CA-50: Dean comes to visit / Wherein I die and go to heaven

by CarlsbadDem [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]


Wow! I get to play fangirl and get little taste of what it must be like to live in Iowa or New Hampshire today, as Howard Dean himself pays a visit to CA-50 to check up on things. A small group of volunteers was gathered at Nick Leibham's newly-opened campaign headquarters office in Encinitas. (Leibham is on the left, and of course Dean is on the right)

Apparently Dean was expecting an intimate meeting with just a few campaign staff, but indulged us with some photos, handshaking, and an impomptu speech. He talked about the successes--past, present and future--of the 50-state strategy, including the amazing gains that have been made in CA-50 and San Diego county generally. Dean is clearly very excited about--and invested in--turning this seat Blue. This race has been labeled a national top-40 race to watch by the DNC.  
He said he wouldn't do an official Q&A in that setting, but that he would stay around and answer individual questions. Then he basically gathered everyone EXCEPT the one reporter that was there around him and talked freely for some time. He was asked about the super/FL/MI-delegate situation and he urged calm, saying that he felt we would have a nominee before those things became an issue. He also said that he didn't think rules could/should be changed after everyone had agreed to them--this includes MI/FL and the superdelegates. (Random other primary-related note: prior to Super Tuesday, Leibham endorsed Obama, especially interesting because previous CA-50 candidate and easily most high-profile Dem in CA-50 Francine Busby had long ago very loudly endorsed Clinton.)

Since there is currently no other Dem on the ballot for a primary, Dean said he could pose in front of this sign (but went to great pains to explain that if the expected token--my word--primary candidate materializes, he isn't allowed to endorse):

Leibham enjoying Dean's impromptu pep talk:

The happy crowd:

The race is on!