Students: Kerry Super Tues. wins expected

As John Kerry swept most of the polls yesterday in 10 states during the Super Tuesday Democratic primaries, students said that the results were more or less expected.

The Massachusetts senator was the winner of primaries in Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, California and Minnesota.

Kerry's chief opponent, Sen. John Edwards (D-S.C.) performed poorly, failing to win any states. He is expected to drop out of the race today.

"I think that what happened was pretty much expected," Penn Democrat and College freshman Meredith Uhl said.

Yesterday's victories add to a streak of Kerry wins that have helped him amass an enormous lead in delegates to the Democratic National Convention, to be held in Boston in June.

Former Gov. Howard Dean, who has dropped out of the race but left his name on the ballots in several states, won his home state of Vermont yesterday. Vermont was the only state that did not go to Kerry.

Edwards did not appear on the Vermont ballot.

President of the Penn Democrats Rich Eisenberg said that despite losing the majority of states, the Edwards campaign helped bring Democrats together, and the party will be united in its attempt to regain control of the executive office this fall.

Though the Penn Democrats did not endorse any candidate during the contested primary, most believe Kerry will be a solid choice to lead the party.

"I think [Kerry] is going to win in November ... he has a very strong record, has experience, composure and is likeable," group member and College senior David Herman said.

Democrats believe that Kerry's moderate views will attract many independent and even some Republican voters.

"My father is a Republican, and he might vote for" Kerry, Uhl said.

The Penn Democrats plan to focus on different issues of the campaign each month, beginning with Kerry's ideas about national security, Uhl said.

Alex Hardin, co-social director of the College Republicans, called the Democrats' optimistic reactions false and said that Kerry will lose support "once the American public sees more of his true color."

Kerry "looks moderate only in comparison to Howard Dean," Hardin added.

He also noted that this is the beginning of a long campaign for Kerry and that there are "certainly going to be ups and downs."

"I was a Dean supporter," College freshman Rob Cohen said. "Kerry was my second choice."

"Ideally, I'd like to see [Kerry] win. Realistically, I don't know if he has a chance" in November.

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