There are no public polls in Washington state and Maine, but strategists for all four campaigns said Kerry should win easily. Kerry's internal polls show him safely leading in both states, sources close to the senator said.
Dean's strategists hold out a glimmer of hope because Washington has a history of backing underdogs and Maine has a small, unpredictable Democratic voting base.
Confident of victory, Kerry opted not to advertise in the weekend states, though he will travel to them. Dean had no choice; he is short on money and is saving his resources for Wisconsin. And yet, to the dismay of his senior advisers, Dean raised expectations Wednesday.
"We are going to win the Washington caucuses," he said in Seattle.
One top adviser to the former Vermont governor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Dean will regret the remark when he loses. Another aide, when told of Dean's comment, wrote it off as an example of his boss' lack of discipline.
Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe has said any candidate who failed to win a state by the first week in February should assess their candidacy. Will he ask Dean to go?
Dean replaced his campaign manager last week and retooled his campaign, and McAuliffe said, "I think he did assess his candidacy."
"Howard Dean is raising a million a week. ... If he's raising a million a week, he's getting his message out," McAuliffe said in an interview, adding it was up to the voters to determine Dean's political fate.
RSS