Labor Day is supposed to kick off the Democratic 2004 presidential race, but this year it marked the kickoff of the frantic race to catch up with anti-war front-runner Howard Dean.
Rival Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) today “officially” launches his own sagging campaign in hopes of jump-starting it – after a weekend of blasting Dean as a soft-on-defense tax-hiker who can’t beat President Bush.
“We need to win,” Kerry insisted yesterday, adding that the only way to win is with someone who can convince Americans he’s strong on terrorism.
But Kerry’s campaign launch is a key to his problems: He’s doing it in South Carolina instead of his home state of Massachusetts in what’s widely seen as a move to create a fallback position in case he loses New Hampshire.
The Democratic field
HOWARD DEAN (ex-Vermont governor)
Odds: 2-1
Status: Surprise frontrunner
Message: I’m the angriest at Bush
Strategy: Win Iowa and New Hampshire (now leads in both), then call for unity.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-Mass.)
Odds: 4-1
Status: Slipping ex-frontrunner
Message: I’m a Vietnam vet
Strategy: Must win New Hampshire (where Dean leads by more than 2-1) or it’s over.
REP. DICK GEPHARDT (D-Mo.)
Odds: 5-2
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D-Conn.)
Odds: 15-1
Status: Lonely Dem centrist
Message: Iraq was a just war
Strategy: Win somewhere early, but Delaware won’t be enough.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-N.C.)
Odds: 12-1
(Ret.) GEN. WESLEY CLARK
Odds: 10-1