| Silent Primary |
7 April 2003
|
Edwards Takes Early Nomination Lead
The Democrats have already picked their first string team for primary season. No surprise that the money raising efforts have determined who is in and who is out. The only surprise is that Democratic activists still believe that the primary balloting will matter. Choosing a nominee for both major parties has become a magician's trick, letting the audience choose from among a pre-selected set of choices that vary only slightly from one another. There's less manipulation in a game of three-card monte.
Coming out on top of the "silent" primary was Senator Edwards from South Carolina with more than $7 million. Senator Kerry followed a few hundred thousand behind. Senator Lieberman, who might have figured to score better, has but $3 million. And, so one sees that Mr. Edwards has established credibility among the party's monied few, and in the end, that will carry the final nominee over the top.
Mr. Edwards is yet another conservative southerner, the only kind of politicians the Democrats have managed to elect as president since 1960. Unless he stumbles by dallying with an intern or cheating on his taxes, one must like his chances.
As for Mr. Al Sharpton, former-Senator Braun, and ex-Governor Dean of Vermont, they aren't there to win. They are there to make the game look straight. There is a chance that they themselves know that, but one doubts it.