I fully agree with this analysis. I've heard that Kerry's staff strongly supports Edwards (from their polling) but that Kerry wants Gephardt. This will be one more example of how small and inneffective Kerry's brain-trust is. It usually is a "committee of one." I don't think that Kerry trusts anyone else very much and makes an awful lot of tactical, even strategic decisions, like this one, by instinct.
By contrast, look at how many tactical coups have been pulled off by the Bush team; the element of surprise, and the decisiveness. For instance, Thanksgiving in Bahgdad, staging the Iraq handover two days early, the success of the G-8 summit here, the new UN resolution. Also, we have the audacious $80 million in early advertising to keep Kerry from reinventing himself, and the 24-hour response ad to Kerry's book which he represented as an outline for the WOT.
Now think of a single clever thing that Kerry's done. He got Ter-ay-zah to give him half of her Boston mansion so that he could mortgage half of it to keep his hopes alive in Iowa. In hindsight, a very smart, decisive (or desperate) move. Now he has to repay it with donations before his Convention or he's stuck with it. Even Ter-ay-zah can't repay it for him (illegal campaign contribution), and the interest alone is more than his Senate salary--which he's drawing but not earning.
Bush is a consummate executive with an excellent team working with him. Kerry is an arrogant loner, who had very few friends in the Senate. He has no executive experience, and the Bush team will run circles around him.
What was Gephard's draw in the primaries?
This explains Kerry's outreach (with palm up) in the "rural midwest" swooping downwards from Minnesota.
Unfortunately, these coups by Bush are nullified by his inability or unwillingness to really get on the stick and publicize these achievements. It's like he's too modest to blow his own horn, but in a campaign that's a recipe for disaster. He simply has to do a better job of PR, especially on the economy and Iraq. Come to think of it, those are the only two issues worth discussing in this election. He can't just sit back and let the media, foursquare behind Kerry, nullify his accomplishments.