Implosion:

       There are some moments in politics that are just a pleasure to watch.

       The fallout after the Iowa Caucuses was one of them.

       And as the campaign rolled onward, or downward, the entertainment value just grew and grew day by day.

       Most of the 'also ran' candidates spend all their money and then have to make one single primary their make or break event, and they are so much fun to follow in the process. Several of the Democrats, most notably Missouri Rep Dick Gephardt did just that in Iowa and now Dean in Wisconsin. Oh, yeah, there was Lieberman in Delaware and Clark... well, just about everywhere.

       And when they don't do well, which seems to be what happens more often than not, they pack up and go home. Leaving those that bought into their road show holding an empty bag, and checkbook.

       Watching a major presidential campaign implode is one of the best parts of political coverage.

       Howard Dean's massive organization simply evaporated right before our eyes. Lieberman's local office went from a bee hive of activity to an empty storefront with a pile of boxes with 'TRASH' written in marker on one side sitting near the door in less than two days.
       The first sign of trouble is usually when the candidate fires at least parts of the ranking staff -OR- some major player takes another job on short notice.
       "Today the Joe Schmedly for President campaign headquarters announced that Political Policy Director Ben Sharpee is leaving to become the director of fundraising for the Port Fogworth Free Library. His departure is said to have already happened. There is nobody named to fill the vacancy."

       Almost as much fun is reading between the lines as to who is being blamed for what.

       Howard Dean had blamed everybody from his own Campaign Manager and Rush Limbaugh to CNN for his 'freefall' after his scream in Iowa. Sorry Dr. Dean, it is nobody's fault but yours that you are an idiot and do stupid things in front of TV cameras.
       Clark was seen, even by the Desk, as an excellent candidate, until he started campaigning that is. Then his own missteps and nonsense statements did him in without any screaming.
       Lieberman didn't need any other help to kill his campaign other than more loyalty to AlGore than AlGore ever had to anybody.

       Of course there is the one act play campaign of Al Sharpton who simply proved that racism won't sell to a national audience like it used to. Not even to very liberal Democrat primary voters.
       Same with Carol Mosley-Braun, she had no message and no platform, and no real qualifications other than she was a Clintonite appointee to a title-only Federal post with nothing under her.

       No candidate is going to admit that they're actually a bumbling loser and can't speak more than two complete sentences without their brain locking up.
       No politician is ever going to step back and sigh and state publicly for the record that their message is so much garbola that went out of style thirty years ago.
       No national party brain trust is ever going to get on the Sunday Morning talk shows and put their hands flat on the table and say they can't find a candidate that doesn't have a serious personality disorder and needs heavy medication and maybe even electric shock therapy.

       But even as Kerry waltzes to what seems to be a certain nomination at this point, the odds division of the Desk still sees the General Election as W's to lose.
       With a couple of conditions. The economy has to keep growing, and the War on Terror has to at least turn some sort of corner.

       But the good news is that the Hillary Factor has waned somewhat, but a Kerry/Hillary ticket would still be the Dems best chance to send Bush back to Texas.

       Now about Mr. Kerry.

       The Desk had pegged him as a pack horse behind Dean and Clark. Which he was. But when Clark came down with diarrhea of the mouth and positions on issues even wackier than Dean's, Kerry moved up a notch. One good "Arrrgggghhh" and the lead was his. If he could hold it.
       It seems he is holding it.
       March Second may make the nut for him.

       The other candidates are of course squawking about how nobody is mathematically eliminated from the nomination until sometime in late April.
       Well, sure. OK. No problem.
       And, mathematically speaking, the Desk may win the Powerball Lottery this weekend.
       Now let's talk REALISTICALLY.

       Yeah, right.

       Those two words are enough reality for any political discussion, moving on…

       Right Now, The Day Before the Wisconsin Primary, Kerry and Bush are in a dead heat nationally if the General Election were tomorrow.

       Eh… well… maybe.

       The Desk still has W ahead by enough to win given everything but Hillary as Veep on the Dem side.

       If Kerry picks her, and she takes it as a stepping stone to 2008 or 2012, W may be in trouble.

-30-

[NOTE: The Desk is registered as a Conservative Independent Libertarian. It has never voted for a winning candidate in any major election, although it votes in every major election. thank you]

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