Bad News for Kerry: Moderates Prefer Edwards

Newsmax ^ | 2/18/04

[areafiftyone]

Although John Kerry narrowly won Wisconsin's primary last night, the big story is his poor showing among mainstream voters, a disastrous trend for him in the general election in November.

The talking heads were abuzz about this on the cable news shows last night, and the Associated Press noted today: "Edwards finished far better than pre-primary polls suggested he would, his surge fueled by the highest Republican turnout of the primary season and voters who made up their minds in the last week. His deepest support was in the GOP suburbs of Milwaukee."

Edwards won pluralities of independents and Republicans.

An exit poll conducted by Fox News Channel showed that a 58 percent majority of Wisconsin’s voters said they decided their vote within the last week, and Edwards won 45 percent of these "late deciders," compared to 30 percent for Kerry.

Edwards has strength among voters concerned about American jobs killed by Bill Clinton's controversial North American Free Trade Agreement, which Kerry voted for but is now flip-flopping on.

Edwards said: "That's been happening in other primaries too. Republicans who would consider voting Democratic and independents are the people we have to win over to win the general election. That's why I'm the best candidate to take on George Bush."

Dean Ready to Scream

By the way, AP proclaimed today that the race for the Democrats' presidential nomination was "down to two" and annointed Edwards "the only Democrat with a glimmer of hope to beat Kerry." True, but did anyone bother to tell poor Howard Dean?

In P.C. Madison, a dour Dean told his dwindling supporters after his latest defeat, "You all made me so happy I could just scream."

[areafiftyone]

This article is absolutely correct. I was watching Fox and friends this morning and two moderate Republicans called in and said that they were looking very closely at Edwards and if he wins the primary they will vote for him. This is not good news for Bush. They also said if Kerry wins they will vote for Bush. I'm sorry to have to say this but we need to make sure Kerry wins the primary in order for Bush to win the general election. These so called moderate Republicans (the ones that called in were from the South) would rather pick a pretty boy trial lawyer with only 5 years of experience in the Senate who sweet talks everyone to death than Bush.

[mewzilla]

Fear not. Bush has plenty of Dem support. And, around here anyway, I have yet to find a Pubbie who'd vote for a Dem while the Toons are still around.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Great article- bttt.

[Semper Paratus]

The 'rat primaries has been playing like musical chairs and Kerry and Edwards are looking at the last chair when the music stops.

[TXBSAFH]

I saw the same thing too, Edwards I thinlk could make bush have to work for the south.

[ilgipper]

Either is beatable. Rove will have fun with an inexperienced first term senator who is a bottom feeding trial lawyer. I would prefer Kerry, though. He has so much baggage and a longer record to work with.

[mewzilla]

What was turnout yesterday, anyone know?

[OldFriend]

Spinning spinning spinning......

[westerfield]

There's no question that Edwards would be the bigger threat, but I think he is too far behind at this point to catch up unless there were some sort of scandal that took Kerry down.

[McGruff]

In an interview on the Today show, Howard Fineman just stated that Dean considered ending his campaign after New Hampshire and throwing his support behind Edwards.

Dean likes what Edwards stands for and really doesn't like Kerry.

[Catspaw]

At the end of this story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, it said 800,000 voters turned out.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/feb04/208442.asp

[mewzilla]

Thanks for the link!

[areafiftyone]

I would agree with you if I hadn't heard those callers on Fox and Friends this morning.

[demlosers]

Although John Kerry narrowly won Wisconsin's primary last night, the big story is his poor showing among mainstream voters, a disastrous trend for him in the general election in November.

Go Dean Go! Errr... Go Kerry Go!

[mwl1]

Dean doesn't like Kerry because it was Kerry and his operatives largely behind the Iowa gang-up on Dean. Abetted by the DNC and the national media.

Larger point: let the RAT contest go on. We want Kerry to limp to the nomination, battered, broke, and politically cut to pieces.

The Clintons will never allow Edwards to be either presidential or vp nominee. Everything must be preserved for Hillary to have a clear, open field for 2008. Edwards complicates that scenario.

[areafiftyone]

I really think its an ego between Dean and Kerry because Dean is very liberal like Kerry and I can't see Dean prefering Edwards. Edwards voted for alot of stuff that Dean is against.

[Miss Marple]

So, you believed those callers? I am going to start calling in and start saying that as the wife of a vet we are supporting Kerry.

Come on! Those were Edwards supporters trying to get some lukewarm Kerry voters. I notice E.D., a known democrat, was real quick to jump on that bandwagon.

Now I will grant you that Edwards might draw from some independent middle voters, but not from moderate Republicans! Plus Edwards is just about as liberal as Kerry!

[JennysCool]

People who have the inclination and the free time to call TV or radio programs aren't exactly your run-of-the-mill voter.

[areafiftyone]

Go Kerry Go

Right now we need to get Kerry to win the primary. Because Bush can punch holes in Kerry. It will be alot harder with Edwards because he is such a mouse.

[jocon307]

"Edwards won pluralities of independents and Republicans.'

I'm sorry, I just don't understand why independants and Republicans are allowed to vote in a dem primary, or why dems would be allowed to vote in a republican primary.

Suppose there were two competitive primaries this year, does everyone get two votes, so that one can chose a candidate for each party? What is the point of having primaries if you are going to act as though they are a general election.

People make a lot of jokes on these threads about pubbies should vote for sharpton (or whoever) so the "worst man wins", but look at it seriously. How many republicans cast their votes yesterday in order to support the fellow they think will be the easiest for Bush to beat, some of them must have done just that. This, to my mind, taints the entire process. And people either make jokes about it (like here) or act like it doesn't happen (like on the news). One might think it's fine when it's the other side being manipulated in this way, but we sure didn't like it when independants and democrats were being urged to vote for McCain.

I don't like this stuff at all. Win or lose it should be fair and square and by the rules.