http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/nation/7886693.htmFleeing Michigan a day ahead of schedule, Dean said that his e-mail missive, which said he would get out of the race if he did not win Wisconsin's Feb. 17 primary, was a "brilliant ploy" and one that he stood behind.
Early yesterday, he e-mailed 600,000 supporters: "We must win Wisconsin... . All that you have worked for these past months is on the line on a single day, in a single state. We have come so far to change our political process and restore our democracy - we can't stop now."
But speaking in Milwaukee, Dean declined to say he would definitely quit if he lost in Wisconsin, muddying the do-or-die message, which told supporters they needed to raise at least $700,000 by Sunday for him to continue.
"I'm avoiding answering the question by saying I'm going to win," the former Vermont governor said at a hastily called news conference at an airport hotel.