[Torie]

The charm quotient is low among 3 of the big 4 Dem aspirants (except Dean in his best moments rather than his bad ones), but then Gore lacked charm too, and he ran even with Bush. Edwards has charm, and is struggling rather late to acquire some gravitas. If he toned down his peculiar accent, he might just have a chance. But in the end, it will be a gut call as to who the Dems want to carry the banner in what they strongly suspect is a losing fight. It is that instinct that the nomination is not a real ticket to the presidency, that makes this race so volatile. Everybody wants their own message pushed for later.

[jwalsh07]

Dean is fading fast in Iowa, the long knives are hurting him but he's got a pretty good organization on the ground from what the heads tell me. He'll pull throug in Iowa but it will be close which will weaken him.

Thus far he's holding strong in NH.

Whoever gets the nomination is gonna take a 200 million dollar beating about the noggin bu the Bush campaign and his fellow travelers are doing all the research. Tough being a challenger to an incumbent President, real tough when the perception of a good economy is starting to permeate at the 7/11 gas pumps.

[southernnorthcarolina]

Edwards has charm, and is struggling rather late to acquire some gravitas. If he toned down his peculiar accent, he might just have a chance.

Accent? Edwards has an accent? I never noticed.

I'm kidding, of course. I'm a native North Carolinian, and I don't sound anything like he does. Do I? Please, someone, tell me I don't.

[Howlin]

If he toned down his peculiar accent

What in the HELL do you mean by that?