The message didn’t mince words: ” The entire race has come down to this: we must win Wisconsin…. A win there will carry us to the big states of March 2 — and narrow the field to two candidates. Anything less will put us out of this race.”
That’s the email Dean for America sent to its supporters this morning, appealing for funds to put Dean’s ads on the air in Wisconsin. It’s a pretty bold move. It’s also terribly risky.
Dean has already kind of moved the goal posts a bit. He said after losing New Hampshire that he was focusing his attention on Michigan. Now that Michigan seems to be slipping away, he’s drawing the line at Wisconsin, making it the new “must-win” state.
Campaign supporters are reacting with some enthusiasm. The Washington Post reported a surge in donations to keep Dean competetive in Wisconsin, with about $125,000 in contributions since the email was sent.
Nevertheless, unless a whole lot of those donors live in Wisconsin, this may not work out. A statewide poll, released yesterday, showed Kerry with a pretty big lead, enjoying the support of 45% of the state’s Dems — about three times the support Dean garnered. And now that Dean has raised expectations in such a high-profile way, he’ll have trouble moving the goal posts again if Wisconsin doesn’t go his way.
Stay tuned.