Outsider Dean fires up left

To many, Dean's appeal has less to do with his positions than with his bluntness, and a willingness to challenge the administration. Even the enthusiasm he has sparked among many Democrats over the war can be interpreted as "less about the substance of the issue, and more that he was willing to be a contrarian,'" says Jeff Link, an aide to Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who's hosting forums in the first caucus state.

Still, Dean's outspokenness has occasionally gotten him into trouble: On several occasions he has had to recant charges he's made against his opponents. And some of the same unpolished characteristics that drive Dean's appeal on the stump fall flat in more formal settings.

Rival campaigns acknowledge that Dean has tapped into a surprisingly strong vein of liberal rage, not only at President Bush's policies, but at Democrats' perceived timidity. But while this has given Dean short-term momentum, many see it as doomed to failure. "There's a lot of fury in [Dean's] presentation," says Jim Margolis, an adviser to Sen. John Kerry. "That can ... energize the base vote. I don't think it's a very good long-term strategy."

Recent polls show Dean has worked his way into contention in both Iowa and New Hampshire; the question is whether he'd be able to capitalize on strong performances in those states to pull off wins in the wave of primaries that follow. For most insurgents, a lack of money makes it almost impossible to compete at that point, since candidates need to campaign in multiple states at once - typically, by advertising.

But this is where Dean's campaign is pinning its hopes on the Internet. Already, a service called meetup.com has connected thousands of supporters who "meet up" the first Wednesday of every month in locations across the country. If Dean's online network grows, it could form a grass-roots army of volunteers to knock on doors and hand out leaflets.

"They're ... playing this two steps ahead," says Michael Cornfield of the George Washington Institute for Politics, Democracy, and the Internet. "Where the Internet is going to come in handy is not in Iowa or New Hampshire, where you have to be in people's living rooms to get their vote, but immediately thereafter."

It could also prove key financially. Dean has raised more than $1 million online, more than any other candidate has reported. If he wins more than half the votes in Tuesday's online primary by the liberal group MoveOn, he'll gain the endorsement of its 1.4 million members, which analysts estimate could be worth at least $7 million more.

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