The bit on Bai's little hack job in the NYT led me to post this. I think it's what everyone in the Dean camp should consider as the mantra from now on.
"Dont get mad, get even"
Okay, so Bai wrote a hack job. And if everyone bags out in disgust, he wins. So made him look stupid...be effective. If, like me, you can't hold your nose for Kerry, use your energy on Congressional and local races. Stay hooked in.
Sick of Terry Mac and how the DNC operated? Great, go make a visit to your local party and get yourself into a position there. Run for your State Committee. Then when Terry Mac (or whatever Kerry crony is placed in there...god help us, watch him put in Toricelli) calls up for a local favor, he gets to deal with you and others like you. You just got even. Change the party rules from the inside.
Rather annoyed with the Media Whores and their game? Get involved in Congressional Races, and make damn sure that Media Consiolidation is on the agenda. Get even.
Feel like smacking Al From's smug face? Don't just seethe. Work with other groups to overshadow the DLC within the party. Sign on to the successor to DFA, and make it a force to be reckoned with (especially if you do some of the other options I've mentioned). Get even.
Don't like your candidate choices for an upcoming election? Run yourself. You know that at least you stand for what you believe.
Get even by proving them wrong. The best revenge isn't tearing your opponents down, but by achieving far greater things than they ever could.
Everyone loved Dean's statements that "he couldn't fix everything", and "you have the power". Well, power comes with responsibility and effort required. It was easy to forget that when Dean was leading the charge, and he was stuck with most of it. Now it's time for every one of us to take on that responsibility for ourselves, and do what we can.
To do anything less is to prove people like Baui, From, Kerry, Toricelli, etc... right.