The race narrows

The best Democratic presidential candidiate is out:

Sen. Joe Lieberman dropped out of the presidential race Tuesday after poor showings in every state to hold a primary or caucus so far.

Speaking to supporters, Lieberman congratulated Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards on their victories. CNN projects that Kerry will win contests in Delaware, Missouri, Arizona and North Dakota, and Edwards will win South Carolina.

"But for me, it is now time to make a difficult but realistic decision," Lieberman said.

"After looking at the returns and speaking with my family and campaign team, I have decided tonight to end my quest for the presidency of the United States of America."

The worst Democratic presidential candidate, despite inexplicably winning Oklahoma, may soon follow:

Evoking the image of Custer's last stand, one of Wesley Clark's chief backers in New York said yesterday it appeared the former general's race for the Democratic presidential nomination might be over.

"I think the general is about to meet Sitting Bull," said state Senate Minority Leader David Paterson, a Manhattan Democrat.

Paterson was referring to the 1876 battle in which Gen. George Custer and more than 200 cavalry soldiers were wiped out by a force of Indians led by Sitting Bull at Little Bighorn in Montana.

"John Kerry, as I see it, is the clear candidate," Paterson said yesterday during an interview with Albany's WROW-AM radio before polls closed in seven states holding Democratic primaries.

Clark's only win last night was in Oklahoma.

John Edwards is getting all the attention for his victory in South Carolina despite losing to Kerry almost everywhere else, which suggests that the media would prefer a Bush-Edwards race to a Bush-Kerry one. But it's hard to see how Kerry can be stopped now.

And while anything can happen on the campaign, I really don't think Kerry can win it all. This race will be between the 40% of voters who love George W. Bush and the 40% who hate him, with the undecided 20% casting the decided votes. Kerry seems to be the compromise candidiate about whom the Democrats don't really have a strong opinion - and does anyone think the undecided voters will get excited about him?

Posted by damian at February 4, 2004 07:38 AM