Defeated candidates -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean was a pioneer -- use e-mail, Web sites and social networks to stay in touch with supporters via so-called legacy online campaigns that keep their finances afloat, their bases intact and their political futures viable, the Politico reported Tuesday,

"This is a medium that allows candidates -- whether they're successful or not -- to maintain direct contact with their supporters," said Peter Daou, Clinton's campaign liaison to the blogosphere.

Daou said New York's junior senator has an e-mail list in the "seven figures" range.

Once he left the 2004 race, Dean, nurtured his online base by rechanneling it into local races. Dean used the Web the next year to initiated his DNC chairman's bid.

"As Howard was making the decision to run for chair after the election, it was a great group of supporters ... and it gave us a great vehicle and platform to run the chair's race," said Tom Ochs, who managed Dean's bid for the DNC chairmanship.