All of which seemed an obscure concern until party officials read the news that the Dean campaign was mounting an extraordinary, Internet-based effort to flood the state with volunteers from across the country. The goal: at least 5,000, camped out in local homes and hotels. The aim, Dean organizers say, is a massive get-out-the-vote effort. Dean’s Iowa campaign director, Jeannie Murray, says that when she heard about the call from Burlington, she called Dean headquarters to complain–and to tell organizers to butt out. “You can’t control every call from a kid in Burlington,” she said with a sigh. “We would never think of doing something like importing people to vote,” she said. “That’s fraud.” Reluctant to single out Dean for a warning, party officials issued an “advisory” to all. Caucus participants will have to sign in, says Fischer, and will be warned in writing against making false statements. But since the caucuses are run by the party, not the state, Fischer says that there’s no legal penalty attached. The real deterrent isn’t legal but social. At most caucuses, voters have known each other–and their families–for generations.
