This is amazing. "People-Powered" Howard Dean has raised seven million dollars this quarter. His blog turned into a telethon (blogathon?) yesterday, and reading it is like reading an exciting new page in history (note the first audblog by a Presidential candidate). Of the $3.8M raised in the past 9 days, $3M was raised online. John McCain won New Hampshire and only raised $2M in the following days. And he won New Hampshire. This is one candidate among nine, seven months before the first primary--and he's raised Seven Million Dollars, mostly from actual folks (including me), not corporations or fatcats at dinners.

There really aren't words for this. It's incredible. Could it be that the hope a lot of us have that the Internet will truly empower the people is...realistic?

This is potentially good in so many ways. Good for Democrats. Good for the country. Good for blogs (his blog was the fundraiser). Good for the political system.

It's not good for Dennis Kucinich, which is a bummer. But there's still a lot of good in it. First Gay Independence Day, now this. Nice month, June.

L.A. Times, Dean's Momentum Stirs Opponents' Fears:

But as of Monday night, only Dean's campaign was releasing fund-raising figures. Few expected such a strong showing, in part because many of the donations came in a rush. His campaign said it collected more than half of the receipts for the quarter in the last nine days — about $800,000 on Monday alone.

No longer an insurgent, Dean now is seen by most analysts as among the front-runners for the party's nomination. And that is something few would have imagined just a few months ago.

Oliver Willis, Triumph of The Deananites:

If the choice in 2004 is between a President who caters to K Street while ignoring Main Street, and a governor whose position really reflects the will of the masses - I would put my money on the Doctor from Vermont. You can't just sit back and enjoy this, you have to stand up and participate in this thing that makes America what it is: democracy in its purest form.

Adina Levin, Dean Pioneers Net Campaign:

Teddy Roosevelt was the first national candidate to master the use of newspapers. Mass circulation papers were new at the time.

Kennedy was the first national candidate to thrive on television.

Howard Dean is the first national candidate to build his candidacy using the internet, as cited by the Washington Post.

The party mainstream doesn't get the point yet.