What I think the candidates should do now (or Democratic "strategery"):
Please see full entry below. Comment and/or critique at your pleasure.
Kerry - Kerry is winning everything. Unless he has a Chappaquiddick moment, he will be the nominee. Potential damaging revelations and/or mini-scandals, like the stuff Dean was hit with in Dec. and Jan. will not be enough to stop his momentum, though they might dent it a bit. He should begin now to reach out to the whole spectrum of Democratic voters magnanimously. He needs the populism and charisma of Edwards, the activism and fighting spirit of Dean (and his supporters), and the various other pluses that all the candidates from Clark down to Gephardt, Kucinich and even Sharpton can bring to the table for November (I exclude Mr. Joementum for obvious reasons). Without this broad-based support in the fall, he will crumble or revert to his passive self. His goal now is not to win primaries nor to win the nomination, but to solidify the party base in preparation for the convention and begin to attract the swing voters.
Edwards - I don't think he should drop out until after 9 Mar. That is the last heavy concentration of Southern primaries, and he will be able to grab quite a few delegates there, probably more than on 2 Mar., which is a Kerry-supporter's fantasy (4 NE states + NY). I don't think it will get him the nomination, but it will bring him a strong shot at VP, and will increase his stature in the party for possible future runs (he could be great in 2012, for example). Since he and Dean have decided not to fight dirty and go negative on Kerry, there is no reason for either of them to drop out to "preserve party unity." Instead, they could all become very strong voices for the Democratic Party in November.
Dean - Despite his strong showings in Washington and Maine, he still fell behind Kerry by double-digits. The same will likely be the case in Wisconsin. However, I don't think Dean should drop out then, either. Geographically, Super-Tuesday is set up for Kerry/Dean as 1 and 2 much more than for Kerry/Edwards. He will get a good chunk of NY and CA's delegates, and he might even win a state at last with Vermont, though even that isn't a lock with the current Kerry steamroll. After 2 Mar., he should probably call it quits, however, barring some unforeseen miracle. Unlike Edwards, I don't think Dean has any shot at VP (two New-Englanders?!), but it would be a shame to lose out on what he can bring to the party so soon before the convention. I hope that he will be able to find a spot in a Kerry administration - I'm not sure how he would fit in, but there must be a place for the good doctor. Although his Iowa "perfect storm" imploded, and his "50-state strategy" therefore bit the dust, he still should be rightly commended for fostering an unprecedented level of activism and popular participation that is essential for the future of democracy. I hope the message isn't lost just because the messenger didn't come in first.
Clark - OK, so he already dropped out. But I've got to hand it to him, the guy had class. I think he would have made a fine President, but he just wasn't that great of a politician (Okla. not withstanding). I hope that he can still be a strong voice in the foreign policy arena, as he clearly has experience and knows his stuff. He would be great in a Cabinet position or an ambassadorship, or maybe as National Security Advisor.
Kucinich - He should stay in just to make sure the real left still has a voice somewhere.
Sharpton - He has no money and no chance, but the guy is a wordsmith with the best one-liners of the entire campaign season. Just set him up with a talk show and let him go to work.
All in all, I have been staggeringly impressed by the Democratic candidates this year. Each of them could do a fine job as President. I am not a Democrat myself (not a member of any party), and I always try to vote for who I feel is truly the best for any office, regardless of party. I don't agree with any party on 100% of the issues, so in my time, I've voted for Democrats, Greens, Independents, even a Republican or two (gasp!!). But, I have to say that any one of the Democrats this year stands head and shoulders above Bush, and I will likely be voting for whoever it may be, regardless of whether or not they are my first choice among all candidates. (Unless, of course, it's a complete blowout in my state, in which case it will be a write-in for Dean. What can I say, I like the guy. Truman would have lost in 2004, too.)
