Ryan Lizza's TNR article on how Howard Dean took over the Democratic Party is absolutely fascinating.

I didn't get a chance to vote for Dean in the primaries (I voted for someone other than John Kerry; let's leave it at that) because he had already dropped out. Before that, though, I donated very modestly to his campaign and actually went to a couple of Dean Meetups, which were underwhelming.

It's not like the Dems can get much worse. Let's be honest. Though I place most of the blame for Kerry's defeat on the media, he and his coterie of loser consultants simply couldn't nail a very vulnerable President. The state of today's media made it an uphill battle, but it certainly wasn't impossible.

And I don't believe Dean is all that liberal, cuz, um, he's not. If he had been even slightly more "moderate," I don't think I could have supported him. But his not-a-politican frankness seemed awfully refreshing. Dean has talked about making the Dems the party of reform. I think he'll do well.