Former Gov. Howard Dean is returning to Madison, where he will meet with supporters at Club Majestic, 115 King St., Wednesday night. After disappointing losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, Dean will rally his supporters in preparation for the Wisconsin primary Feb. 17.
This primary will be more important for him after Sen. John Kerry's victories in Tuesday's primaries.
The meeting is not organized by the campaign staff, but through the grassroots movement employing Web sites.
Dean's campaign spokesperson Mike Spahn describes these events as a chance for people to speak with others in their area about the presidential hopeful and how to build support for him. The \meet-ups"" are a national program, and Wisconsin had 37 such gatherings for Dean in January.
Wednesday's particular gathering was planned long before Dean decided to make an appearance.
""This was going to happen one way or another. It was not built just for him,"" Spahn said.
He added that Dean will be there to get his message out and to energize his supporters.
""[The Wisconsin primary] is going to be an immensely important primary to the Democratic nominating process. It will really be a showcase and a pivotal turning point,"" Spahn said.
UW-Madison junior Shira Roza, coordinator for Students for Dean, encouraged students to come.
""He's very inspiring and it's very important for students to see him in person,"" she said.
Those hoping to see Dean hit the dance floor Wednesday night at Club Majestic will probably be left disappointed. The building was not selected to showcase Dean's nimble feet.
""It's just a venue that's available, accessible and right for this type of setup,"" Spahn said.
