Monday, January 26, 2004

Loveless (political) marriage: Jacob Levy comapres John Kerry in NH to Bob Dole (sort of). If he's right that northeastern voters are reluctantly lining up for Kerry, it could be problematic for him in the primaries, as well as in a national election. In New Hampshire and Massachusetts Kerry is a pretty well known commodity, so voters can easily see him as the safe candidate, less radical and more electable than Dean. As he moves around the country, though, he'll be faced with voters less familiar with him, and possibly less inclined to see anything safe about him. They may see him as a 2004 version of Ted Kennedy (pretty close) and therefore enelectable. The safe vote may go to an Edwards, a Clintonian newcomer to the national scene.

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