  Steve Chaffin Press Release

    This was sent out this morning by Steve Chaffin, the statewide coordinator:

    IMPORTANT MESSAGE

    2-18-04 9:00 A.M.

       On February 5, 2004  Dean for America's Roy Neel released the following statement :

    "As I wrote on the blog last week, our goal is simple: become the alternative to John Kerry after the Wisconsin primary on February 17. To do that, we are running hard in Washington, Michigan and Maine this weekend and we must win Wisconsin".

        Because of this statement, last  nights results, and based upon   the recent poll showing Dean only getting 12% of the vote in Ohio, I have decided to cease my activity in connection the Dean for Ohio campaign. I have enjoyed working with all of you and the tremendous grassroots campaign. In my opinion, we must now turn to supporting the Party nominee.  

    Defeating George Bush must be our primary goal. We must unify and support the Democratic nominee, even if he is not our first choice. Some Dean supporters are becoming active in MoveOn.org, others are joining the Kerry campaign, as I will be, and others may take a few weeks off, but whatever you do, don't become one of the people who say, "it doesn't make a difference". It does, and you have made a difference.  

    It has been my pleasure to work with all of you and I hope that we can all keep in touch with each other over the next weeks and months and that all of you will remain politically active in your communities.

    Steve Chaffin
    

    by davidpmann on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:48:42 PM PDT

    •  It's unfair to suggest

      that this is anything other than Chaffin's personal opinion, and he's not recommending that anyone join the Kerry campaign--just noting that he's doing so. Notice that he first said we need to support the nominee--which we do--and then later mentioned that he was joining the Kerry campaign. I think that the author of this diary is blowing this statement out of proportion.

      by incertus on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 01:01:00 PM PDT

      •  I fully agree.

        I got the e-mail this morning and thought it was a perfectly reasonable reaction to the sitution. Dean can't win at this point, and we should all put our energies where we think they would best be used. I mean, that's the man's opinion.

        I happen to share the opinion, of course, so maybe I wasn't inclined to read it as some sort of weird marching orders. Just ordinary politics, IMO, to pick a new candidate when your preference is through.

        by Magenta on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 01:04:38 PM PDT

      •  Again, let's be clear

        I never suggested in my posting of Steve Chaffin's release that the entire Dean for Ohio campaign should just fold under itself and start donating thousands of dollars to the Kerry campaign. Let's be serious.

        Go re-read my post and don't re-read your own thoughts into it.

        by davidpmann on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 01:05:16 PM PDT

        •  No one thinks so

          Incertus wasn't addressing his comments to you - he was addressing them to Lipo, who wrote the diary.  He posted under your message because he was commenting on the content of the email that you posted (thanks).  Don't take it personally, we can see the train of thought in the whole thread, and it's clearly not a response to you.

          by Katydid on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 01:35:54 PM PDT

      •  Captain Queeg

        Chaffin's "leadership" of OFD has always been questionable. His own political ambitions and ties to labor have consistently colored his allegiances to the grassroots.

        It's farcical that he points to the suspect Ohio Poll that surveyed 200 people, virtually no minorities were included, and has a 6% margin of error, as the basis for his decision. Hell, a seventh grade algebra class could develop a more methodologically sound instrument.  

        The most recent Columbus Dispatch poll reported Dean leading all candidates. Our voter ID in Cleveland shows very strong support for Dean over Kerry, Edwards, and hometown boy, Kucinich.

        Nice leadership there, Steve. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

        by em dash on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 01:30:05 PM PDT

    •  that's very different

      from what you originally quoted.

      by mimi9 on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 01:29:03 PM PDT

    •  This email doesn't look like the one Lipo got

      Compare this to what Lipo quoted above.  Maybe there's more than a few emails flying around Ohio right now?!?!?

      by Katydid on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 01:38:22 PM PDT

•  The thing that is outrageous is that one person

  would be dictating who Dean supporters should move to...I would at the least expect a meeting (or polling) and vote on who folks would want to support between either Edwards or Kerry.  If one of them got a solid majority, then fine go with that guy.  Otherwise Dean supporters should be left to do whatever they please on an individual basis.

  by marcopolo on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 12:56:45 PM PDT

•  WTF

  I haven't received anything from the Ohio for Dean group, and I'm in Ohio.  I know I'm going to a meeting tonight with about 15 other Dean supporters to figure out what we can do from here.

  Sorry to hear about Steve Chaffin's remarks, but I imagine this type of thing is not confined to Ohio.  I'm not supporting Kerry in the primaries because what he and his henchmen did to Dean.  I'm lukewarm on Edwards.  Dean still gets my Ohio primary voite on March 2.

  by Hiram on Wed Feb 18, 2004 at 01:53:01 PM PDT