Washington and Lee students pick Kerry for Democratic nomination

Associated Press ^ | January 31, 2004 | Associated Press

[eltonstout]

LEXINGTON, Va. -- Students at Washington and Lee University chose John Kerry to win the Democratic presidential nomination during a mock convention Saturday with a remarkable record--since 1908 the students have picked the correct opposition nominee 17 of 22 times. "We thought it might come down to the last state's votes, but Kerry's momentum put him over the top with a mere five states to go," said Michael Denbow, political chairman of the Mock Convention's executive committee. Kerry won the nomination with 2,432 delegates. Howard Dean came in second with 943 delegates, and John Edwards received 719, the convention said. A candidate needs 2,162 delegates to win the nomination. In preparation for their convention, students read the news, studied polls and talked with politics professors, reporters, campaign directors and local party leaders. Since 1948, the students have only once picked the wrong opposition candidate: in 1972 they chose Sen. Edward M. Kennedy as the Democratic nominee instead of Sen. George McGovern.

[WL-law]

Next election cycle, W&L is going to have to move the mock convention up earlier in the schedule -- before the Iowa caucuses -- to stay in front of the media's ever-increasing king-annointing proclivities, so as to keep it interesting.