EXIT POLL SNEAK: KERRY, EDWARDS BATTLE FOR WISCONSIN - LIVE ( 38% Kerry, 38% Edwards)

DRUDGE ^ | 2/17/04

[areafiftyone]

LATE AFTERNOON EXIT POLLS SHOW JOHN EDWARDS PULLING A STRONG SHOWING AGAINST JOHN KERRY, TOP MEDIA AND CAMPAIGN SOURCES TELL DRUDGE... KERRY 42%, EDWARDS 31%, DEAN 15%... DEVELOPING...

[cyncooper]

Polls just closed. Too close to call.

Fox showed their best guess right now is Kerry 39 and Edwards 34 with a plus or minus of 3.5.

I'll watch American Idol while they start counting...

[Ladysmith]

Oh, it's one of many states I'd like to visit... :o)

[July 4th]

Turnout was very surprising in my ward today. It was LOW! No big Dean surge by the students. We have Optiscan voting machines in much of Wisconsin, and they have digital counters on the front. I voted around 3pm in a student ward, and the machine said only 200 had voted. (Note that it could have been reset or tallied during the day, but I was the only one voting at the time - the 200 number jived with the traffic.)

[mwl1]

If the 39-34 is true, that is sensational news for an extended nomination battle... culminating in a Kerry nomination... battered, broke, exhausted, and cut to pieces.

[COEXERJ145]

What I find interesting is the fact that several exit polls showed that the majority of Kerry voters are the "anyone but Bush" crowd. Around 2/3 of Edwards voters are concerned with "issues".

[Right_in_Virginia]

If the nomination process is extended...do you think the Dimms will focus on each other for a while and not the President?

[js1138]

The "doctored" photo is real. It's just a composite of two photos taken at the same event. The caption is true. If the photos had been placed side by side there would be no problem.

[Dog]

Stay.....I stayed the other night....you can stay now!

:-)

[cyncooper]

battered, broke, exhausted, and cut to pieces.

Now you're talking.

[mwl1]

An extended nomination battle is both good and bad for us. I tend to believe that, provided that Kerry is ultimately nominated, an extended battle has more positives than negatives for us.

If history is a guide, an extended nomination battle spells defeat in November -- Ford in 1976, Carter in 1980, Mondale in 1984.

[cyncooper]

I'll be here during commercials!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Race is close enough that the Kerry campaign is preparing spin about why they lost WI if that ends up being the case.

Too close to call!

[The Wizard]

and that answer Edwards gave "...Yes I share some responsibility..."

That was a big part....and the Sleeze of the affair

[AmericanInTokyo]

If 39 to 34, thenI would not want to be standing right in the middle between those two liberal Democrat fiends who are so close to the nomination and the Presidency in their minds, they can SMELL IT! It would be like throwing a big raw side of beef into a pit with two angry dobermans who had not eaten in three days. They are really going to turn on each other. This is most beautiful.

[mwl1]

tv challenged -- anyone with any updates on any of the networks?

[Queen of Excelsior]

Chris Mathews just suggested that Kerry should blame Matt Drudge if he loses

[Right_in_Virginia]

Ah...more deep thoughts from Chris Matthews.

[woodyinscc]

Susan Estrich on Fox, just intimated that there was more to come on the Kerry rumors.

[CFC__VRWC]

Seems to be a lot of dancing around - Fox is interviewing Susan Estrich now. Anyone watching Chrissy on MSDNC? Has he started mainlining Prozac yet?

[cyncooper]

Susan Estrich says regarding Kerry there will be other ugly rumors (both Fox and MSNBC saying the Kerry camp already citing that story for what's happening).

Brit says "But this one didn't pan out" (sheesh Brit, only if not looking very hard), and Susan says it concerned dems and she definitely said there are more stories to come.

She sounded like the dems should keep Edwards just in case or go for him.