IT HAS BEEN WIDELY OBSERVED that Dean for President–or, as the partisans call it, “Dean for America”–isn’t so much a political campaign as a movement. But if that’s true of the Deaniacs in general, it’s doubly true of their virtual selves. The online Dean world isn’t so much a virtual community as a cult.

There’s the main site, of course, there’s African Americans for Dean (not to be confused with Blacks for Dean–who said the good doctor was having trouble with minorities?), Project Deanlight, Republicans for Dean–there’s even a charming site called DEANIE.org, which helps people who believe in campaign finance reform, but have already maxed out their independent expenditures, navigate a loophole and find ways to donate money to other Dean supporters who need money for campaign activities. This will be the most ethical campaign in history!