Insiders Turning To Dean

Daily Kos has been surprised this week: Now, we're seeing most of the outright opposition to Dean evaporate, and this week proved the turning point. The latest NH, IA, and MA polls. The $50K for the Florida Democratic Party. The realization of what the SEIU and AFSCME endorsements meant, the realization that it would take a miracle to overtake Dean given his current advantages in support, money, and most important (and most often overlooked) -- his ground organization. Clark, the only guy left with a chance to catch Dean, trails in all three with just over a month left before the first ballots get cast. Had he entered the race a mere two or three months earlier... but that's academic. Clark entered when he entered.

Now we are seeing more articles like this one:

In New York, the slate of potential national convention delegates being offered up by Dean for the state's March 2 presidential primary reflect the changing dynamic. Candidates in New York traditionally try to pepper their slates with well-known names to attract voters. Dean's reads like a Who's Who of New York politics.

I have seen it myself.

Having talked to several "establishment" types this week, it was startling to see how the conversation had moved on from who the nominee would be, and the possible repercussions of a Dean victory, to ways they could tap into Dean's money and supporters. The $60K (or whatever) for Rep. Boswell was key. It was then they realized that Dean would share the spoils, and nothing talks like money in DC. None of the other candidates can compete.

(Little known secret -- just about every Democratic candidate is trying to find graceful ways to crash the next Dean Meetup seeking support.)