Howard Brings out Judy and crowd

Speaking at a town hall meeting Sunday, former Gov. Howard Dean did not look like a candidate who spent the week before the New Hampshire primary trying to arrest slipping poll numbers.

An enthusiastic crowd packed the Plymouth State University gymnasium, frequently interrupting Dean’s stump speech with applause and cheers.

The 1,000 or so member audience also reacted warmly to Dean’s wife, Dr. Judy Steinberg Dean.

Introducing her husband, Judy told the crowd she came to the event to support Dean and thank his supporters for all their hard work.

A voice yelled from the bleachers, “And you too, Judy,” prompting a standing ovation for the Dean campaign’s newest voice and a chant from the crowd of “Judy, Judy, Judy.”

With only two days left until the primary and Dean struggling to regain the leader’s position from U.S. Sen. John Kerry, the Dean campaign brought along some notable supporters from Kerry’s home state. Tracking polls on Sunday suggested Dean was anywhere between 6 to 20 points behind Kerry.