The gaffe-prone Dean's bluntness and lack of foreign policy experience have led critics to question his readiness for the White House and whether he can beat President George W. Bush in post-September 11 America.
Dean's dismal third place in Iowa behind Kerry and Senator John Edwards on January 19 and his televised outburst posed a serious problem for his campaign coming into New Hampshire, reinforcing his image as a candidate who does not have the temperament to be President.
Facing the issue head on, the normally confident and buttoned-up physician-turned-politician admitted to fallibility and an occasional excess of emotion, cracked self-deprecating jokes and softened his image by lowering the decibel-level of his delivery and swapping raucous rallies for more sedate town hall meetings.
"It's been a tough campaign," Dean said yesterday, before serving coffee outside polling places in Manchester and Concord.
"A lot of things have been said. All I know is that I believe the country needs real change."
Dean's wife, Judy, a doctor who practises in Vermont and had never given a television interview until last Friday, sat down for four back-to-back sessions with local and national networks over the weekend.
Dean spent about US$1.5 million ($2.2 million) on advertising in New Hampshire in the past eight days, but aides said he had raised almost US$600,000 in that same period. He has strong grassroots organisations in the seven states that hold primaries next Wednesday (NZ time).
Unlike most of his opponents who are heading south or west, Dean was driving home to Burlington, where he will spend almost four hours doing interviews with television stations in 12 states. He will fly to South Carolina tomorrow for a debate and is expected to campaign in Missouri on Saturday.
Dean expressed regret for his "I have a scream" speech, which has been mercilessly lampooned by comedians and political commentators alike. Re-mixed rap versions have become an internet music hit. He admitted he had made the wrong move, but insisted the speech had been misunderstood.
"Most people just look at the speech and say 'Okay, it was a passionate speech'," he told CNN television.
"Was it presidential? Of course it was not presidential. Would I do it differently if I had the chance? Yes, I would."
Dean blamed the incessant showing of his performance on television for damaging his campaign.
"You all [the media] played that 673 times in one week. It even beat out Michael Jackson, which I was surprised about," Dean said.
"But I'm a very different political candidate than most people. I really basically don't care what the media have to say.
"I think that you guys are in the entertainment business."
In the speech, Dean rolled up his shirt sleeves and with red-faced indignation, rattled off the states where he was going to carry on the fight. Then he gave a scream that stunned the nation.
Transcripts say Dean shouted the word "Yes!" Most people heard something like "Yeeeeeeearrrrrrgggghhhhh!"
Dean said the speech was "designed to rally 3500 kids waving American flags who had come out and worked their hearts out with me for three weeks in Iowa".
"We finished third. It was a disappointment. I thought I would give them a pep talk. What I didn't bank on was you all not showing the audience, and it made it look ridiculous. But that's the way it goes."
Back on the campaign trail, Dean has alleged that unnamed enemies were waging a "dirty tricks" campaign to scare away voters in the crucial New Hampshire primary.
He has released copies of misleading emails, faxes and phone messages forwarded to voters, claiming to be coming from the Dean campaign.
"I don't know where they're coming from. I think the campaigns that are doing it ought to stop," he said yesterday.
Anonymous calls also questioned his Christianity, noting that his wife and children are Jewish.
Dean's campaign manager, Karen Hicks, said people alleging to be Dean supporters had called voters "screaming into the phone, telling them the wrong polling location".
Senior Kerry aide Ted Devine brushed aside as "ridiculous" suggestions that someone in their camp might be responsible.
HOWARD DEAN
Age: 55
Education: Yale University - BA; Albert Einstein College of Medicine - medical degree.
Family: Married to Dr Judy Steinberg Dean, one son and one daughter.
Experience: Practised medicine in Vermont before being elected Lieutenant-Governor, 1986-1991; and then Governor 1991. Was re-elected in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000. One of the first candidates to announce he was running and has since used the internet to raise funds - with great success.
DEAN ON THE KEY ISSUES
* Bush tax cuts: Would repeal last year's tax cuts.
* Health cuts: Proposes US$88.3 billion plan to provide health insurance for every American.
* War against Iraq: Opposed.
* Same-sex marriage: Decision should be left to each state. Signed a civil union bill as Governor of Vermont.
- REUTERS
Reuters video:
Howard Dean's 'Iowa screech'
Herald Feature: US Election
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