The American Prospect has an excellent article looking at just why Howard Dean’s campaign is so successful:
When the history of this past week in the Democratic primaries is written, the relative impact of MoveOn.org, Meetup.com and “smartmobbing” technology on Dean’s ability to raise such an unexpected sum will all feature prominently.
But reading the threads on the message boards at BlogforAmerica.com — the official Web log of the Dean campaign, where donors discuss their reasons for giving and for backing Dean — it quickly becomes obvious that the single most important factor in Dean’s stunning fundraising numbers is the most old-fashioned weapon in any campaign’s arsenal: message.
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On Dean’s blog , the message-board threads have acted as constant, ongoing, real-time focus groups for everything the governor says and does. The campaign takes it all in. Plenty of ideas adopted by the campaign start out on the threads of the Dean blogs, say Dean campaign aides, and the Dean for America Internet team is constantly updating and modifying the site in response to the posts. To follow the blog is to watch the campaign unfold in real time with a startling level of intimacy and transparency; it is to enter a freewheeling, unending conversation where thousands and thousands of Dean’s supporters chew over every aspect of his campaign and strategy, message and image, policies and past record.
In this world, whatever the mainstream press is saying about Dean’s role as the campaign’s angry candidate is rejected. His supporters say that they are drawn to him because they find his message inspiring, upbeat, honest and forward-looking — and because it makes them feel strong again.
A quick summary of the main themes Dean’s supporters returned to again and again during yesterday’s “Deanathon” online fundraising drive shows that they believe his message is more about patriotism and hope than it is about disaffection or rage. Admittedly these comments all come from true believers. But when was the last time any Democratic candidate generated true belief?
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Most of all, these people seemed to be supporting Dean because other people they know and trust are supporting Dean. The Internet campaign magnifies the voices of friends and relatives above the voices of the famous or the powerful.
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Today Howard Dean has demonstrated to his doubters — and they are legion — that he is not just the angriest man in the race. To his supporters, he is also the most optimistic Democratic candidate running. And after raising more than \$7.5 million from them in the last quarter, he has a right to be.
(via mathew Gross)