If Dean Doesn't Win New Hampshire or South Carolina....

[THUNDER HANDS]

What happens to all the extra money he has laying around from his campaign? Does it get returned, or put into a general fund, or get transferred to the eventual nominee?

Anyone know what happens to the extra campaign funds a dropped-out candidate has?

[Insurance_Analyst]

1. I could use a few extra bucks!!! ha ha ha

[mikehiggins]

2. The candidate keeps it

he can use it to pay off all campaign debts, to finance his own future contests and to help other candidates with theirs.

I do not expect Dean to drop out as long as there is no clear winner in the contest, and I don't expect his supporters to abandon him anytime this side of never.

Clark and Dean will be slugging it out on the convention floor, most likely, and that'll be cool.

[THUNDER HANDS]

3. Dean will drop out eventually

If he fails to win at least one of the first six or seven states.

[drfemoe]

9. the sooner the better

I want him to go home to VT. No one will get his money unless he chooses to donate to the Democratic nominees. It is non-transferable. His supporters gave it to HIM, not the Party.

[ChrisNYC]

18. Not True

Dean can give it to the DNC, or he can keep it, or he can return it to the contributors from which it came. He cannot give it to the other canidates in amounts larger than 2K, but I suspect he could give it to an organization like Move On, which would be an interesting move. There was an article on Slate about this one day this week.

[Cuban_Liberal]

4. I don't see Dr. Dean 'throwing in the towel' before March 2nd.

He may not have any money left after that, but ya never know. He just doesn't strike me as the sort who's going to drop out. I predict him taking his campaign all the way to Boston.

[THUNDER HANDS]

5. and if he does that

He'll be a pariah because he'll be dragging out the nomination process and forcing the eventual nominee to spend tons of cash in every state.

If ANY candidate who's not pulling in first or second in nearly every state doesn't drop out then they're just being selfish and not putting the party and the country first.

[Cuban_Liberal]

7. The assumption being that...

... he's not pulling in 1st or 2nd, of course. I'm not ready to count him out just yet, as I've said elsewhere on the board. I don't think he's 'dead' by a long shot. :)

[drfemoe]

11. See above **

If I had my way he would pack his suitcase today and head back to VT. But he's not going to leave his NH supporters like that. So, the sooner he resigns from his backbone implant position, the better, as far as I'm concerned.

[lastknowngood]

12. I assume you would call any

person not the front runner by then the same even if it's your guy.

[THUNDER HANDS]

14. absolutely

I love Kerry and I have for a long time. But if he didn't win Iowa and he doesn't win NH or SC, then he would be in trouble and I'd urge him to bow out after Super Tuesday.

In fact, unless it becomes a neck-and-neck horserace, I'd urge ANY candidate to drop out after Super Tuesday.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

13. as much as Kerry might wish, the isn't a coronation

"If ANY candidate who's not pulling in first or second in nearly every state doesn't drop out then they're just being selfish and not putting the party and the country first."

That's the most anti-democratic statement I've read on DU in a while.

[THUNDER HANDS]

15. I'm not being democratic, I'm being realistic

We need to hoard all the money we can and get our ship in order as quickly as possible.

A long, drawn-out, anguishing primary is NOT what we need now. We need to be strong, unified and forward-looking. And that has to happen as soon as possible.

No matter whom the nominee is. Kerry, Dean, Clark, Edwards, Lieberman.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

17. than join the "Realistic" party

This is the DEMOCRATIC party, we have elections, perhaps you are misinformed.

[THUNDER HANDS]

19. yes and if

Dean finishes second, third or fourth in every state he runs in, that's a signal from DEMOCRACY to DEAN that it's time to bow out.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

21. If Dean wins delegates, he should go to the convention

This is not a coronation, nor is this election to be decided by polls numbers - it's votes. Dean will get votes, which means he gets delegates, which go to the convention to decide the winner.

If you don't like Democracy, there are other non democratic parties.

[THUNDER HANDS]

22. of course he'll get delegates

But he won't get enough to win. Is the point of this to WIN the nomination or just make Dean supporters feel good?

[KC21304]

24. Kerry knew all along this is not a coronation, but I think

a lot of Dean supporters first found this out on Jan 19th.

[ChrisNYC]

20. Great

I hope you enjoying the reality of 4 more years of Shrub which is what your ideas would get us.

[Renew Deal]

6. Dean supporters get a tax cut.

OK, maybe not. It probably stays in a fund. I think there is a limit how much he can transfer. But there was also a rumor the other Day that he's broke. The NYT said he is throwing eveything into NH. He also put too much into IA. Who knows

[THUNDER HANDS]

10. I thought he was spending rather lavishly

But Dean HAS to win New Hampshire. Coming in second won't cut it. If he can't win New Hampshire there's absolutely no way he'll win South Carolina.

[patricia92243]

8. Moot question- Dean will win and money will then go into his next win

against Bush

[brainshrub]

16. Me and about a dozen activists are in SC canvasing

right now.

Dean will will b/c of this kind of grassroots organization.

Dean will win in SC!

Sorry is this post is choppy...I'm at Dean HQ in Greenville, SC. There are abou 2 dozen of us getting read to brave the cold and take our country back!

[blm]

23. People can get money back if they ask for it.

He may hang on to the rest to see how 2004 shakes out.

[tryanhas]

25. Dean winning SC???

Now that's funny