Rivals chasing Kerry in Iowa; Pace picks up as caucuses loom

[Feanorcurufinwe]

As Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's lead blossoms in public opinion polls in Iowa, other candidates are laboring to keep pace heading into Monday's first-in-the-nation caucuses that set Democrats off on a break-neck pace to name their challenger to President Bush.

Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, now sitting a close fourth in a tracking poll by Zogby International of Utica, N.Y., brought his populist campaign to this eastern Iowa city yesterday to inspire supporters to action.

Acknowledging his short tenure of five years in the U.S. Senate, Edwards pointed to his previous career as a trial lawyer and his southern upbringing as reasons he is qualified to be the next president of the United States.

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The Zogby poll has Edwards at 17 percent in the polls, seven points behind front-running John Kerry. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is tied in second place with Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt at 19 percent. The caucuses here have boiled down to a four-man race. Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich is a distant fifth place, deep into the single digits.

The race has generated record interest in Monday's caucuses. Christopher Ludlow, spokesman for Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver, said as many as 125,000 Democrats are expected to participate. "The energy for the caucuses has reached a fever pitch," said Ludlow yesterday. "It seems like people are really excited. I will go on record saying this is going to be a record turnout."
http://www.post-gazette.com/election/20040117iowa400elect1p1.asp

[oasis]

1. "record turnout" . Stand up and be counted Iowa Democrats. Make us proud.