http://slate.msn.com/id/2095257/ Early exit poll results: Tennessee Kerry: 44 Edwards: 26 Clark: 18 Dean: 6 Virginia Kerry: 54 Edwards: 25 Clark: 9 Dean: 7 I think this just has to be the end of Clark. Clear third place finishes in Southern states for him are the same as Lieberman's 4th in Delaware. And he's already suspended pay to staff. He's about out of money and not likely to draw more. As for Dean, it's been clear for some time he won't be the nominee. He'd said he would drop after Wisconsin if he lost (which he will), but has changed his mind saying supporters have asked him to stay in. He continues to raise money, but the focus of the campaign's changing. He seems now to be staying in to keep heat on Kerry and keep him honest. Same function as Sharpton and Kucinich, which is fine with me. Clark and Edwards can't claim symbolic message candidacies though. That means, to me anyway, Clark's out and the clock's running on Edwards.
I haven't paid that much attention to these two contests. How many delegates are at stake? After today if these numbers stand will Dean still be in second place?
basso: Sorry, dude. Didn't remember a thread from three days ago. FB: I think there are about 20 something in each state. And I'm pretty sure Dean's still in second. But neither of those things matter. Dean's only in second because of super delegates, some of whom are peeling off now and the others will later. Without them he's in third or fourth. And regardless of who's in second, it's such a distant second that the only possible chance they have is this turning into a two man race. And the only way a two man race even matters is if it happens almost immediately, which it won't. Didn't notice this before, but Clark could actually come in fourth behind Dean in VA. He wanted to drop out after the 3rd, but his wife talked him into staying in. Bad call, Gert.
I don't think Dean can win it, and it was the super delegates vs. the locked in delegates that I asked. If Dean was not even in second anymore and he still had those delegates I didn't know why he was talking about staying in after Wisconsin. Also if the super delegates leave before the Wisconsin contest, then Dean needs to leave the race win or lose in Wisconsin. I wouldn't mind Dean using his new found ability to draw attention to keep Kerry honest, and talking about the issues he was talking about for most of the race.
