Minor similiarities between Dean and Khatami

The following paragraphs from the New York Times about the reasons of Dean's popularity reminds of the similar situation that led to the election of President Khatami 7 years ago in Iran.

Look, I've worked in presidential campaigns since 1968, and I worked as a junior person for Bobby Kennedy in 1968," said Ethan Geto, the New York State director for the Dean campaign. "And I have never, ever, ever seen anything like this phenomenon, this amazing turnout."

Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida who has studied youth voting, said the attacks on Dr. Dean might have been particularly discouraging to his young supporters. "One of the things that really does make people mad is what they perceive as beating up a candidate by the press," she said.

Khatami didn't use new technologies to win the support of young people, but he was regularly attacked in public media by the hardliners and he became the underdog which was not the leader's favorite. He also drew millions of young people who had never voted or even cared about the elections before.
Now the hardliners have learned that big lesson and that's why Khamanei, the Leader, does not interfere in these kind of things as much as possible. He has understood that it's enough for a man or woman to oppose to him to get the popular support.