…Markos Moulitsas sees a Kerry win as inspired by Dean, and by bloggers:

“While originally planning a healthcare-based campaign, the Democratic party’s feeble respond to Bush’s war lust gave Dean an issue that resonated with the party faithful, and a new movement – fuelled by the blogs – was born.Dean ultimately faltered in the Iowa cornfields, but not before the good doctor had fused a new backbone into the Democratic party. Opposing the president – once viewed as political suicide – was suddenly en vogue. The strategy of “Republican lite”, wielded by Democrats to disastrous consequences in the 2002 midterm election, was finally dead….

Kerry faced $200m in negative attack ads, a hostile mainstream media, an administration that uses “terror” as a political tool and the combined might of the Rightwing Noise Machine. Yet Kerry entered election day in a strong position to win, both in the final round of polls and in early voting results in battlegrounds like Iowa and Florida. That alone is a major accomplishment, and one that hopefully bodes well for Kerry tonight.”