Josh Marshall: Will Kerry be sitting out some Feb. 3 states?

[snyttri]

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_01_25.html#002487

A major backdrop to this contest in New Hampshire continues to be the fact that the two candidates with the most wind at their back -- Kerry and Edwards -- are also the ones who have the fewest resources in place to contest the primaries which will come rapidly, week after week, after next Tuesday.

Dean, of course, has spent the last couple months using all those Internet dollars to build up organizations and infrastructure in states across the country. And Clark, though to a lesser extent, has done the same.

As we reported here a couple days ago, Clark has snatched up a few dozen campaign workers from Gephardt's operation in Iowa and sent them off to post-New Hampshire states across the country. (In at least some of those cases Edwards was in competition for those operatives. But Clark had the money.)

The shorthand you hear from reporters is that Kerry has "nothing" on the ground in those states. And that can't be quite true. But after Kerry's town hall meeting in Manchester on Friday one of his top aides told us that he would probably not even compete in all seven of the states that vote on February 3rd. When asked which ones they'd contest, he told us they were "nowhere near figuring that out."

[Leilani]

1. Kerry has the establishment in each state

Just like Shaheen in NH

The local pols will do the work, but it's not grassroots people like Dean & Clark.

[JI7]

3. so all those who voted kerry were establishment ?

?

[Leilani]

6. Not all the voters

But the ground work is done by the local political machine to turn out the vote.

[KoKo]

5. Actually, I agree Leilani. The Dem establishment can handle it if he wins

strongly in New Hampshire. But, Dean will still have enough organization to keep nipping away. He also has money. If Clark comes in third, he could get some more funds.

I hope we can keep four in through SC, though. Dean, Clark, Edwards, Kerry. I would wish for Kucinich also. But that's probably not an option.

[bicentennial_baby]

2. This is a concern

and it should be for gloating Kerry supporters, imho.

[Democrats unite]

4. He might as well

He's going to bad in all of them.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. Kerry Takes the Lead in Arizona Democratic Primary

John Kerry has surged to the lead in Arizona's Feb. 3 Democratic primary election, according to a poll to be published Sunday by the state's largest newspaper, The Arizona Republic.

The Republic's poll showed Kerry getting 19 percent of the vote, narrowly ahead of Wesley Clark at 17 percent. They are followed by Howard Dean at 14 percent, John Edwards at 9 percent and Joe Lieberman at 6 percent.

Kerry's lead is noteworthy in light of his weak showing in a Republic poll taken three weeks earlier. In late December, Kerry was in sixth place in Arizona with only 3 percent support. He then trailed Dean, Clark, Lieberman, Edwards and Dick Gephardt, in that order.

<snip>

In The Republic's latest poll, Kerry fared even better when voters were asked which Democrat had the best chance to defeat President Bush in November. Kerry led with 32 percent, followed by Wesley Clark at 19 percent and Howard Dean at 15 percent.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040124/lasa002_1.html

[Quixote1818]

7. Witch States Will Kerry Then Go After?

Seems to me he needs to try to knock off Clark and forget trying to compete in South Carolina with Edwards and Clark. Clark may just go for second in South Carolina and try to protect whear he is really stong in the South West. Kerry will definately go after Missouri whear he is doing well and Clark is not.

[JI7]

9. he has to win new hampshire first

plans will depend on how he does in new hampshire.