This shouldn't come as any great shock:
Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, who sought unsuccessfully to capitalize on his vote-getting prowess in the state that decided the 2000 election, last night ended his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination.
In an appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live," Graham, the former chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said he was becoming the first dropout from the 2004 contest because "I have made the judgment I cannot be elected."
So who will drop out next?
You can rule out the fringe candidates bailing any time soon. Dennis Kucinich, Carol Moseley Braun, and Al Sharpton aren't in it to win, they're in it to. . . uh, they're in it because. . . well, they're at least entertaining, so let's at least hope none of them gets out of the race before Super Tuesday.
But which of the Big Boys -- Dean, Kerry, Gephardt, Clark, Lieberman, or Edwards -- will be the next to go?
My money is on Edwards.
I'll put my money on ol' Joe. Gep and Edwards will stay through the first few primaries but you can tell Lieberman's heart just isn't in it. He looks tired, bored and distracted in every debate and interview, and the only part of his platform that he even seems to believe in is support of Israel.
I believe Lieberman is learining the price for selling one's political soul. The Joe of 1998 would today be a formidable opponent for Bush, but alas, he sold out his attractive moderate and conservative positions for the VP nom and seems unwilling or unable to go back.
He's out before NH or sooner if the economy takes off and robs Lieberman of his main legitimate ideological opposition to Bush.
No point in Edwards dropping out now since he's proclaimed he won't run for re-election to the Senate. Dean, Clark, and Kerry could conceivably win the nomination, so they ain't going anywhere. That leaves Lieby.
No point in Edwards dropping out now since he's proclaimed he won't run for re-election to the Senate. Dean, Clark, and Kerry could conceivably win the nomination, so they ain't going anywhere. That leaves Lieby.
Florida papers say that the old cracker gets to keep the cool million left in his campaign chest.
Strange, the libs who claim to disdain the old evil gilt are the ones who can't seem to get enough of it.
Who will fill the void? See Instapundit on who turned in an application to the FEC to run for preasident in 2004.
