John Kerry finished a strong first place in the Viriginia and Tennessee primaries. It shows he has strong appeal among Southern Democrats. And he handily outdistanced the two Southern candidates, John Edwards and Wesley Clark.
AP is reporting that Clark is throwing in the towel. It's too bad, because the General is one of the most interesting and capable candidates for President we've seen in a while. He would make a very strong Vice Presidential choice. Kerry and Clark were the two "tough dove" candidates. And Kerry won more support early on.
With the General out, Kerry begins to look more and more inevitable, given his favorable showing against Edwards in the South. It's not over until it's over. But it's already hard to see a plausible scenario where Kerry is edged out.
The Republicans have resumed their attacks on him. After the endless trashing of Bill Clinton, I hope no Democrats will be surprised that the Republican Mighty Wurlitzer of sleaze-slinging will be working overtime as long as Kerry is a candidate. And will continue to do so if he becomes President.
Joe Conason has a good run-down of recent Republican attacks on Kerry's patriotism, with links: The Vietnam Smear - From McCain to Kerry. One of their main sleaze-slingers is a guy who's made a living scamming the Vietnam MIA issue.
The titular head of the Democratic Party, elected President Al Gore, is definitely in a combative mood this year. Salon.com is providing the text of a Feb. 5 speech of Gore's: A colaition of fear.
Somewhere along the line, the Republican Party became merely the nameplate for the radical right in this country.
The radical right is, in fact, a coalition of those who fear other Americans: as agents of treason, as agents of confiscatory government, as agents of immorality.
This fear gives the modern Republican Party its well-noted cohesiveness and its equally well-noted practice of jugular politics.
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