The Dean campaign is not expecting to do well tonight - their internal #'s

[kerry-is-my-prez]

are not looking good. They will leave immediately for New Hamp. right after the Caucus - per CNN.

Better brace yourselves for the worst - then be happy if he pulls it off is my advice.... Maybe they're just lowering expectations.

[AP]

1. They're definitely lowering expectations. Dean will do better than CNN...

says.

[pasadenaboy]

2. CNN is not a very reliable source for this

Who'd they get it from Candy Crowley?

It may be true or may not, who knows?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

16. Note the word Dean "Internal" numbers. These are #'s from the Dean

campaign. They gave this info out to CNN. The Dean campaign is lowering expectations.

[depakid]

3. I'm just sure CNN has access to their internals- sheesh.... n/t

[AP]

5. Dean staffer might have leaked story for same reason:

lower expectations.

[mistertrickster]

4. I just got back from working with the Dean campaign in Iowa.

We canvassers found Iowans hard to pin down. They were consistently (and somewhat maddeningly IMHO) "undecided"--they didn't know if they were going to the caucus, they didn't know who they would caucus for, Dean seemed mean and angry to some, a lot had a hard time explaining why they supported any candidate.

They also seemed somewhat underwhelmed by the 3000 plus volunteers like myself who travelled there on our own dime just to show the Iowans the Dean army ready and willing to take back our country.

Yeah, Iowa, it's a hard nut to crack.

[jenk]

6. well, Dean finished 3rd in the small ranch caucus on cspan

maybe it's a microcosm of how his evening is going to go.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

8. well that precinct was at a kerry supporters house

not a good indicator to use from eh?

[mistertrickster]

11. Interesting, but I don't know how that can happen since the caucuses

just started ten minutes ago.

It's supposed to take like 90 minutes.

[depakid]

12. Actually, I didn't want to say anything before the Caucuses began

But I had some concerns about the number of outsiders coming into the state. In Oregon, that would have been an issue for many people in the past (for Democrats, at least, the Republicans pump their damn money in all the time to take down anything progressive). If it does backfire, at least Dean and the campaign are smart enough to adapt for the next rounds.

[SheilaT]

14. Hi mistertrickster!

(we went to Iowa together)

And a caucus is quite the opposite of a secret ballot.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

15. hmmm

"They also seemed somewhat underwhelmed by the 3000 plus volunteers like myself who travelled there on our own dime just to show the Iowans the Dean army ready and willing to take back our country."

Think about it?

[kerry-is-my-prez]

19. This is one screwed up process... Republicans can vote. People don't have

their minds made up yet - they use "peer pressure" to get people to change their minds and they can "dicker" around to get other peoples votes....

The scary thing is this is the FIRST event and can completely affect the rest of the primary season.

[jenk]

7. I don't think they can leave immediately, isn't there a post caucus party

[kerry-is-my-prez]

13. Made it sound like they won't be going to it....

n/t

[Ramsey]

9. This originally came from ...

Tucker Carlson and Faux, so I wouldn't pay it too much never mind.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

[kaitykaity]

10. Even the 'liberals' on CNN slam Dean, so

I don't really trust anything else they say
about him.

[morgan2]

17. hah i love it

the dean folks on cspan dont have enough people. They came in talking about how the Kucinich folks should switch to them because they're great. Now they don't have enough themselves and look so helpless.

[NNN0LHI]

18. Dean will do just fine n/t