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The worst part of losing, was losing to Kerry fair and square.
As a consolation prize I was allowed to sneak into the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I watched a tall skinny black senate candidate give an impressive speech. I clapped tepidly[1] as Kerry reported for duty. I thought about how little I really know about politics.

The Dean Campaign changed the business model of political fundraising. Presidential campaigns used to raise money…
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“CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll shows Dean widening his front-runner status among the eight other Democratic candidates.”
- CNN, December 10, 2003

Kerry wins Iowa; Howard Dean, an early favorite in the polls, was left in third place
- CNN, 40 days later

I watched the returns come in on CNN in the Dean campaign HQ. After two struggling years in the University of Illinois Computer Science Department, dropping out to join the campaign was the first stroke of luck in my…