People powered. Grassroots. Netroots. "Trickle up democracy."

This is why Dean was a breath of fresh air in '04. It is the hard work of the liberals and progressives in the Democratic Party that is creating real change in the thinking, organization and politics of the leadership and candidates and elected members at all levels. Howard Dean was not a favorite for the leadership post of the DNC. Only through the work of people at the state level could he win the post. Leaders in the blogosphere contributed in a major way for Dean's election.

Chris Bowers has this to say on the repudiation of James Carville's, Democratic Party "consultant", attempt to oust Howard Dean:

Although this is obviously lost on most pundits and journalists, it is interesting how this seemingly odd alliance between state parties and the progressive movement is based not upon ideology. Rather, it is based upon both a shared strategic principle, the fifty-state strategy, and a shared chip on the shoulder: the sense that both have been long ignored by the party leadership. It is a sort of Alliance of the Ignored...

Most higher-ups in the Democratic Party like Clinton and Schumer know this, and that is one of the main reasons why they pay respect to the fifty-state strategy and The Alliance of the Ignored (that, and the fifty-state strategy seems to be working). Because of this alliance, it is no longer possible for people who want to lead the party to dismiss either state parties or the working class of the Democratic activist universe.