I had an opportunity to chat with one of more progressive state legislators in North Dakota this week and asked him how the staff people funded by Dean's DNC 50 State Strategy was working out. He said they were working out very well and there was a lot of excitement in the party that's been missing for a while.
In particular he pointed to the party's policy meetings held in early February. In the late 90s he said those meetings often were hamstrung because not enough Dems showed up to make a quorum. This year almost every district sent their two delegates and many sent alternates as well. Given the moribund state of the state party for at least a decade, this qualifies as a near miracle. It is the first hopeful sign I have seen that North Dakota may return to its century of progressive traditions after wandering in the wilderness since 1992.