brilliant ploy indeed

The New Republic has an editorial that was probably authored more by Jon Chait than Ryan Lizza, arguing that Dean is "blaming" his supporters for the decision to carry on after Wisconsin:

Dean insisted he simply meant "strategy"; the American Heritage dictionary defines "ploy" as "[a]n action calculated to ... gain an advantage indirectly or deviously."

And the dictionary definition is exactly what Dean revealed his do-or-die statement to be this week when he announced that he'd stay in the race no matter what--Wisconsin be damned. Worse, to justify his decision, Dean invoked the same followers he'd just tricked. Much as he used his supporters as cover when he opted out of the campaign finance system last fall--pointing to their ratification of the decision in an online referendum after he told them it "may be the only way to win this election"--Dean said he would stay in the race out of deference to them. "[H]ow am I going to resist all the people who are tugging at my sleeve ... saying, 'Don't quit'?" he asked.

Of course, Dean is ignoring all the people who want him out of the race--like the Democratic voters in 14 states who have yet to produce one victory for Dean; or the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which this week withdrew its endorsement of his candidacy; or even some of the Dean bloggers, who are asking why their man is going back on his word. "I gave additional money to the campaign on the assumption that [Wisconsin] was the last great stand. All or nothing," one posted on the Dean for America blog. "What's going on?" The answer is all too clear.

Since the editorial is so pedantic about the definition of "ploy", let's return the favor by examining the definition of "blame" :

These nouns denote a sense of responsibility for an offense. Blame stresses censure or punishment for a lapse or misdeed for which one is held accountable

Dean is not blaming the supporters. He is bending to their will. There has been a massive investment in time and money by the grassroots in the remaining 35+ states that have not yet voted, and though the media punditocracy thinks that it's over, actual democracy demands all the votes be counted. I'm not as confident as I was in Dean's chances of winning the Presidency, but I am 100% confident that Dean's presence in the race is partly why Kerry is saying the right things on the trail that are doing real damage to Bush. The continuation of teh Democratic primary is essential because it keeps pressure on the incumbent Administration, whose panic is palpable in their flailing about with marriage amendments and missions to mars. That real pressure generated by an active opposition primary is why Bush is scrambling to visit primary states such as South Carolina and New Hampshire to try and soak up some of the media glare, and why the press corp is galvanized enough to actually ask hard questions of the self-styled war leader about his own service record's continuing inconsistencies.

If the editors are correct, then the voters in 35 states are disenfranchised. Dean must continue on - and win enough delegates to hold Kerry to his rhetoric. It's about shaping the debate, and while we may prefer that Dean gets the top prize, actual change is no small consolation.