BURLINGTON, VT (Talon News) -- Howard Dean does not plan to lose the Iowa primary. Even though experts have predicted the state will toss its support behind another Democrat presidential hopeful, Dean has been campaigning hard there and his new plan is to win the state -- by adopting it.

Last Friday, Dean handily won the MoveOn.org online preference poll capturing 43% of the vote. He needed another 7% to gain the California-based organization's endorsement but the landslide victory was important to his long-shot candidacy.

On Tuesday, Dean announced that his campaign also eclipsed his eight Democrat rivals by raising $7.5 million in the second quarter. On Wednesday, Dean supporters across the nation worked together on a plan to help the former Vermont governor's chances in Iowa -- by adopting an Iowan.

Dean has proven to have the strongest grass-roots organization through his internet victory on MoveOn.org. His "Adopt-an-Iowan" program will see if that grassroots emphasis can translate into an Iowa upset at the voting booth.

Iowa, which holds the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus, is considered to be an important state for primary hopefuls, but analysts expect the state will fall to Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt.

On Wednesday night, the Dean campaign organized a nationwide effort to mobilize his supporters to contact individual Iowa Democrats in his "Adopt-an-Iowan" program.

"This new effort will be a national letter-writing campaign coordinated through more than 230 local 'Meet-ups' around the country. Individuals will write personal letters explaining their reasons for supporting Howard Dean and ask their fellow Americans in Iowa to give the Governor serious consideration," explained Deputy Press Secretary Kathleen Lash in the release.

"The Adopt-an-Iowan program is 'People-Powered Howard' at its most basic level. Far from any revolutionary campaign tactic, the program is simply about ordinary Americans influencing other ordinary Americans. Most importantly, the program is another step in Governor Dean's effort to restore American community, one American at a time," Lash continued.

Dean campaigners expect the individual approach to have big returns. "This program is the result of our supporters asking us to include them -- to give them the power directly to influence the important presidential caucuses," Campaign Manager Joe Trippi said. "This is grassroots politics as it should be. The only special interests at play here are the concerns of 47,000 ordinary Americans."

The program kicked off at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday night, and Dean got involved in the activity while campaigning in Iowa City. He attended one of the local "Meet-up" events.

If Dean loses Iowa to Gephardt, it will not be from a lack of trying. Senators John Kerry and John Edwards have each made 21 campaign stops in Iowa. Gephardt has visited 19 times. Dean has logged in 52 separate campaign visits. On Thursday, Dean will be taking part in a townhall meeting about the economy in Davenport.

His successes have become a cause of concern for his opponents. The Los Angeles Times reported: "No longer an insurgent, Dean now is seen by most analysts as among the front-runners for the party's nomination. And that is something few would have imagined just a few months ago."

The Washington Times has labeled him the current leader in the race for the nomination. That has put a target on Dean. Democrat consultants have charged that Dean often must retract or apologize for his over-the-top statements and that the New England Democrat lacks the appeal to win the White House.

"The louder the echo chamber gets, the more people join us and the more money we get," Trippi told the Washington Post.

The question for Dean is whether these successes and his new front-runner status will translate into broader support. Polls taken last month place Dean at receiving only 4 or 5% of the Democrat vote.