I get to be as self-indulgent as I want without wasting anyone's time. Guilt-free solipsism -- excellent!

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Howard Dean has stunned pundits by raising (as of 5:20pm CST) almost $7 million this quarter, half of that coming in the last week -- despite an appearance on Meet The Press that had me and many others wincing in embarassment. Dean's fundraising success adds weight to the argument that he is now a first-tier candidate, rather than an insurgent.

The New Republic articulates what is so exhilarating about this phenomenon, whether or not one is a Dean supporter:

"But whether this ultimately helps Dean's candidacy or hurts it, any fan of democracy has to feel good about what Dean has done. Raising money is typically an exercise in political prostitution, with politicians promising (some reluctantly, some enthusiastically) to please fat-cat financiers in exchange for their donations. Dean, by contrast, has raised his money by collecting smaller donations from thousands of individuals whom he has inspired. (Among the major candidates, Dean had the lowest average donation during the first quarter--and is all but certain to enjoy the same distinction this time around.) That means Dean's fundraising is a far closer approximation of his actual support--measured either in intensity, or sheer numbers of backers, or both--than we're accustomed to seeing in American politics. And at a time when money all too frequently skews public policy away from public opinion, that's worth cheering. "
| posted by Alex at 5:29 PM