Reply #13: This is an excellent article

[Larkspur]

Without Dean's courage, Kerry would never have opted out of FEC matching funds and he would have be drowning in the polls because of Bush's financial advantage sponsoring a deluge of anti-Kerry ads.

Without Dean's bashing Bush and the Bush-lite Dems, Democratic rank and file would be demoralized against a well funded Repuke machine. Dean gave Democrats hope and the courage to battle the fascists supporting Bush and many in the Dem leadership circles. Kerry may be benefiting from progressive unity at this point, but he'll be in hell, should he be elected Prez, when he goes against progressives in favor of the corporate sponsors of his campaign.