US: As Democrats in 10 states voted in the Super Tuesday primaries yesterday, a ground swell appeared to be building for a Kerry-Edwards ticket to fight the presidential election in November, writes Conor O'Clery in Washington
Exit polls last night showed Senator John Kerry leading strongly in the key states of New York and Ohio, as well as Maryland, Connecticut, Massachsetts and Rhode Island. He was 24 points ahead in Ohio and up 12 over Senator John Edwards in Georgia. Up to last night Mr Edwards had not conceded defeat.
The idea that Senator Kerry should pick him as running mate has was given momentum by a CBS poll showing that the team would beat President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney by 50-42 per cent (On his own Mr Kerry breaks even with Mr Bush). A national poll by Case Western Reserve University shows that 25 per cent of voters support the populist North Carolina senator as vice president candidate, far ahead of his rivals.
Officials in the Kerry campaign say Mr Edwards would bring a southern dimension to the platform of the New England front-runner, and that he is on the list of possibilities. Mr Kerry and Mr Edwards are said to have a cordial but not close relationship, though the Massachusetts senator denied reports yesterday that the two were distant, saying: "I'd describe us as friends, good friends." A key figure in any negotiations could be Senator Edward Kennedy who is a fan of Mr Edwards but who lent his chief of staff to run the Kerry campaign when it was faltering last year.
There was also renewed speculation about whether Mr Cheney would still be on the Republican ticket in November.
Polls show that voters would prefer Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell 32-24 over Mr Cheney. Possibly aiming to consolidate his position, the reclusive but powerful vice president gave a rare interview yesterday, telling CNN that dropping out was not on his mind and emphasising that Mr Bush had asked him to serve again and that he had agreed.
In the Democratic contests yesterday, 1,151 delegates to the party's convention in July were decided, more than half the 2,162 needed to secure the nomination. The voting took place in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Senator Kerry began the day with 727 delegates to Senator Edwards's 212. The Massachusetts senator, winner of 18 of the first 20 contests told cheering supporters in Georgia, "I come here tonight to mark the beginning of the end of the Bush presidency." Mr Kerry's campaign has also been upgraded with a bigger travelling plane and secret service protection.
Acting on the assumption that Mr Kerry is now the inevitable Democratic nominee, the Bush-Cheney campaign will tomorrow begin an advertising blitz from a $103 million campaign fund against the Massachusetts senator in 17 key states. "It's time now to turn to a two-man general election contest," Bush campaign spokesman Mr Terry Holt said. Democratic Party chairman Mr Terry McAuliffe stated last night: "On Thursday the Republicans will light up their campaign with $103 million. As soon as we get together with our nominee we will also light up our campaign, and we have millions in the bank." A pro-Democratic online group will run commercials in the same 17 states to counter the Bush assault, spending $1.9 million in five days of advertising.
Their initiative means that there will be a response to the Bush ads in the time when the Democratic National Committee is waiting for a nominee to be confirmed. MoveOn.org started running anti-Bush ads in September, usually labelling Mr Bush as a "misleader".
Mr Bush pressed his case to be re-elected in a speech in Washington where he portrayed himself as the commander in chief to lead America in time of danger. "Our enemies are wounded but they are not broken," he said. "They still have a desire to strike America again. That's the reality with which we live."