Consultants...

TO: Governor Howard Dean, The Deanery, Old McGovern Way, Montpelier, Vermont.
FROM Nick Machiavelli, Senior Partner, Machiavelli, O'Blarney, Iago, Alcibiades, and Morris, Political Consultants.
John O'Sullivan channels the prince to help Gov. Dean. Great stuff!

I had read the polls too and realized the desperate situation you are in. Not to put too fine a point on it, you are Leonidas at Thermopylae, Scott of the Antarctic, and Colonel William Travis at the Alamo all rolled into one — namely, the gallant leader of a doomed band.