US Democratic front-runner Kerry taks two states in South

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 11, 2004

US Democratic front-runner Kerry taks two states in South

US Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry easily won primaries in two southern states Tuesday, effectively proving that he can attract voters in a traditionally conservative region.

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US Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry easily won primaries in two southern states Tuesday, effectively proving that he can attract voters in a traditionally conservative region.

With 82 percent of the vote in the Virginia primary counted, Kerry pocketed 51 percent, followed by John Edwards of North Carolina with 27 percent and retired general Wesley Clark of Arkansas with 9 percent. Both Edwards and Clark are from the South.

In Tennessee, where polls closed one hour later than Virginia, Kerry was also projected by major television networks as the winner.

These would be Kerry's first win in the South, a region where voters traditionally favor Republicans in general elections. His victories challenged the assertion of Edwards and Clark that they have more appeal in the South than the front-running Massachusettssenator.

The results also overshadowed the prospect of Edwards and Clark's future competition Kerry. Edwards only won his neighboring state of South Carolina, while Clark won his neighboring state of Oklahoma.

Edwards has insisted that whatever happened Tuesday, he would go on to next week's pivotal primary in Wisconsin. Clark reportedly considered dropping out of the race, and fund-raiser scheduled for Wednesday night in Houston has been canceled.

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean, who was the one-time front-runner but has not won any of the 14 contests, on Tuesday described the Wisconsin contest as "a make-or-break state for us in many ways."

Dean is planning to make a stand next Tuesday in Wisconsin after backing away Monday from earlier comments that he would giveup the fight if he lose in that state.

Kerry has now won 12 of the 14 Democratic nomination contests, consolidating his commanding lead in the bid for the nomination. The senator has started to position himself as the eventual nominee and shifted his attention away from his rivals to President George W. Bush, his rival in November.

As in previous states, voters in Virginia and Tennessee said they were looking for the best candidate to beat Bush, and exit polls showed more than two-thirds said Kerry was the candidate.

The latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll showed Kerry is now the choice of a majority of Democratic voters nationwide, well ahead of Edwards, Clark and Dean. The poll also showed Kerry is in a virtual dead heat with Bush in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up.

Source: Xinhua

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