  New Hampshire primary is complete, and it is increasingly obvious that John Friggen Kerrey is starting to walk away from the pack. Fortunately, even with Dean's lackluster second place, he is still alive in this campaign. Mike thinks that Dean's showing will force Kerry to tack to the left, but I don't think that is true just yet. So long as Kerry continues to finish strong, he won't change a thing. If Dean does manage to win a couple of states on Super Tuesday, then Kerry will be forced to respond.
As it is, my initial concerns about a Kerry-Bush matchup are starting to fade. The more I see this guy, the less inspiring he seems. The Dean results in Iowa and New Hampshire have shown that the war is not really a big issue amongst most sane Democratic voters, so this battle will primarily be waged on economic grounds. WHile Bush has serious problems in my eyes, the American public has already established that they like big spending, up to a certain point.
I believe that Kerry goes well beyond the desires of most normal Americans in the scope of his proposed spending. His constant call to end the Bush Tax Cuts won't make him popular with many, especially after we pass through tax season here and so many Americans realize they have overpaid. In general, most of us are going to get a pretty good refund, and the smart will then adjust their withholding. Anyway, it's Kerry and Dean from here, with Edwards comfortably filling the VP slot to bring the South into play.
I do mourn the passing of Clark, since he provided so much entertainment, but he isn't a viable candidate. He is a version of Howard Dean, just a little more laid back but quite a bit more unhinged. So if it comes down to Bush-Kerry, I'm comfortable in predicting another bad four years for sociopathic hyper-agressive muslims. 
