Howard Dean announced that he is dropping out of the race for the Democratic Party nomination, ending a campaign that took him from front-runner and media star to media laughing stock. Howard Dean was never a progressive or left candidate, despite the media's constant labeling him as such. Nevertheless, it is interesting how the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and much of the corporate media viewed Howard Dean as a threat to their power. The DLC issued harsh criticisms after Dean called them "the Republican Wing of the Democratic Party" and the media's coverage of Dean was more critical than other candidates--playing his post-Iowa Caucus speech (at least the part where he screamed) 633 times in the 4 days after the Iowa Caucus, according to a study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs.

There is a good article on Alternet titled The Assasination of Howard Dean that argues Dean was considered a threat to the DLC, media, and big business and that was the reason for his failure. An older article, The Media vs. Howard Dean, looks at the media's role in bringing down Dean's campaign.