Interesting piece in the Washington Times this week. (Never thought I'd hear myself saying that.)

'Dead men walking' urged to quit '04 race

Strategists for the Democratic front-runners for president are suggesting that the weakest rivals should consider dropping out of the race to help the top contenders build support in the primaries.

...

There is a growing feeling in the party's leadership that several contenders will abandon their races before the end of the year, said one party adviser, who has worked with the Democratic National Committee and with House and Senate Democratic leaders on election strategy. Those candidates have not been able to break out of single digits in most polls for next year's state primaries.

Nice in theory, but is it realistic? The ones at the absolute back are the very ones who always knew it was hopeless, and are in it just to make a point. So why would they drop out? Seems to me like the best hope lies in the middle: Gephardt, Graham . . . and that's about it. MAYBE Kucinich. Eventaully Edwards, if he doesn't get going. But he'll stay in for awhile. He's young and he's raised a lot of money. Seems like at the least he'll want to rev up name recognition for the next time. He's come this far already.

(It also makes me smile to consider that three months ago, all the stupid pundits would have put Dean on that dead-man list. Now he and Kerry are considered the frontrunners that everyone is supposed to clear the field for. Personally, I think it's silly not to give hopeless candidates like Kucinich and Sharpton more time to prove whatever they want to prove. But old deadwood like Gephardt ought to bow out any day now. And make room for Wesley Clark.)