Are rank and file Democrats setting themselves up for a fall in next year's primary? It appears that way given all the enthusiastic support for former Vermont governor Howard Dean.

I continue to believe that Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) will be the party's nominee in spring even though he's gotten off to a slow start in polls. Keep in mind that's not unusual at this point in the campaign. Former Pres. Clinton came from out of nowhere to take the momentum away from the late Paul Tsongas and win the nomination in 1992.

A primary concern among those who haven't jumped on Dean's bandwagon is that he can't capture enough electoral votes in the southern and western states to win the election. Nominating an east coast liberal like Dean may only serve to give the Democrats four more years of martyrdom.