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...

[GiveEmDubya]

Democratic Primary REPORTING 4%
Wisconsin
John Edwards 9,960 40%
John Kerry 9,194 37%
Howard Dean 4,296 17%
Dennis Kucinich 464 2%
Wesley Clark 332 1%
Carol Moseley Braun 252 1%
Al Sharpton 208 1%
Joe Lieberman 116 1%
Lyndon LaRouche 58 0%
Dick Gephardt 38 0%
Uninstructed Delegation 30 0%

[Dog]

I'm wondering if the Rats aren't suffering from some "closing the deal" jitters about Kerry. The Drudge story and the Fonda picture can't have helped ease their concerns.

I agree.....and the GOP is about to open a can of extra strength whoop a$$ on the Kerry record.

[Tuxedo]

John Kerry fighting for Wisconsin is the banner at his campaign HQ. That is just priceless. Since when has he cared a whit about flyover country?

[GeronL]

anybody checking the WI sec state website for actual vote counts???

[Mo1]

MSNBC is saying the Edwards is leading so far

[mwl1]

are the votes from Madison in yet? That area will give Kerry a lift (Dean too).

[Petronski]

John Edwards 9,960 40%
John Kerry 9,194 37%

I don't care if it's only 4%, that is one sweet-looking result!

[commish]

All of the wisconsin polls have showed Kerry with a huge lead (some as much as 20+ pts.). For it to be this close, it means the polls were garbage, or something spooked the dem voters bigtime over the weekend (HMMMMMMMM) :-)

Kerry was expected to romp as late as Saturday, then suddenly wis 2 biggest papers endorsed Edwards, and local polls started showing almost all undecideds/independents breaking for Edwards.

Tux may also be wondering what this might mean for the Kerry/Bush polls.

[ambrose]

Rasmussen is doing very well so far. He detected Edwards' surge this weekend...

[Right_in_Virginia]

Wasn't this supposed to be a blowout win for Kerry?

[jrlc]

Edwards has made most of his money as plaintiff's attorney vs. physicians -- nearly $70 million -- he has done great damage to medical care in the US as a result. Bush plans to make medical malpractice litigation a major campaign issue. Edwards has baggage here.

[Dog]

Brit said from the exit polls it looks like the late deciders broke for Edwards..

[Tuxedo]

Me, I'm pulling for the Uninstructed Delegation. Kinda reminds you of the Michael Moore fans.

[GeronL]

thanks, keep the updates coming

[mwl1]

yes, and CNN announcing with glee late this afternoon that the size of the Kerry crowds in Wisconsin greatly dwarfed that of the Edwards crowds.

[woodyinscc]

I'm wondering if the Rats aren't suffering from some "closing the deal" jitters about Kerry. The Drudge story and the Fonda picture can't have helped ease their concerns.

You are right, and this is a dim primary. This bodes well for President Bush, in the general.

[GiveEmDubya]

Just like Bob Dole said a few minites ago--this is great because now Kerry is going to have to spend more time and money beating the crap out of the Breck Girl. Meanwhile, Team Dubya ponders its strike on the Hapless Kerry camp with a chilling patience.

[Right_in_Virginia]

I don't watch CNN...are they Kerry fans or just anti-Bush?

[bvw]

Can't explain that polling phenom, I'm just speaking to the dismal numbers arriving to vote in the primaries. The drive to the polls is a cost you know. Almost a "poll tax"!

Might help reduce fraud considerably if it cost the price of pound of bread to vote.

[varina davis]

Edwards is looking better and better to rank and file Dems simply because he's a new face without a lot of downbeat political baggage. Regardless of his faults, he's new face on the scene. Maybe even die-hard Dem voters are tired of the same old war horses.