Dean Out, Edwards Up, Kerry Moving

Well, it finally happened. After the voters in Wisconsin dumped him like a piece of stinky cheese, Howard Dean suspended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Meanwhile, North Carolina senator John Edwards finished second in the Wisconsin primary, and much closer - six percentage points behind John Kerry - than the polls predicted.

Despite the disruption Edwards's showing causes the Kerry campaign going into Super Tuesday, this outcome could be good for the Democrats overall. First, this keeps the two major Democratic candidates and their policy proposals in the spotlight at a time when George W. Bush has trouble selling his policies - and he can normally sell brass knuckles to Quakers! Secondly, it leaves Bush with less of a clear idea of who the Democratic nominee is going to be, as Edwards could theoretically overtake Kerry in the near future. (Not likely, though, but still an intriguing thought.) In fact, Edwards beats Bush in a hypothetical matchup in a recent CNN/Gallup poll as handily as Kerry does. Thirdly, the short-term continuation of the primary race allows Edwards and Kerry - especially Kerry, who needs the practice - to sharpen their campaigning skills in a possible match-up with Bush in the general election campaign.

Bush, though, is betting that Kerry will oppose him in November, and he and Karl Rove will soon be ready to spend some of their money to tear Kerry down at a time when Kerry needs to raise more campaign funds. But then there's Howard Dean. Dean has a formidable base of voters, he is working to convert his campaign into an organization to support the Democratic presidential nominee and other Democratic candidates, and he is determined to help beat Bush in any way he can. And he knows how to raise money. It comes down to this:

Kerry's war chest: $4,000,000
Bush's war chest: $100,000,000
The will of the Democrats to defeat Bush in November: priceless

Bush is presiding over a country with a tanking economy and a poorly executed war in Iraq. He and the Republicans should realize that there are some things money can't buy - like votes.

(P.S. Dennis who? Al what?)