While his opponents keep their focus on early-primary states, the front-runner has segued into general- election mode.
With the first presidential contests in Iowa and New Hampshire two months away, Democratic front-runner Howard Dean has been campaigning hard in some unexpected places.The former Vermont governor has stumped in 14 states this month, including some with late primaries — Oregon, Idaho, Florida and Pennsylvania. This week alone, he is visiting seven states, including Texas, Michigan and New York.<snip>
"The mistake is to hunker down into a one-state strategy aimed at trying to do a blocking movement in the hopes that you might catch fire later on," Trippi said.
If Dean could simultaneously shore up support in the early states and broaden his appeal elsewhere, he could also help resolve doubts that Democratic voters have about his electability, some political experts say.
"If there are reservations about Dean in the party, it's about how he's going to do in a general election," said Charlie Cook, a nonpartisan campaign analyst based in Washington.
"For the Dean campaign to give a preview of coming attractions and show them, 'This is what it would look and sound like,' it tells people that they don't have anything to worry about," Cook said.
As Dean crisscrosses the country, the energy and discipline that have powered his campaign so far are on full display.He frequently travels several time zones a day. After a full day of meeting with voters in Iowa on Nov. 11, he flew west to Portland, for his third visit this year to Oregon, which doesn't hold its primary until May. That night, he headed across the country to Washington.
"You gotta keep the momentum up," he said, popping peanut M&M's as he settled in for a flight, halfway through his 19-hour day.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-dean21nov21,1,6263916.story?coll=la-home-todays-times