Cash-strapped Dean narrows focus of campaign

Howard Dean retreated yesterday from all seven of Tuesday’s primaries, hoping to save his dwindling cash supply for television ads in states with later primaries that hold more promise of victory for him.

The decision comes one day after Mr. Dean replaced his campaign manager and on the heels of two big losses in states where he had previously held commanding leads in the polls.

Aides to Mr. Dean said they realized the strategy could destroy the stumbling campaign but hoped that big victories in states on Feb. 7 and Feb. 17 would reignite the campaign.

“Governor Dean is off campaigning in key states holding contests on February 3rd and February 7th,” the campaign posted on its Web site yesterday afternoon. “We will be focusing resources and effort on the February 7 contests in Michigan [and] Washington [state], February 8 in Maine and February 17 in Wisconsin.”

Just two weeks ago, Mr. Dean was leading in most polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, which hold the nation’s first nomination contests. But in both, Mr. Dean lost to Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts by double digits.

After his distant second-place finish in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Mr. Dean said he would travel to South Carolina, Missouri and other states with primaries next week. His latest schedule has his first stop in Michigan, where Mr. Dean is expected to do well among union voters and carries a huge number of delegates but doesn’t vote until Feb. 7.

While it is unclear whether Mr. Dean will still travel to states with primaries on Tuesday, the campaign has pulled all advertising in those states.

“We are going to try everywhere, but what we are really looking at is the delegate count,” Mr. Dean said Wednesday night after announcing the shake-up in his campaign.

“I think you are going to see a leaner, meaner organization,” he said. “We had geared up for what we thought would be a front-runner’s campaign. It’s not going to be a front-runner’s campaign. It’s going to be a long, long war of attrition.”

The switch in campaign leadership came as little surprise to Dean supporters close to the campaign who were growing frustrated by the rapid descent in Mr. Dean’s political fortunes.

Joe Trippi, the campaign manager who resigned Wednesday, led the campaign from obscurity less than a year ago to leading contender by pioneering the extensive use of the Internet to attract supporters, create volunteer lists and raise money — more than any other Democratic candidate in history. Mr. Trippi himself has become somewhat of a cult hero to thousands of the most loyal Dean supporters.

Causing even more turmoil among Dean supporters is that Roy Neel, Mr. Trippi’s replacement, is a Washington lobbyist with longtime ties to former Vice President Al Gore.

“I’m really concerned with this,” one supporter wrote in a posting on the candidates’s Web site. “Joe Trippi was the reason this campaign ever got off the ground floor. This new guy is a lobbyist and the very definition of Washington insider. What gives?” Others e-mailed Mr. Trippi “mental hugs” and accepted the leadership change.

“Say it ain’t so, Joe!” wrote another. “We’ll miss you, but we still have your back.” If Mr. Dean completely opts out of states with Feb. 3 primaries, he is expected to lose badly in South Carolina and Missouri.

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