Missteps Pulled a Surging Dean Back to Earth

"You could argue that it was a mistake for us to spend in the summer, in the fall, and in nine states rather than just one or two, but our position is that we had to spend the money to generate the momentum, to get the endorsements that we got," said a senior campaign official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We believed that if we won Iowa and New Hampshire, we would be the nominee by Feb. 3. Look what's happening to John Kerry. The strategy wasn't wrong; it just didn't work for us."

"I was there when we first started. I have a different perspective on where we were and how far we've come. He's had an impact on this country. We're not giving up."