I just wanted to extend the astute analysis of Tom Schaller:
For all Dean's positive messages, healthcare, balancing budgets, pre-school education, his "angle" is a cold bucket of water into the face of the establishment.
Dean says that our international policy is wrong, and the 70% of Americans that supported the first stages of the War in Iraq would have to re-examine their decisions.
Dean says our government is broken, bought and sold by special interets groups, and 90% of citizens and journalists would have to re-examine why we have allowed our democracy to fall into such disrepair.
Dean says the Democratic Party was lifeless, and 99% of the democratic leadership (not Senator Byrd) would have to re-examine why they allowed Bush to go to war, to pass massive tax-cuts favoring the rich, and why the Democratic Party did not have a cohesive vision in the midterm elections of 2002.
People, especially journalists, politicians, and special interest groups, do not want to question their roles in the corrupting our country.
Dean will have the rabid support of the 20% of the poplation that took to the streets in anti-war demonstrations, that are addicted to news, and avid bloggers. For the rest of the population he is asking too much.
The messenger is getting shot, but perhaps his message can get through.