Well, it looks like Howard Dean is out of the race. Not surprising. I'm a bit surprised that Edwards is still considered viable, after winning only one state, but I think that's because I don't fully understand the process. Edwards still has lots of delegates, and there are some big states still to come, some in "his backyard". notably Florida and Texas.
My sincere hope is that all of the admirably dedicated followers of Dean don't give up. I have a bad feeling that many of the more activist types who have been supporting and working for him will now go back home. I'm sure they'll vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is, I'm not worried about that, but I'm afraid they won't put as much effort into the campaign.
That would be a shame, and I think a big mistake. I understand that Dean embodied a lot of people's hopes for the future of the country, and he came to stand for progressive change, but we should be careful not to lose sight of the immediate goal: To get George Bush out of office. Whether you think the eventual nominee is the best choice or not, we have to keep our eyes on the prize.
Dean has had a huge impact and it's a great thing. He showed the other candidates that they could really go after Bush, even that they had to. He showed them that manhy people in this country were just waiting for someone to stand up to the thugs currently running the country. Dean's supporters shouldn't feel bad that people like Kerry and Edwards are now echoing many of Dean's positions; they should be proud. And they should take the energy they applied to Dean's campaign and apply it, and more, to the campaign of the nominee.
I personally haven't done very much, except blather on and on in this blog, but I intend to. I never had a clear favorite for the nomination (and I still don't), so I wasn't comfortable directly supporting any one candidate. Once it becomes clear who the nominee is, however, I will give him my full support and try to find ways in which I can help. Obviously I have the time.
