Hunting The Muse

Kerry, Dean, and New Hampshire

Kerry has beaten Dean handily in New Hampshire, although both have outscored the other candidates by just as wide a margin.

Dean's got his work cut out for him. One thing I found interesting in the exit polls is that 30% of the voters thought the most important quality was someone who will stand up for their beliefs. They preferred Dean by a 2-1 margin. The next most important quality - 20% - was someone who could beat George Bush. They preferred Kerry by a 6-1 margin.

This is the argument I've been making all along, and Dean needs to get out ahead of it now. If someone doesn't stand up for what they believe, they won't be able to beat Bush. This is the whole point of the Dean candidacy. Dean needs to make it about who will fold, and who won't.

There's a large expectation now that Dean won't be the nominee, and who knows... it may be too much to overcome, it may not.

Posted by Curt at January 27, 2004 09:32 PM