1) Joe Trippi, Howard Dean's former campaign manager, argues that the over $40 million raised by Dean's campaign was used to test online tools and platforms to engage citizens in politics rather than to elect Dean as president. 2) Trippi believes Dean's campaign pioneered internet-focused campaigning and mobilizing supporters online, opening the door for future campaigns to utilize these strategies. 3) However, others argue that Dean's own missteps and controversies in Iowa caused him to lose internet supporters and momentum, leading to his demise rather than failures of the media or other campaigns.