Pace Press

Issue date: 2/10/04 Section: News

Media Credit: www.mit.edu Front-runner Sen. John kerry steps up his campaign in multiple states.

As the election year heats up and the primaries and caucuses are in full swing, the list of candidates begins slimming down, indicating just who the voters feel has the platform to beat the opposition. Economic theory and the candidates' stand on the war in Iraq have repeatedly been the top issues in voters' minds.

Following the Iowa caucus, former Governor Howard Dean's (D - VT) ratings in New Hampshire plummeted as Senator John Kerry's (D - MA) rose. A majority of the voters who made their decisions in that week, as well as the Independents, chose to vote for Kerry, not solely based upon his stand on economics or the war but because of his "electability." Electability is becoming more important to voters across the country. Recent polls have shown Kerry defeating current President George W. Bush by as much as 7 percent, up from 3 percent in January.

Kerry's front runner status earned him the cover in the February 9 issue of Time magazine. With the first few primaries and caucuses under his belt, Kerry holds a commanding lead over his opponents with over twice the number of delegates than his competitor in second place. However, it is a long way to July, and there are nearly two thousand delegates left to convince before the race is over.

A look inside Kerry's campaign reveals solidarity among union voters, thanks to Representative Dick Gephardt (D - MO), who announced his support for Kerry at an event in Michigan.

On the other hand, the Dean campaign may be close to its demise. "The entire race has come down to this: We must win Wisconsin," Dean told supporters in a fund-raising e-mail in the midst of a floundering campaign.

Both retired General Wesley Clark and Senator John Edwards (D - NC) are campaigning heavily in the southern states. Edwards is counting on his popularity among the voters in his "backyard," and at every stop, he vies to beat Bush among Southern voters in November's general election. Not to be left behind, Clark's staff chose to forgo pay for a week in order to pay for ads in Tennessee. Nearly $250,000 will be saved due to this decision made by a vote within the staff.

Ohio representative Dennis Kucinich and civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton have made no significant impact on the race. However, both candidates have vowed to stay in.

Senator Joe Lieberman (D - CT) dropped out of the race after Super Tuesday, thinning the list of candidates. "For me it is now time to make a difficult but realistic decision. After looking at the returns and speaking with my family and my campaign team, I have decided to end my quest for the presidency of the United States of America," Lieberman said.

(Sources: www.cnn.com, www.time.com)

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