Having grown up in Washington in the era of Watergate, I have always had a cynical approach to politics and politicians: there's no real difference between the parties; they're all corrupt; they're in it for the power, money and sex; never take any political statement at face value; assume their lips are moving, they're lying.
I had a brief period of political action in college in the Reagan years - mainly because my friends were all protesting the war in El Salvador so why not go along? But I lacked the innocence of my letter-writing, petition-signing friends. I knew it was a waste of time.
Suddenly, there was Dean, saying all the unpleasant truths that other politicians didn't dare.
