There were people in camping chairs at both entrances of University Book Store before the doors had even opened last Tuesday morning, and by 11:00 a.m. or so there was already a throng of people standing around inside. An hour and a half later, the line to meet Howard Dean was doubled back on itself six times before extending past the cookbook section and down a flight of stairs. The crowd included a woman in a "Peace" scarf, three UW students in "Lose Your Voting Virginity" T-shirts, and a young woman in a shirt advertising the band the Briefs.

As the politician formerly known as the frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination scribbled his signature in copies of his book, You Have the Power, he said optimistic, self-deprecating things like, "Absolutely, but he's got to win first" and "Well, now we just have to win" and "I have no idea and I think it's foolish to worry about that until we have a Kerry administration."

A little kid approached the table and Dean said, smiling, "We're not supposed to do personalizations, but I guess I can make an exception."

A man told Dean a story about his neo-conservative father, and Dean said, "Yeah, you've got to teach him." A man asked whether, if Kerry "drops it," Dean would consider running as an independent, and Dean said, "It's too late now." A woman covered in pins approached the table and Dean said, "Nice buttons," and the woman said, "Thank you for all you've done." Dean said, "I'm not done yet." Then he said, "I don't mean I'm not done yet. We're not done yet."

A woman in green said something and Dean replied, "Did you come from the Green side or the Republican side?" and the woman in green said, "Green." Dean said, "Well, great. Thanks for your help." A guy with a kind of disaffected air and bad glasses said, "I want you to tell me to get out there and do something," and Dean looked at him seriously and then snarled, "Get out there and do something."

A boy in red shorts approached the table. "We're not supposed to do personalizations," Dean said, "but I'll make an exception."

"What do you make of the Republican convention?" a man asked. Dean said, "I don't make much of it. Once again they're putting a centrist face on an extreme right-wing agenda...." After getting a book signed, another young man hollered, "See you in three or four years!" and Dean said, "I hope not! I hope it's eight!"

A woman in line looked at her son and said, "You remember his face? Does he look familiar? We're going to thank him for all the work he's done."

A young girl in a frilly skirt who looked to be around 10 approached the table sheepishly. She said something to Dean. "I'm not supposed to do this," Dean whispered conspiratorially. He smiled. "But I'm going to make an exception."

frizzelle@thestranger.com