First off, we don't give up. We fight them on the beaches, we fight them in the cities, we... write letters to Washington and Wisconsin.
If Dean wins, we work our butts off to get him elected, drink the heady wine of victory, and dance the dance of naah, naah, naah over the graves off all those that declared our man unelectable. If Dean doesn't win...
we work harder.
If Dean fails to win this election -- and that's not a position I'm ready to concede -- we have to do everything we can to keep the organization that Howard, Joe, and all the rest of us have built. We have to turn that organization into something that can reform the Democratic Party from the inside -- a force to counter the DLC. A force to fight the general static, insider nature of politics. A force for genuine reform.
If Dean wins, I've no doubt he'll clean house in the party structure. If Dean doesn't win, we still clean house. It just takes a little longer.
We'll do that by working hard for the nominee. And not just the presidential nominee, but Democrats up and down the ticket. We'll make ourselves invaluable to the party. We'll be the new wave of activists, knocking down the old machine and rebuilding it in our image. We'll be picking up positions in the party structure at every level. We'll be the power that the next round of nominees is afraid to offend.
In eight years, maybe less, the party will be the party that we want. Honest. Tough. Willing to stand up for itself against Republican attacks. And if you're not willing to wait that long... work harder.