In the Village Voice last week, James Ridgeway suggested the Democrats should pick a new presidential candidate.

“With the air gushing out of John Kerry's balloon,” he wrote, “it may be only a matter of time until political insiders in Washington face the dread reality that the junior senator from Massachusetts doesn't have what it takes to win and has got to go. As arrogant and out of it as the Democratic political establishment is, even these pols know the party's got to have someone to run against George Bush.”

. . . The Democrats didn't want a compelling candidate. The media didn't want one, either. They already had one, and his name was Howard Dean. He was the only Democrat who caught on with voters, and the Democrats, in turn, said no one would vote for him. . . .

(more)