An increasingly desperate Howard Dean was all sweetness and light during a rather lacklustre candidate debate.

Admitting he wasn't "a perfect person", Dean was low-key and non-confrontational, accepting that his post-caucus speech had by now assumed the status of legend.

In probably the night's best line, Al Sharpton told him: "Don’t be hard on yourself about the hootering and hollering. If I spent the money you did and got 18 per cent, I’d still be hollering to Iowa. Don’t worry about it, Howard."

After taking his wife onto ABC News for an interview with Diane Sawyer, Dean even - yes, you guessed it - appeared on David Letterman to present his own top ten list: "Ways, I, Howard Dean, can turn things around.''

Tonight's Nightline on ABC is on the "fine art of political damage control."

And, perhaps predictably, Dean's discomfort seems to be Kerry's opportunity.

And of course, it's never too soon to be looking ahead to the raft of states - including South Carolina - that will vote on February 3rd.

President Bush, meanwhile, isn't worried about whoever the Democrats might pick, according to senior adviser Karl Rove.