John Kerry, John Edwards, Bob Graham, and Joe Lieberman

[DemocratSinceBirth]

seem to have all made South Carolina their firewall...

It seems they are conceding the fact that Dean will win IO and NH or at least split the two states with Gep prevailing in IO...


Who do you think will win SC and go on to campaign another day?


I see this as a three man race after SC. I believe Dean will be one of them but I don't have a clue who the other two will be...

[Ediacara]

1. Kerry or Edwards

Lieberman will drop out that night having won no primaries (including those on the same night as SC).

Dean and Kerry may last beyond IA and NH, but it will become increasingly obvious which one will be the nominee even before super tuesday.

[hedda_foil]

2. I can't figure out how Kerry thinks he can win in the South.

Photo ops of Kerry with gunships, motorcycles and strumming show tunes on a guitar, plus a few months of early (junior officer level) military experience ... medals or no medals ... just don't add up to a workable Southern strategy for a guy whose natural personna comes across as the quintessence of Northeastern noblesse oblige.

Yes, I'm a Dean supporter but I'm an active Democrat first, and it pains me to see someone with Kerry's experience allow himself to be so atrociously handled.

[BayCityProgressive]

3. Funny that you discount Lieberman

when he is FAR ahead of EVERYONE in the polls. I am not a Lieberman supporter but he is not going to drop out and I think he will be here right up until the end.

[DrFunkenstein]

4. It Clearly Pains You

Especially the supporter of a Northeastern anti-war liberal from a state without a major metropolitan area.

I'm not sure, but I think people will consider Kerry more "heavily decorated war hero" than "junior officer level." After all, people don't care how well Dean skiied in Aspen. Kerry's platform is about job creation and proven foreign policy experience. Clearly, Kerry would never win the whole South, but he'd be fine with even just a few.

For Southerners, though, things like honor, duty, sacrifice, and courage are more than just words. It's easy to view these qualities cynically in the Northeast, but that is absolutely true. And bringing up the ways in which Bush and Cheney dodged the draft resonates.

[AP]

13. Kerry probably has a workable southern strategy if he makes it

to the general election. He'll draw out the similarities between himself and Bush (ie, NE roots and privileges), pulling Bush out of the south, as it were, and then running entirely on military experience.

But I have no idea how he's going to win the primaries in the south if Edwards is still strong when they go south. It may be that he starts running against Bush in the south, ignoring the other candidates. If he could create the impression that he's number one before the southern primaries start, he might have a chance.

[Cha]

15. Dean has more Fire in his Belly! Now! He's able to get the voters

off their apathy and into the voting booths!


A lot of People served in Vietnam and should know better than starting another damn useless nonending war!

[uptohere]

5. being a southerner I just don't see Kerry doing well down here

n/t

[DealsGapRider]

6. Do you think Dean would be more attractive to Southern voters than Kerry?

And if so, why? Just curious. I went to school in South Carolina and I can't imagine either of them being terribly popular. But certainly Kerry wouldn't do any worse than Dean, who I feel certain they'll try to paint as a New England liberal. I think Edwards has the best chance in the south, or perhaps Clark. Or hell, maybe Holy Joe.

[uptohere]

8. Dean has a way better chance in the south

if for no other reason than his NRA ranking. But neither he or Kerry have anything like the appeal of Edwards. Its all in the accent...

[DealsGapRider]

10. Oh yeah...

...I had forgotten about Dean's position on guns. You're absolutely right.

[DrFunkenstein]

12. The Crowd Today Went Wild

When Kerry said we'll never be the NRA's bitch, and we shouldn't want to be.

[Cha]

16. Dean has a resonable position on guns and ownership!

ANd Dean isn't bush's bitch!

[CMT]

7. How SC goes will be greatly affected by how Iowa and NH vote

because that candidate will get strong momentum.

[uptohere]

11. maybe not

they like to feel as though they have their own mind and they definately have a reason to support whoever best supports southern ideals. We tend to get forgotten and written off down here. Except by those who win elections (how many recent dem presidents have the correct accent ?).

[indigo32]

14. how many recent dem presidents have the correct accent ?

LOL

[David Zephyr]

9. Top Four in S. Carolina:

Not in any order:

John Kerry
Richard Gephardt
Al Sharpton
Howard Dean

The big losers in South Carolina will be John Edwards and Joe Lieberman. They both will pull out afterwards.