SRS,

I understand where you're coming from. Here are a couple of points to think about

(1) No one will still have momentum when the General comes around. Momentum can only determine who will win the nomination, and then only if we let it.

(2) Momentum is a media-generated effect. If we want any hope of momentum to carry into the general, we need to keep the media intersted by prolonging the Democratic horse race as long as possible. The reason Bush is on the ropes right now is that there a bunch of Democrats in the news every day lambasting him. The sooner this narrows to one candidate, the more we let the idea of "momentum" take over, the sooner the media will stop reporting it as a horse race. This accomplishes two things for Bush. It takes the Democrats out of the news early, and it allows Bush's planning people to focus on one person early.

(3) Bill Clinton did not secure the nomination until June 1992. He did not have much momentum at this stage of the race either. If we had given up at this stage in 1992 and voted in the primaries on the basis of "momentum" Clinton would not have been the nominee, and Bush I would probably have had a second term.

(4) Once again, Kerry is a Wal Mart Millionaire. Yuck! I'll vote for him in the general election if I have to, but I'm going to see if I can get Dean nominated first.