Second-tier candidates changing strategies to keep campaigns alive

[pruner]

RON FOURNIER, AP Political Writer
Tuesday, September 30, 2003

(09-30) 22:43 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Howard Dean's fund-raising success and Wesley Clark's momentum is forcing some Democratic presidential rivals to make a tough choice: Overhaul their strategies or face defeat.

They're choosing to change course rather than get out -- at least for now.

Bob Graham has rented an apartment in Iowa for a single-state stand. Joe Lieberman is being told to abandon the Iowa caucuses. John Edwards is sharpening criticism of his rivals, fine-tuning a message that has failed to move voters in New Hampshire.

Even John Kerry and Dick Gephardt, formidable candidates backed by key elements of the party, are reassessing their primary strategies in light of Tuesday's deadline to report July-September fund-raising totals.

Money is not the only measure of a candidate's viability, but the filing deadlines have a way of sorting the weak from the strong. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/09/30/national0143EDT0419.DTL">The rundown:

[Voltaire99]

1. "Lieberman being told to abandon Iowa caucuses"

For starters. ;-)

[expatriot]

2. If Lieberman abandons IA, he will throw everything into AZ...

That may be his strategy. If he doesn't win AZ on 2/3 it is all over for him. It is going to be between Dean, Clark and Lieberman here in AZ. We will hand AZ to Dean.

[sleipnir]

3. Over anyways

It was over for him from the beginning. Lieberman stands no chance of really winning anything. He has name recog. which is about all. So people know who is is in Montana, big friggin' deal, that won't win you an election. Not to be overtly negative toward Lieberman, but he's only polling well nationaly and failing miserably in Iowa and NH.

I agree with you expatriot, if he fails to even get 50% of votes in AZ, he'll probably drop out.

Of the Big 5 (Lbmn, Kry, Dn, Clrk, Gphrt), Lieberman will be the first out.