Kerry Wins in Va., Tenn.; Clark Quits
WASHINGTON - John Kerry, all but unstoppable in his march toward the Democratic nomination, racked up huge victories in Tennessee and Virginia on Tuesday night and sent another rival packing. Triumphant in Dixie, Kerry has now won in every region.
"Americans are voting for change — East and West, North and now in the South," the Massachusetts Brahmin declared to the roar of supporters in Fairfax, Va., chanting, "Kerry! Kerry!"
John Edwards and Howard Dean clung quixotically to the hope that Kerry would stumble on his own or by scandal, but party leaders began pressing for the nomination fight to end.
The fourth-term Massachusetts senator pocketed half the vote in Virginia — with Edwards of North Carolina a poor second and Wesley Clark of Arkansas a far-distant third. Kerry crushed Edwards and Clark in Tennessee.
With two third-place finishes Tuesday — and a lone win in Oklahoma last week — Clark dropped out of the race.
