Political Alchemy: Caucus Winners Turn Votes in Iowa Into Gold for NH

[Freddie Stubbs]

By GLEN JUSTICE

Published: January 21, 2004

DES MOINES, Jan. 20 — Flushed from strong showings in the Iowa caucuses, Senator John Kerry on Tuesday joined in a conference call with 250 of his largest fund-raisers, and Senator John Edwards traveled to Boston and New York to raise money.

In the hours after the two finished first and second in the caucuses, they moved from counting voters to courting donors in hopes of capitalizing on their performance. Aides to Mr. Kerry said the Iowa results had pumped life into his wheezing fund-raising. Mr. Edwards's lieutenants said they voting had given him renewed credibility.

"What has happened is that John Edwards has become a much more public candidate," Fred Baron, a financial co-chairman for Mr. Edwards's campaign, said. "When you are doing fund-raising and no one knows your candidate and his message, it's difficult to do."

Though they were fund-raising leaders early in the race, Mr. Edwards and Mr. Kerry saw contributions slow substantially in recent months as Howard Dean's momentum and Internet-based fund-raising network made him the financial leader.

more: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/21/politics/campaigns/21CONT.html