Political Note on Dean

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Howard Dean might win both Iowa and New Hampshire; Howard Dean is the only major candidate in the race who talks like both a governor AND a real person from outside Washington; Howard Dean is really using the Internet to fundraise and organize (It ain't just hype … .); Howard Dean connects regularly with Democratic audiences in a way that the others can do only sporadically; Howard Dean has a long record of policy thoughtfulness and a capacity to connect it to the real lives of real people that governors do best (and is, dare we say it, Clintonesque) ; and he evinces real anger at George Bush's polices.

The dirty little (not-so) secret of political strategists of both parties is how hard it is to get people interested in, and emotional about, politics. Howard Dean is doing that, and he is bringing new (and young) people into the process. In a crowded field, that is a good thing.

Will Saletan's, still picking pig out of his teeth from the Vilsack-Pederson picnic, makes these points … "Dean is far and away the most interesting player in the race. Not since Clinton have Democrats seen a talent like this … ." LINK

And Howard Dean doesn't have to raise $6 million this quarter to be considered to have Absolut Viability.

Dean now has a pretty big staff on the ground in key states (although our bet is that they are being paid less than the folks working for the other Big Six candidates … .), but Howard Dean is not a money candidate.

In the CNN/ USA Today /Gallup sample, Lieberman received 20 percent, Kerry, 17 percent, Gephardt, 14 percent.

In fourth place? Rev. Al Sharpton, with 7 percent. He beats Senator Edwards, with 6 percent, and Governor Dean, with 5 percent.