Dean's Chief Blends Tech Smarts, Strategy

[Khephra]

Dean's Chief Blends Tech Smarts, Strategy

Monday December 8, 2003 8:01 AM


By MIKE GLOVER

Associated Press Writer

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - As an operative who has rustled up voters from Texas to Maine in campaigns past, Joe Trippi knows it takes sweat to create opportunities in politics. This time, he saw opportunity staring him in the face from the soft glow of a computer screen.

Trippi's Internet savvy and penchant for old-fashioned political trench warfare have proved an effective combination in Howard Dean's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Dean's campaign manager has helped transform the little-known former Vermont governor into the party's leading contender, using computer-driven fund raising and unorthodox voter outreach as his hallmarks.

The Internet has been a fixture of sorts in two previous presidential campaigns. But admirers say it took Trippi to capitalize on its explosive potential to spread word of mouth at the speed of bytes.

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