Howard Dean Says VOTE

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So many of us have been Howard Empowered since 2003, and today is when the profound benefits of his grassroots and netroots party building and 50-state strategy will -- if all goes well -- result in Democratic victories all around the nation, up and down ticket. The Obama campaign amplified, expanded and perfected many of the tools and tactics that emerged during the Dean campaign for president. As a result, a relative handful of activists has turned into a tsunami, thousands of small online donations turned into milliions and a minuscule blogosphere turned into a massive national phenomenon.

The netroots helped Dean get elected as DNC Chair. And there are now numerous former Deaniacs active in the Dem Party structure, chairing precincts and wards, serving on state and county central committees, representing progresssives on rules and platform committes and volunteering all over the nation. Dean supporters and staffers populate numerous campaign offices and many have run for office themselves. A ton of folks who got their political legs in the Dean campaign were elected as delegates to the Dem Convention in Denver in August, and Dean made sure that more bloggers than ever before were granted press credentials to cover the event -- including me.

Dean for America morphed into Democracy for America, and many of the Meetups that originated in 2003 continue today -- including the DFA-DFNM Meetup here in Albuquerque.

It's been a long, strange trip alright, an intense but rewarding roller coaster ride through the modern political landscape. When (alright, if) we win today it will be a dream come true for many, a reward for years of hard work and dedication. But it will also mean the start of another round of activism to keep our elected officials accountable, our government transparently righteous and much needed progressive policies on the front burner. It will require the recruitment and empowerment of even more grassroots and netroots activists. After a well deserved break, the work of democracy will begin again. We have made real progress in our quest to Take Our Country Back, but we've really only just begun. Are you ready?