Kerry cements nomination

2004-03-03 07:55

Washington - John Kerry cemented the Democratic presidential nomination, driving rival John Edwards from the race with a string of triumphs that catapulted the Massachusetts senator into an eight-month struggle to oust President George W Bush.

Dominating all rivals, Kerry won 27 of 30 elections as each victory fed the next, building momentum that persuaded Democrats he could beat Bush.

On a day dubbed Super Tuesday, 10 states with a combined population of 94 million - one-third of the US total - awarded 1 151 delegates, more than half of the 2 162 needed to seize the nomination at the party's national convention this summer.

In every region, Democrats said their top priority was a candidate who could defeat a wartime president with a $100m-plus campaign treasury. Kerry now leads a relatively united party against Bush.

"I am a fighter, and for more than 30 years I have been on the battle lines, on the front lines, for fairness and mainstream American values," Kerry told cheering supporters in Washington, promising to close tax loopholes, offer new incentives for manufacturers, protect the environment, raise the minimum wage and cut health care costs. P> Warm and fuzzy

Strategists in both parties say the general election may be one of the nastiest in memory, with both camps seeking to energise their core supporters. In a polarised nation, there are fewer swing voters to be courted with warm-and-fuzzy politicking, they say.

Pivoting quickly to the November 2 election, Kerry immediately put in place a process to review potential vice presidential candidates, according to senior advisers. They said it was possible Kerry would choose a nominee well before the Democratic nominating convention in his hometown of Boston in July.

Kerry called Edwards, whose lone win was South Carolina, "A great voice for our party." He commended another fallen rival, Howard Dean, in an effort to unite the party.

Calling Kerry "my friend," Edwards told supporters in Atlanta, "He's been an extraordinary advocate for causes that all of us believe in."

Kerry rolled up huge Super Tuesday triumphs in California, New York, Ohio, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Minnesota and his home state of Massachusetts, as well as a razor-thin win in Georgia. Dean denied Kerry a sweep, winning his home state of Vermont two weeks after dropping out of the race.

His poll ratings slipping, Bush begins a multimillion-dollar TV ad blitz on Thursday designed to bolster his political fortunes. Kerry is prepared to dip into Democratic Party coffers to pay for his own ads, but Bush has a huge cash advantage.

Kerry declined to talk about his advertising or other general election strategies, but said he will be able to compete against the cash-flush Bush.

"The president has an enormous lead. He has extraordinary sums of money... and we're going to have to fight hard to raise money and compete," Kerry said.

- AP