Sunday, January 18, 2004
I haven't been trying to decipher Iowa's caucus system, but I will await the results of tomorrow's vote with a lot of anticipation. The broadening of the race is an overdue development. Dean's prior frontrunner status let him set the campaign agenda in a way that helps his narrow primary objectives but which was also detrimental to the party as a whole. Now we can see a wider range of proposals, and the campaign rhetoric might move beyond the ad hominem attacks that marred the earlier race. John Edwards' choice to stay positive may prove especially wise. Democratic voters deserve a contested primary and they deserve to hear the issues and proposals thrashed out. Al Gore to the contrary, they may be about to get the primary they deserve.
