TOO MUCH GROUND TO CATCH UP:

Kerry’s Last Stand: Coming to you live from New Hampshire. (Mugger, 12/10/03, NY Press)

Kerry’s freefall is so pronounced–the latest Zogby poll has Dean leading Kerry in New Hampshire by 30 points–that even Dana Milbank, the Washington Post nudnik who specializes in needling President Bush on the most picayune details, has tossed Kerry overboard. It’s just another indication that the Democratic establishment, which includes the Post and New York Times, is looking to the goofy Wesley Clark, Dick Gephardt or even John Edwards to square off with Dean in the expected two-man contest for the nomination. These newspapers, like many a scared-silly Democratic congressman, dread having Dean atop the ticket in November, fearful that not only Bush would win convincingly but that he’d have long coattails as well.

In any case, Milbank last Sunday tweaked Kerry for fibbing about his primary chances. He writes: "The polls have not been kind to erstwhile front-runner John Kerry, so the Democratic presidential candidate has settled on a novel solution: make ’em up." He then catches Kerry saying on a CBS talk show that at this point four years ago "John McCain [who trounced Bush in New Hampshire] was 30 points behind Bush in New Hampshire." Milbank, obviously not worrying about covering a President Kerry, points out that in reality McCain was ahead of Bush–by seven points in an American Research poll; by 15 in a Franklin Pierce College survey–and suggests that Massachusetts’ junior senator invest in a better research team.

It always seemed that Joe Lieberman was the most likely to bail--he isn't even really running as far as one can tell--but now that Al Gore has back-stabbed him and apparently woken Mr. Lieberman up, Senator Kerry looks like the new favorite to be the first to quit the race.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 12, 2003 11:32 PM