My first Dean party: My curiosity got the better of me. Along with my friend K., I looked up local gatherings on DeanForAmerica.com. One seemed attractive: a large number of attendees, located only a few minutes from the campus where I live. I registered online and showed up fashionably late the next day.

Along with K., I walked in, said hellos, and sat down. One of the organizers asked if I wanted a Dean button. I said I did but was completely unprepared for the ensuing question.

"Do you want a gay one or a straight one?" he asked.

After dryly reflecting to myself that I wouldn't be asked this at a Bush rally, I said I wanted a straight one.

He rummages through has bag and says he has no straight ones. And so, for the rest of the party, I proudly wore an 'Out for Dean' button.

By the way, the Club for Growth -- a Republican organization -- is running a ludicrous ad ridiculing the makeup of Dean's base [real player][windows media].