a candidate has arrived

I guess we finally have a candidate that may at least
not be a wolf republican in sheeps clothing...This guy
may be the only hope we have of exposing the fear and hatred driven fascism that is transforming america into a perpetual war machine?






WASHINGTON - Howard Dean has grabbed a commanding 21-point lead over rival John Kerry in the latest New Hampshire poll in which voters said they prefer a take-no-prisoners Democrat even if that candidate seemed unlikely to beat President Bush (news - web sites).


AP Photo



The likely Democratic primary voters are realists who acknowledge that Bush is a formidable foe: Almost two-thirds — 64 percent — said they think the president likely will win re-election in 2004.


Dean, who trailed Kerry in polls earlier this year, led the Massachusetts senator 38 percent to 17 percent in the Zogby International poll conducted Aug. 23-26 and released Wednesday.


When asked whether it was more important to have a candidate willing to stand up for what they believe or a candidate who can win in November 2004, voters said they preferred the former by a 2-to-1 margin.


In his campaign against his top Democratic rivals, Dean has argued that they represent "Bush-lite," and he has assailed those lawmakers who have compromised with the president, particularly those who backed the congressional resolution authorizing the use of military force in Iraq (news - web sites).


The August survey comes as Dean has shown political strength in his fund raising, drawn large crowds for his "Sleepless Summer" tour and appeared in ads on New Hampshire television. The state is slated to hold its primary Jan. 27.


"Dean has spent considerable resources on TV so it's not surprising he's increased his numbers in a very fluid electorate," said Kerry spokesman Robert Gibbs. "Kerry has long-term strengths that will stay with him throughout the winter when more voters are paying attention and making their final decisions."


Dean and Kerry were essentially tied in a Zogby poll in June, and the former Vermont governor held a single-digit lead in a recent survey. Still, the latest numbers were somewhat unexpected, even in the Dean campaign.


"We've noticed a definite increase in interest in Governor Dean and his message, but the new poll numbers were certainly a surprise," said Dorie Clark, a spokeswoman for Dean.


Pollster John Zogby said Dean's support was in all regions of the state, among men and women, Democrats and independents, liberals and moderates. Dean took support from another rival, Rep. Dick Gephardt (news - web sites) of Missouri, and from undecided voters.


Gephardt, who was at 11 percent in February, dropped to 6 percent. Undecided voters fell from 29 percent to 23 percent.


Dean's ability to tap into Gephardt's support was evident in a separate New Hampshire poll. Gephardt has made health care coverage the centerpiece of his campaign, yet the survey found that almost three times as many likely primary voters — 54 percent — associate Dean, an internist, with a health care plan than Gephardt, 18 percent.


The bipartisan poll, sponsored by the Service Employees International Union and conducted by Republican Ed Goeas and Democrat Celinda Lake, found rising health care costs was the top campaign issue.


The rest of the Democratic field was in single digits in the Zogby poll. Sen. Joe Lieberman (news - web sites) of Connecticut was at 6 percent, and Sen. John Edwards (news, bio, voting record) of North Carolina, who also is running ads in New Hampshire, was at 4 percent.


Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who is considering a presidential bid, was at 2 percent, while Sen. Bob Graham (news, bio, voting record) of Florida and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (news, bio, voting record) of Ohio were at 1 percent. Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton were at 0 percent.


The Zogby poll of 501 likely primary voters has an error margin of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

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