'Dead men walking' urged to quit '04 race

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Strategists for the Democratic front-runners for president are suggesting that the weakest rivals should consider dropping out of the race to help the top contenders build support in the primaries.

None of the leading candidates for the nomination so far has been willing to openly call on any other hopefuls to abandon their bids. But the campaign of Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts appears to be sending just that message in the hopes of substantially narrowing the field of nine candidates well before the end of the year.

"Party leaders know these underperforming candidates are dead men walking. They can't raise money, gain traction or develop compelling messages," a key Kerry campaign strategist said in an interview.

The senior strategist did not mention names, but he implied that it might be better if those at the back of the pack acknowledged what the polls are showing: Their candidacies are not gaining support, the 2004 election year is fast approaching, and Democrats will have a better chance of beating President Bush if the party can coalesce around a candidate sooner rather than later.

"It doesn't matter if they don't drop out [now]. Everywhere they go, it's like watching 'The Sixth Sense' when the little kid says, 'I see dead people.' The sands are shifting beneath their feet, and the [election] clock is ticking," said the strategist, referring to the 1999 movie starring Bruce Willis.

An official of another front-running campaign for the Democratic nomination, who spoke on the condition that he and his candidate not be identified, said the party would be helped "if we headed into next year with a smaller number of candidates, and I think we will."

At present, Mr. Kerry and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean appear to be leading the pack nationally, with Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut behind them.

Party advisers also said this week that the field must be significantly decreased and that probably would happen sometime after Labor Day.

There is a growing feeling in the party's leadership that several contenders will abandon their races before the end of the year, said one party adviser, who has worked with the Democratic National Committee and with House and Senate Democratic leaders on election strategy. Those candidates have not been able to break out of single digits in most polls for next year's state primaries.