Dems Face Off in Bellwether State: Missouri
On a bustling corner in Clayton, Mo., a sumptuous St.
Louis suburb, Mike Flavin was clearing unsold
newspapers from his newsstand shelves. The headline on
Wednesday's editions read, "Kerry Wins New Hampshire."
Flavin said he hadn't thought much about Tuesday's
Missouri Democratic primary because he had planned to
pull the lever for his local congressman, *****
Gephardt. Other candidates were staying away from the
"Show Me" state.
Missouri had seemed likely to be a lost opportunity for
Democrats looking to prove their appeal in moderate
states that decide national elections. It has the
largest cache of delegates at stake on "mini-Super
Tuesday," and is one of a few demographically and
politically diverse states truly up for grabs Nov. 2.
But when Gephardt dropped out the day after Iowa's Jan.
19 caucuses, all that changed. Missourians and the
candidates themselves were left with little time to
size each other up and make a match. And like Democrats
all over the country, whatever issue inflamed them -
the economy far eclipses the war in local polls -
voters here are seeking the man most likely to win.
"I care about issues and I have ideals," said Flavin.
"But I have one criterion: Which candidate can beat
George Bush?"
The candidates who moved most quickly to fill the
Gephardt vacuum were Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Sen.
John Edwards (D-N.C.). Kerry has garnered the most
endorsements, including the mayor of St. Louis and two
former U.S. senators. Edwards got the support of the
lieutenant governor and the mayor of Kansas City. Both
have hired Gephardt staffers. Both drew boisterous
crowds at Wednesday rallies in key swing suburbs.
"I want to see if someone can get my blood moving,"
said Pat Cioci, 71, a retired picture-framer who
buttoned up against the chill to see both Kerry and
Edwards. "I want to see if I'm just going to vote for
someone, or try to sell him to my neighbors. There
isn't much time to get up to speed."
On the twin influences of inevitability (winning the
nomination) and electability (competing in November),
Kerry has surged in polls here. But Kerry forces can't
coast, because many voters,especially non-Democratic
moderates allowed to vote in the primary, say they
haven't been shown enough to be swayed.
In a nation divided between Republican red and
Democratic blue states, Missouri is a purple state - a
blend of the two colors. Like New York, it has urban
minorities and suburban and rural whites, all of whom
clash and come together in shifting alliances over
state budget priorities and political contests.
So as Cioci, Flavin and other Missourians go, so goes
the candidate, the party and the nation. The dreams of
***** Gephardt notwithstanding, a competitive primary is
best for all.
Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.
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LP
In politics, moderation is the best policy.
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