On May 31, 2002, an obscure Governor of Vermont named Howard Dean filed papers with the Federal Election Commission and became the first Democrat to announce his intention to run for President. Now, eighteen months later, a pack of candidates whittled down from nine to six enters a crucial month of campaigning that began with yesterday's primaries and ends with the March 2 "Super Tuesday" primaries, which could determine the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate.
Right in the thick of things is Virginia, whose Feb. 10 primary makes it the second Southern state to vote and a key state for many of the remaining candidates.
The doctor is in
Originally a long-shot candidate, Dean entered the race months before anyone else. Dean's medical and political careers in Vermont co-existed until he became governor in 1991. By most accounts he pursued a balanced policy, mixing social programs, such as extending publicly funded health care to nearly every child, with fiscal measures, including several tax cuts.
Dean has drawn the most attention for his stance against the war in Iraq, in contrast to the more ambiguous positions taken by other Democratic candidates, who have had to reconcile their initial support for military action with increased criticism as the war dragged on.
John F. Kerry
Initially, Kerry was considered to be the first serious candidate to enter the race. After being honored as a war hero for his service in Vietnam, Kerry's political career led him to the United States Senate, where he has served since 1985.
While in the Senate, Kerry led high-profile investigations into the Iran-contra scandal, Panama drug trafficking and the fate of missing or captured American soldiers in Vietnam, but has sponsored little legislation. He has compiled what many groups describe as a liberal voting record, but also has shown support for spending restraints while exploring non-liberal issues. Kerry's campaign has focused on his experience and populist stands on domestic issues.
The general invades
As Howard Dean coverage saturated the media, many Democrats joined a movement to "draft Wesley Clark," and provide an alternative, with a strong background in national security issues. Many influential Democrats and donors also saw Clark as a candidate in the centrist mold of Bill Clinton, a style he has attempted to emulate during his candidacy.
Clark spent nearly his entire career in the military, rising through the ranks to become NATO's Supreme Allied Commander and a key figure in the Balkan campaigns of the late 1990s. Only a few years removed from military service, Clark began contemplating a presidential bid before eventually joining the fray in September 2003, months later than any other candidate.
Young blood
As a rising star in the Democratic Party, John Edwards' entry into the 2004 race was met with some surprise on account of his lack of political experience beyond his single term in the Senate. Born of modest means, Edwards became the first in his family to attend college and later went on to a successful career as a trial lawyer.
Though criticized for his limited exposure to issues of national security and foreign policy, Edwards has received praise for his policy proposals, which many observers describe as more detailed and comprehensive than that of any other candidate. Unique among the candidates, Edwards has kept with a positive campaign tone, which has recently received more attention from voters.
The 'Boy Mayor'
While he has not attracted much attention, Dennis Kucinich has promoted a comprehensive populist platform that is considered to be farther to the left than that of any other candidate.
Kucinich began his political life at a young age in Cleveland. As mayor, he was widely criticized for the city's bankruptcy; though later evidence pointing to other factors led many to suggest that he was not to blame. After leaving public service for several years, Kucinich returned to Ohio politics and was later elected to a House of Representatives seat in 1996.
The reverend sends a message
Though he has never held elective office, Al Sharpton has a long history of civil rights activism. In the 1980s, however, Sharpton earned a reputation for what opponents decried as flamboyant, divisive tactics.
Since then, Sharpton has worked to reform his image, running for public office on three previous occasions, never succeeding but receiving an increasing percentage of the vote each time. His campaign has been based on a top ten list containing proposals for adding what he describes as fundamental human rights, such as health care and voting, to the Constitution.
The life of the party
The last half 2003 saw the dramatic rise of Howard Dean's status from an unknown to the frontrunner. Dean started attracting media attention after amassing the highest fundraising totals of any Democratic candidate, largely consisting of small contributions. Those contributions and Dean's campaign rhetoric led many analysts to argue that he was successfully tapping into voter anger over the Democrats' weak showing in the 2002 midterm elections. By December, Dean had gathered far more money, endorsements, support and media coverage than any other candidate.
Meanwhile, the campaigns of Washington veterans Kerry, Joe Lieberman and Dick Gephardt appeared to stagnate. Other long-shot candidates failed to garner significant support. Edwards' novice status prevented him from gaining much ground while Clark's entry into the race and his subsequent campaign were uneven and also struggled to gain support.
Dean's emergence as a frontrunner quickly made him a target of the other candidates, University Politics Prof. Robert Fatton said.
"It's essentially a horse race," he said.
Comeback Kerry
As they often do in American politics, Iowa and New Hampshire completely changed the structure of the race. The Iowa results
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