DEAN TEAM SHIFTS GEARS SUPPORTERS CHANGE NAME, STRATEGY.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Howard Dean may have apparently fallen out of contention for the Democratic presidential nomination, but his supporters still can hold the key to the White House, according to his Santa Clarita corps and political experts.

The valley's next ``Dean Meetup'' has been canceled and the candidate's local supporters changed their name to a more encompassing ``Democrats for Political Action'' as the Vermont doctor's campaign continues to falter.

The renaming is intended to begin to transfer Dean's unorthodox base of grass roots support to whomever wins the Democratic nomination. In the words of one supporter, ``Anybody but Bush.''

``It's inevitable that Dean will drop out, but we're hoping to keep the momentum and energy and grass roots activism alive,'' said Regina Colombo, a Santa Clarita resident who traveled to Iowa to campaign during the state's caucuses.

Colombo's hopes for Dean's supporters may well become the crux of the Democratic campaign for president, and possibly the future of political campaigning, according to University of Southern California law professor Elizabeth Garrett.

``This indicates that people have been energized and continue to want to be active. Once you have political action, these groups often can remain political forces and it remains to be seen who will take advantage of that force,'' Garrett said. ``The Dean campaign has taught the Democrats, and all parties, some really important lessons. This campaign is going to be something we study for years to come even though it was not successful.''

The Santa Clarita Dean Meetup name change also reflects the state of the Dean campaign, which once seemed primed to storm the Democratic Convention. But Tuesday, the former Vermont governor lost to Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards in the Wisconsin primaries, a race he had said was essential to his nomination.

``An element of realism is pervading the Dean campaign at all levels,'' Garrett said.

It is these circumstances that have forced even Dean's most avid Santa Clarita supporters to hedge their bet, and hope that the energy ignited by Dean will benefit the entire Democratic party.

Joyce Evans, who four months ago spearheaded the Santa Clarita Dean Meetups, attributes her activism to Dean.

But her decision to partner with the Santa Clarita Valley Democratic Alliance for Action and cancel the meetups signals a willingness to put her newfound passion toward another candidate if necessary, though she hopes to see Dean in California for the March 2 primary.

``Dean spoke for me when nobody else did. He's going to get my vote unless he tells me to support someone else,'' she said.

A similar sentiment is held by many of Dean's local supporters, who say they have been astounded by the outpouring of new Democratic support in Santa Clarita as a result of Dean's campaign.

``There are some people disappointed that he may not be a viable candidate, but he has certainly energized the grass roots and he's given hope to the common man that their voice can be heard above the roar of the corpocracy,'' said Carole Lutness, another regular at the Dean Meetups.

Nicholas Grudin, [phone]

nicholas.grudin(at)dailynews.com

MEETING

The new Democrats for Political Action meetings - to be held the first Wednesday and the third Sunday of every month - will focus on voter registration, precinct walking and other campaign related activities for local, state and national politics. For more information, call [phone].

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