After a meteoric rise to the top of the polls, Howard Dean’s presidential bid fizzled in 2004, following his infamous speech in Iowa. On this episode, John Dickerson explains why the seeds of the campaign’s demise were present from its very beginning.

Whistlestop is Slate’s podcast about presidential campaign history. Hosted by our political correspondent and Political Gabfest panelist John Dickerson, each installment revisits a memorable (though sometimes forgotten) moment from America’s quadrennial carnival. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace. Start building your website today at Squarespace.com. Enter order code WHISTLESTOP at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful.

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We’d love to hear what you think of Whistlestop. Our email is [email protected].

Podcast production by Tony Field.

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