Picking the winner
Well, this proves it. We Democrats are lemmings. And I say Dean supporters should take heart. New poll numbers (posted by Kos) show Kerry romping over Edwards everywhere (including California) but Georgia, where he's merely pasting him. Here's the thing: Edwards doesn't have a likability problem (au contraire), no personality/temperament issues like those that supposedly derailed Dean. Still, voters are convinced it's Kerry. He's the guy. He's won states, and that's why he keeps winning states. Hard to defeat voting rationales like that once the ball starts rolling.

Why should this make Dean people feel better? Because apparently nothing could be done. Democrats simply believe that playing safe is a winning strategy, and that the safe play is old and griseled grizzled, knows Washington inside and out, and served in the military. Edwards is a perfectly good candidate, a far better campaigner, a grand vision to go along with particular plans and some clear dinstinguishing marks from Bush. There's no pro-Kerry reason why the 2 Senators should be anything more than tied. People don't like Kerry more, they don't believe him more, they don't know more about his plans, they don't know more about him. They've simply decided to stop deciding. Edwards will have to raise some serious doubts about Kerry to win anywhere but Georgia (which still will need some work) on March 2. And he has to sound like he really does have doubts.

Are those folks so accustomed to having IA and NH, plus a handful of Southern states, decide that they don't even really want to have to make a choice? I believe the more people focus on a choice between the 2, the more Edwards is the answer. I fear this needless, really mindless, nominating caution could turn into a Bob-Dole-like performance against the incumbent.