Kerry Likely Dems' Candidate -- But Not 'Family Friendly,' Says Massachusetts Activist
by Bill Fancher and Chad Groening
February 4, 2004
(AgapePress) - Following the results of "Super Tuesday," even conservatives are conceding that John Kerry is the undisputed frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. The senator from Massachusetts could be a formidable opponent for George W. Bush -- but one pro-family advocate from Kerry's home state says the potential nominee has been a major disappointment on family issues.
Kerry marched to victory in five states on Tuesday, but wins by Senator John Edwards in South Carolina and General Wesley Clark in Oklahoma assured that the Democratic presidential race would continue. Kerry came away a winner in Arizona, Missouri, Delaware, North Dakota, and New Mexico.
Senator Joe Lieberman, unable to put together a respectable showing in any state primaries or caucuses thus far, has now dropped out of the race. Former frontrunner Howard Dean, who did not campaign actively in Tuesday's seven states, finished third in four states. Michigan, Washington, and Wisconsin hold the next Democratic primaries on Saturday.
Kerry a 'Formidable' Opponent for Bush
Conservatives are concluding that Kerry is now the man to beat. Howard Phillips of the Conservative Caucus says Kerry's win in five of the primaries defines him as the clear Democratic frontrunner for president.
"Kerry is on a fast track to the nomination," Phillips says. "It appears that Clark and Edwards will ... try to make it a one-on-one race. And of course Dean has his strategy of hoarding his resources and popping up at the last instant in California and some of those [later] primaries."
Phillips says it is very difficult to predict accurately the final outcome in the Democratic Party, but he does expect Kerry to be the nominee -- and a formidable opponent for President Bush. He says both men's military record will be a key factor in their attacks on each other.
"On the one hand, [Kerry] will be critiquing Bush -- or his surrogates will be -- for having gone AWOL when he had a military assignment in Georgia," he predicts. "And on the other hand, [Bush] will be attacking Kerry for having thrown his ribbons, if not his medals, into the ground."
Kerry's action with his military awards was the result of his taking part in anti-war protests upon his return to the U.S. after a hitch in Vietnam. Most observers expect a very angry and intense campaign.
Like Phillips, Gary Bauer of American Values sees Kerry as the ultimate nominee for the Democrats. Bauer, who believes Kerry's wins on Super Tuesday should be a matter of concern for the Bush team, says those victories add to other bad news for the White House.
"The bad news for the Bush Administration is the president's own plummeting poll ratings," Bauer says. "In the latest Gallup/USA Today poll, both Kerry and Edwards are now leading the president -- although in the case of Edwards, it's a statistical dead heat. But on a number of issues, President Bush now has more negatives than positives."
Bauer says Bush must work on shoring up his conservative base.
Kerry Not 'Family Friendly'
Meanwhile, a Massachusetts pro-family activist says Kerry has been a major disappointment on family issues. Ron Crews, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, says while his organization will not endorse any candidate, he is concerned about Kerry's stances on abortion and homosexual rights.
"Senator Kerry has been a disappointment in terms of any reasonable pro-life legislation," Crews says. "Further, [he] has not supported even the constitutional amendment here in our state to preserve the definition of marriage as we've always known it."
Crews thinks Kerry will put on a formidable campaign if ultimately he becomes the nominee for the Democratic Party. "He has proven himself to be a very good campaigner and one who does not give up. He was counted out just a few weeks ago, and now he is back," the pro-family advocate says.
Crews says the president and those who hold traditional family values to heart should be concerned about Kerry's candidacy.
