(2004-02-04) — After punishing primary losses in seven states last night, presidential candidate Howard Dean said his strategy to capture the Democrat nomination, then the White House, doesn’t depend on winning primaries or the November election.
“We all know you can become president without winning the popular vote,” Mr. Dean told a crowd of supporters in Washington state. “I’m the only Democrat still in the race who has a plan to lose every primary battle yet win the delegate count and become the nominee. Then, in November, I’m going to beat George W. Bush at his own game. I’ll lose the popular vote, then win the presidency in the Electoral College and the courts.”
Mr. Dean said he wouldn’t make the mistake that Al Gore did in the 2000 election by “pandering to the masses.”
“Our campaign is not about what’s popular,” he said. “Frankly, not everyone is smart enough to vote for Howard Dean. We’re looking for a few loyal voters who will stick with a losing team throughout the season until it wins the Super Bowl.”
