Dean centralizing his campaign or are the

Dean centralizing his campaign or are the wheels coming off the wagon?. Interesting to see what effect this will have on his Internet efforts.

By Jason Kottke • Jan 29, 2004 at 11:42 am

There are 11 reader comments

jkottke • Jan 29 2004 • 11:50AM

Here's Trippi's resignation message and Dean's response on the Dean blog.

Bryan • Jan 29 2004 • 12:32PM

I'm with the "wheels off the wagon," camp. The campaign centralization, along with Dean's commentary, sounds very similar to a corporate layoff/downsizing speech. Not very grassrootsy.

"You're going to see a leaner, meaner organization," Dr. Dean, who has asked his 500 staff members to skip their paychecks for two weeks, told reporters on an 8 p.m. conference call. "We had really geared up for what we thought was going to be a front runner's campaign. It's not going to be a front-runner's campaign. It's going to be a long war of attrition. What we need is decision making that's centralized."

Jason J. • Jan 29 2004 • 1:06PM

The Internet efforts are Trippi's, not the candidate's. It's usually not this easy to separate the candidate from the campaign, but Dean is making it particularly easy this week. The Deaniacs have bought in based on Trippi's efforts, not Dean's. It's unfortunate.

Paul • Jan 29 2004 • 1:22PM

Dean really needs to stop talking to media about everything he does. They are not his friends and they are continually making him out to be an amateur with no experience (which, in my opinion, based on the exit poll data, is what hurt him in Iowa and NH). I think it's really unfortunate because he is far and away the only candidate worth voting for. Kerry is hardly going to motivate disenfranchised voters, let alone make any significant changes in Washington if he were ever to get elected. Please pass the Heinz.

righty • Jan 29 2004 • 1:47PM

It really doesn't matter. Bush will be in the White House again. We fart in your general direction.

first name • Jan 29 2004 • 4:30PM

Dean's cooked. Stick a fork in him.

parsimony • Jan 29 2004 • 5:08PM

Watching Dean is like watching a car wreck in painfully slow motion with a creepy, bushy-browed, shifty-eyed neurotic in the driver's seat.

citizen • Jan 29 2004 • 7:51PM

I'm looking forward to a Kerry-Edwards ticket. That would be nice.

Craniac • Jan 29 2004 • 9:17PM

I'd like to see somebody, *anybody* tear up Bush in a public debate that makes it painfully obvious even to supporters what the guy is all about.

tom • Jan 31 2004 • 1:08AM

This is nice:
Dr. Dean, who has asked his 500 staff members to skip their paychecks for two weeks...

Doesn't he have some $40+ million in his campaign chest? That's a bitter pill to swallow.

tom • Jan 31 2004 • 1:11AM

craniac wrote:
I'd like to see somebody, *anybody* tear up Bush in a public debate that makes it painfully obvious even to supporters what the guy is all about.

And what, exactly, is the guy all about? Oh yeah. Haliburton contracts, right? So is your point he's a buffoon run by large corporations, or a superbly coniving politician who's so calculated he can't pronounce "nuclear"?

This thread is closed to new comments. Thanks to everyone who responded.