He was the leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination only a few weeks ago. But today, former Vermont governor Howard Dean told supporters and the nation that he was ending his run for the White House.

The one-time frontrunner went winless in 17 primaries and caucuses. Still, Howard Dean’s campaign shattered Democratic fundraising records, energized thousands of under-40 year-old voters, and lit a fire under the party faithful against the war and George W. Bush.

Click the “Listen” link to hear about the rise and fall of Howard Dean’s candidacy campaign and what he brought to the Democratic presidential nomination race.

Guests:

Perry Bacon, reporter for TIME magazine, who’s been watching and writing about the Dean campaign

Steve Grossman, former chair of the Howard Dean campaign and former chair of the Democratic National Committee

Sarah Schweitzer, reporter for The Boston Globe, covered the Dean campaign until January 2004

Matt Bai, contributing writer to “The New York Times Magazine” who is covering the Presidential Campaign

Charlie Sohn, freshman at Oberlin College who spent January in NH with Dean Campaign