CLASH OF THE TITANS

Kerry and Dean Set on a Collision Course: Pointed Toward Same Democratic Destination, They're Also Vying for Same Voters (Dan Balz, July 13, 2003, The Washington Post )

They have circled one another warily for months, a study in political contrasts. One is the tall, cool Bostonian who exudes stature and experience in the world; the other the short, intense Vermont transplant who projects energy, passion and a determination to upend the politics of his own party.

Now Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and former Vermont governor Howard Dean are on a collision course in their bids for the Democratic presidential nomination. They skirmished briefly in the spring over patriotism, courage and the qualities required of a commander in chief in an age of terrorism. With Dean's sudden emergence, a decisive clash appears inevitable, one that will have a significant impact on the outcome of the Democratic race.

Along with Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.), Kerry and Dean make up the top tier of the Democratic field of nine candidates, but by dint of geography and demography, the two New Englanders often find themselves fishing in the same pond, fighting over the same voters: white, liberal, moderately affluent, well-educated, mostly antiwar, vehemently anti-President Bush.

These prospective Democratic voters find themselves in a head-vs.-heart debate over whether to support Kerry or Dean. In Kerry, they see someone with the credentials to be president, but they worry about his passion and ability to excite an electorate. In Dean, they see the opposite, a blunt and inspirational politician willing to challenge Bush, but they wonder whether someone with his experience and views can win.

We haven't felt this much competitive tension since Upper Volta played Burkina Faso in World Cup soccer... Posted by Orrin Judd at July 13, 2003 12:30 PM