What does Dean mean by this statement...?

[DJcairo]

Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire have cast their ballots. The 2004 election is underway.

The election won’t be decided by pundits or polls. That’s not the way our Constitution works. Democracy leaves the last word to the people, and the people are going to decide – in primaries and caucuses across this country in coming months.

These were the opening remarks of a speech Dean made in MI today.

Is he trying to infer that pundits are giving a negative spin to his poor showings in Iowa and NH? Is he threatening to go all the way - bloodied and wounded - to the convention with his delegates?

Howard...I feel your pain. But for the good of the party, the party you gave your spine for, don't do this. Don't spend the next months taking pot shots in debates like tonight through February and March. We need to stand together by March 10 at the latest and pledge to win this thing together, whoever the nominee might be.

[pacifictiger]

1. To me that statement says

democracy means thinking for yourself about the issues, not just what someone else tells you to think. I hope people are smart enough to perceive this, but I fear they are addicted to easyspeak!!!

[JI7]

2. this is a joke

you yourself couldn't stand by the candidate you now claim to support when he wasn't doing well in the polls .you told us it was all over and you were supporting dean. and now you are doing the same thing to him. why can' tyou just let people vote ?

[sandnsea]

7. It's a kick isn't it??

Or something. Hmmmm.

[quinnox]

3. I think Dean is going all the way

He doesn't care if he gets all fourth places the rest of the way. It's the same strategy that Sharpton and Kucinich are doing, they are going all the way to the convention to have some kind of clout.

There won't be many more debates anyway, I think at most two or three.

[EXE619K]

4. not at all....

But, then again, some of us are not "fair weather voters" though.

[BeatleBoot]

5. He's still winning in the number of delegates he has..

I'm a Kerry supporter, but what I say is true.

[dsc]

6. Maybe people in places like Ohio

would like a say. I know we have fewer people than Iowa and NH combined (wait that isn't true). I know we are less representative of those states (wait that isn't true either). I know it is a long wait until we vote (wait that isn't true either). Tell me again why we shouldn't be allowed to vote before we get the nominee coronated.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

8. Uh...

It looks to me like he's saying that people are voting now and that will decide who gets the nomination. The votes.

I don't see how you're interpreting this as some kind of threat to keep going all the way to the convention whether he gets the votes or not. It seems pretty straightforward to me.

[ibegurpard]

9. Pretty simple, really

He's not dropping out any time soon. Using your logic, Kerry would've been gone LONG ago.

[creativelcro]

10. Not if the nominee becomes such by cheating.