Tomorrow, New Hampshire Democrats will select the final delegates to send to the presidential nominating convention in Boston.
Delegates for John Kerry, the winner of the state's primary, will predominate. But supporters of Howard Dean will also have a presence.
The question of how much of a presence has split the Dean camp.
Some of those who worked hardest for Dean say he has used a political maneuver that breaks faith with the open process he championed on the stump.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports.
Bill Stetson expected to have a shot at going to the Democratic Convention as a Dean delegate.
Even though Howard Dean lost the New Hampshire primary, he garnered enough support to send a handful of delegates to Boston.
Stetson thought he would have a chance to be selected by a popular vote at a meeting tomorrow.
But about a week ago, Stetson and 24 other people, received an email.
It politely thanked them for their interest and support, but told them, the Dean campaign had handpicked six people.
The move left Stetson scratching his head, why of all the campaigns, the Dean campaign would make such a top down decision.
3:36 for a campaign that ran with the idea that they were grassroots, and anybody could do anything, this was a slap in the face.
Dean supporters say the move generated a heated exchange of emails.
According to the 41-page Delegation Selection Plan handbook, a candidate has the right to send the delegates he wants in this part of the process.
One Dean Delegate who was selected in a popular vote in January- and will be going to the convention- says many Deaniacs are unhappy.
Bill Siroti is worried about the long-term impact of the move.
6:09 b/c this was the D. campaign, a people run campaign, and a lot of these people were new to the system. This is going to give them the wrong message. This is going to tell them, even though you think you have a say, you don't have a say. And I wonder how many will drop out of the system again.
For the most part, former staffers and campaign insiders make up Dean's slate.
On Saturday, 14 people will elect the remaining delegates.
8 will be for Kerry, 6 will back Dean.
The Dean camp was concerned people who best represented the former Vermont Governor wouldn't be picked by Kerry people.
Dean's Authorized Representative in this matter, Debbie Butler, is also one of the six candidates.
She says it doesn't make sense to let the Kerry people select Dean delegates.
3:07 in the second round the rules are set up so the little guy can watch out for himself, and he did. And I think that is pretty consistent with Dean, letting the little guy make his own decision rather than letting the majority choose for you.
Butler says hundreds of volunteers are needed for the summer convention.
Given the proximity to Boston, she says Dean will work hard to bring along New Hampshire supporters.
Whether any of those disgruntled activists believe that, or care may be an open question.
For NHPR News, I'm DG.
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