DES MOINES </8212> Campaign debates are always about far more than a bunch of candidates arguing over issues and trying to sway voters.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean looked a bit perplexed when he was introduced to the crowd at Drake University Sunday morning, setting the stage for the latest debate between the party’s presidential rivals.

As Dean marched onto the stage before the cameras started rolling, the auditorium erupted in applause as the couple of thousand activists leaped to their feet and roared approval.

“Was that scripted into this deal?” asked Dean, as a perplexed look came over his face.

Dean was governor of Vermont in the last election cycle, seeking the Democratic nomination and betting the farm on a tireless focus on Iowa’s leadoff caucuses. Iowa activists abandoned him in droves and his third place showing effectively doomed his campaign.

After Sunday’s debate, Dean simply shrugged about the apparent affection activists now have for him.

“The problem for me is that ‘I told you so’ is a lousy campaign slogan,” said Dean, saying he was heading to the Iowa State Fair to get a pork chop on a stick.

There were plenty of agendas at work in the debate, broadcast by ABC, with many being made before the debate began.

The nation’s political community may have been focused on the exchanges between eight rivals seeking their party’s presidential nomination, but much of the buzz around the ornate old auditorium at Drake had to do with the time of day. The doors to the debate opened at 5:30 a.m. and those possessing prized tickets – and it was a very tough ticket – had to be in their seats by 7 a.m.

State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald was splashing water on his face in the men’s room after showing up.

“It’s quite a thing to get a bunch of Democrats up this early,” said Fitzgerald, who backs Barack Obama. “There must be some enthusiasm.”

As the candidates checked the sound system, they took note as well.

“Good morning. Anybody awake yet?” said John Edwards.

“As soon as I wake up, I’ll answer your questions,” chuckled Hillary Clinton.

Presidential campaign debates are an enormous logistical enterprise when they are broadcast live on national television, and the production helped shape the product and there was a bit of promotion as well. The debate was broadcast on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and network officials assured the crowd that they were in for a treat, because viewers of the other Sunday morning talk shows would be left only with outgoing presidential advisor Karl Rove.

Stephanopoulos has been in the state for the better part of a month, with a Republican debate broadcast two weeks ago, and he told the crowd he’s been soaking up the intense politics on the state’s campaign trails, where candidates of both parties are flooding the state.

“I’ve never felt a campaign environment so electric, so early,” he said.

The strategists, advisers, advocates, academics and general hangers-on who follow campaign debates demonstrated they’ve gotten the art of spin finely honed. Across the street, they gathered to make their case to journalists, with aides carrying wooden sticks and signs directing the curious to the person offering the spin.

Drake University political science professor Dennis Goldenrod stood next to a sign offering “academic analysis.”

“A lot of heat, not much light,” was his view.

Beyond all the hoopla, it’s not clear if the debate changed many minds.

“Probably not,” said veteran Democratic activist Joe Shanahan.