Well, Charley, I will have to admit that Dean has lost.

When Dean actually has lost. That may be as soon as February 17th, or he might whup Kerry's butt back to Boston (hey, a guy can dream!)

But you have to admit that our system is kind of a joke. Right now, about six percent of democrats nationally have voted for Kerry, and maybe one each for Dean, Clark and Edwards. With ninety percent of votes still to be cast, we are told over and over again in the media that Kerry cannot lose.

In my book, if we don't continue to fight, we will be letting the media pick the candidate. We might as well ask Sean Hannity to decide who the Democratic nominee is. Still, I grant that this media chatter and buzz is likely to work.

As for the party, it unwisely wants to get this overwith fast, so Kerry can squeak by with no scrutiny. I think this may well result in him getting hacked to pieces by Rove when the time comes. Still, the party puts pressure on endorsers, etc. I know the drill.

So what we end up with is a candidate who was really chosen by a tiny minority of Democrats, then rammed down the throats of the rest, up against a candidate who lost the popular vote but was rammed down the throat of the nation.

Sounds exciting; wake me and the rest of the party when it's time to vote unenthusiatically for Kerry.

It is a deeply corrupt system at this point, and needs to be changed.

In the final analysis, if my fighting for Dean helps Dean, that's great. If not, it will at least help Kerry sharpen up and develop some answers. Americans will be asking a lot of questions when they realize they have nominated someone they know nothing about. Kerry, as I said in another thread, is a smorgasbord of flaws, real and deep flaws far more significant than Dean's cosmetic problems. The right will attack him with ease and great success, and in all likelihood the left will field another Nader, if not Nader himself. Kerry will need to be on his toes, and we Dean people will keep him there.