SquareState: When you were here in November, convention CEO Leah Daughtry promised that bloggers were going to be covering the convention in innovative and ground breaking new ways. Could you tell me a bit about how the convention is facilitating that, and what it is you feel that internet media brings that would not be available from other sources.

Governor Dean: We believe in something called a, "two way campaign," first of all. That is; trying to listen to people before we talk at them. The conventions in the past were staged events where we go to make grand speeches beamed out over mostly cable and some prime time. This time we are going to go get bloggers who represent the online community, one from each state, on the floor sitting with their delegation, so you will actually have more access than the average main stream media person because they don't get to stay on the floor the entire time; they can rotate through. Secondly, we want to tear down the walls between the Democratic National Convention and the online community and the people in general in the country. The way to do that is to seat people on the floor who are members of the online blogging community, and you'll get to give whatever reflections that you have about what your experience is, and people will presumably get in touch with you and post their own thoughts about what you are saying, so this is a terrific way for us to talk to the American people, and listen to them as well. There will be, and this is important, there are going to be opportunities for other bloggers that didn't get selected in this competetion, (and by the way, if anybody wants to see who is on the list they can go to DemConvention.com. At DemConvention.com the list of all the official bloggers for each state and territory will be posted) but for bloggers that want to cover the convention that didn't get to be chosen to be the official on-the-floor blogger, there are still the standard media-type credential that folks will get, and there will be a lot more blog sites represented than there were in 2004.

So, that is really what we are trying to do: open up the campaign and open up the convention, so that people can have their say and get a feeling what it is like to be a delegate nominating the next president of the United States.

SquareState: Let me read you something of a differing viewpoint on bloggers being just average folk. This was written in 2003 by Michael Wolff of New York Magazine, and he said this:

Indeed, anyone who is regularly in touch with people who respond instantly and passionately over the Internet knows they are not like you and me. This is the most worrisome point. Not that the Dean campaign is based around policies that are too liberal, but that it is based around people who are too engaged. Too happy to be involved. Too emotionally joined at the hip.

Too convinced of their own specialness-in turn imbuing the campaign itself with an exaggerated sense of uniqueness.

How do you see that critique now, through the lens of this last election cycle?

Governor Dean: I have to laugh at that critique coming from the New York Magazine. I think that guy was looking in the mirror when saying something about bloggers. Isn't that really what the mainstream media is all about? Look, bloggers are human beings, they are not perfect, but we need a little engagement. We need a little passion. Part of taking the country back for the people who built it is to make sure that people care enough about it in order to get out to vote for the right stuff. I don't agree with everything I've seen on the blogs, but heavens, that is what we need; deeply dedicated people who care about democracy, and that's what bloggers are.

SquareState: I applaud your recent trip to Guam, and I think it showed a real commitment to outreach and inclusion.

Governor Dean: I still have to get to American Samoa, though and I have to figure out how to do it. It is not an easy flight. It makes Guam look like a walk in the park, and I had to go through Tokyo to get there.

SquareState: I don't even know where you would go for, "Americans Abroad."

Governor Dean: I've done that. Every time I go abroad there are a fair amount; Japan, Australia, Europe. That's not so hard, but American Samoa, I have to be there before the end of my term and that is not so easy.