Michael Barone handicaps the race:
Kerry may lose in Virginia and/or Tennessee February 10. But he can survive that and put resources into Wisconsin February 17. That may very well be a decisive primary. Everyone still in the race will have to compete there: It is Dean’s target primary, Edwards admitted election night he will have to run there if he wins either contest February 10, and Clark will surely come to the same conclusion. After Wisconsin, there is a two-week period in which the only contests are in Idaho, Utah, and Hawaii February 24. So Kerry–provided he doesn’t make mistakes or get pummeled by the press—is in good shape to clinch the nomination February 17. It’s been a long time since Wisconsin has been a significant primary–at least since 1976, when the primary was held in April. But we may on election night be remembering how Wisconsin crushed Wendell Willkie in 1944 and Douglas MacArthur (a Wisconsin native) in 1948.
February 17 -- that's just 12 days from now.
The game is over. Before Super Tuesday, Edwards had a shot, but Clark's win in Oklahoma sealed his fate, with Clark and Edwards dueling each other for the Southern primary states, neither one will have enough strength left to take down Kerry. Though in your post below, Clark put the Silver Bullets in Bush's gun that he'll need to take out Kerry, in an election much closer than it should be, but not close enough to keep the "Selected not Elected" meme going.
Oh, what the heck... my date cancelled tonight, so I might as well remember how Wisconsin crushed Wendell Willkie in 1944.
yup, it was a rainy night that night too, kinda like here tonight... there were people and rain and an election and voting booths and... wisconsin, it was... wendell willkie was on the list of candidates and... we crushed him, by golly, we did. yup. then we chiseled the results in rock, so the voters in 2004 will remember this crushing. yup. by golly, they will too remember. wendell? well, we crushed him right here. yup. that was us. we did it.
