The worst holiday season John Kerry ever had

How much worse can things get for Kerry? He leads in none of the early primary states and in New Hampshire he's fighting for second place (a distant second place, I might add.) His one hope to turn things around might have rested with Al Gore who has a biography nearly identical to Kerry's: both are sons of privilege raised in exclusive schools, both are Vietnam vets and U.S. Senators. I'm curious to hear Gore's rationale for backing Dean.

I know there's not a chance of this happening since campaigns tend to have their own inertia, but how great would it be if Kerry just calls it quits tomorrow? He's going to lose anyway, but if he bows out now he can do so with an iota of dignity. On the other hand, if Kerry goes out on that stage tomorrow night, he's going to unleash a firestorm of anti-Dean rhetoric that is going to make him look desperate and small. And you know that no matter what the others throw at Dean, he'll stand there like a stone Buddha. The game is over.

Oh yeah, him too: As Matt Welch reminds us, this is a huge snub for former VP man Joe Lieberman also.