As a fervent, loyal and active Dean supporter, I am actually excited by the turn of events in the Dean campaign. First of all, we need to recognize that 18 straight losses spell it out in plain english; Dean would have a very difficult time beating Bush even if some miracle swept him into the nomination at this point. His time as a candidate is done, that much is certain. But the direction he has chosen to shift this campaign, which was always more about US and our ability to change our government for the better, brings me more hope and excitement than his bid for the White House ever did.
Democrats must win back congress to be effective and to shape the national debate for the better. By not dropping from the race, and instead re-engineering Dean For America (I hear Joe Trippi will be involved in this new effort as well) to be a grass roots machine with money, a captive audience and a motivated following, Dean is doing the absolute smartest and most respectable thing he could have. It is, to be sure, nothing less than the most admirable and courageous thing to happen in this primary season. He is proving that if you mean what you say, you will stick out the tough times and find new ways to get your message out.
So, my fellow Deaniacs (and others, of course) let's not get all doom-N-gloom, it's time to get real and focus on the big picture. Dean's political power has just increased ten-fold because he no longer needs to worry about front-runner status, 'electability' talk, and the 'I Have A Scream' can finally die a quiet death.
We are in a prime position to use the machine we all spent so much time and effort building to further our goals, many of which extend well beyond the scope of electing one man to higher office. For this, I am thankful that Dean had such foresight and has shown his comittment to real change in America by not disappearing simply because his bid for the presidency didn't pan out. Dean is the real deal, he walks the walk, and this proves it.
I'm satisfied with the outcome, and I am ready to move forward!