I have to admit that I resisted Howard Dean for as long as I could in 2003. Something about his campaign reminded me of my first political love, George McGovern's quest for the Presidency in 1972. After all those years, here once again was a candidate I could support wholeheartedly, believing that small people trying to do good could somehow prevail over Big Bucks and Big Politics and Big Influence... and to have my heart torn out and stomped all over when reality finally won out over dreams.

But the year went on. I was watching Dean's speeches on CSPAN, checking out various candidates' websites, and I realized that Howard Dean really DID speak for me. So I finally took the plunge. Came out of my shell and started going to Dean Meetups. Wrote letters to primary voters I didn't know in other states about why it was so important they consider Howard Dean. Donated til it hurt. And actually dared to believe that our best days could still lie ahead of us, that something decent and good could yet be achieved through politics.

Then of course Reality came along, ripped my heart out and stomped that sucker flat.

But that was not the end of the story. I was not alone. Along the way I had met other people who were a lot like me, people who had been attracted to this movement and still saw the need to change things. Many of us stuck together, and now we're a few years down the road, learning from our mistakes along the way, finally starting to have some successes. And the unexplored road stretches out before us.

So, what has Howard Dean accomplished? Did he change the country? Yes, I think, a little. Did he change the Democratic Party? Obviously. But I think his biggest achievement is he inspired a lot of people to change themselves.