After defeats in three Tuesday primaries, including a pivotal race in Washington state, former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley's presidential nomination hopes are dubious at best, some analysts said.
Bradley currently is vying with Vice President Al Gore for the nomination. Tuesday, Gore demolished Bradley in the Washington state primary. Sixty-five percent of Washington's Democratic voters chose Gore, while only 24 percent voted for Bradley.
Although Washington's Democratic primary does not decide any of the state's delegates' votes at the national convention, this was a bitter loss for the former senator.
Larry J. Sabato, government and foreign affairs professor, made a succint appraisal of Bradley's campaign to secure the nomination: "Over."
Still, Gore Campaign spokesman Doug Hattaway was cautiously optimistic in his assessment of the race for the nomination.
"It's nice to be ahead in the polls," Hattaway said, but "voters have yet to speak in the majority of the states."
In an attempt to revitalize his campaign, Bradley devoted most of the prior week to the usually unimportant Washington state primary. He did so, however, at the expense of campaigning in more influential states.
Sabato described Bradley's loss in Washington as "the story of his political life."
Bradley now faces the challenge of resuscitating his campaign before the March 7 "Super Tuesday" primaries, when voters in 15 states will choose their nominee.
Bradley spokesman Tony Wyche outlined his candidate's plan to jumpstart the former pro-basketball player's campaign.
Wyche said they are focusing on a five-minute television advertisement which Bradley will broadcast nationally today on CBS.
The advertisement will give viewers a better sense of Bradley's personality and will "define the issues," Wyche said.
Sabato had an explanation for the increasingly dire outlook for Bradley's campaign.
"New Hampshire was the ball game," he said. He explained that after Bradley failed to win this state, he had "no place to go but down."
Sabato also said the Republican race had an effect on Bradley's chances.
"McCain did him in," he said, explaining that McCain attracted many of the independent voters who Bradley was depending on to counter Gore's institutional support within the Democratic Party.
McCain's unexpected success also drew away much of the media coverage that had been aimed at Bradley and the Democratic race.
But Hattaway suggested that Bradley's confrontational mindset may have accounted for his failure in Washington.
"Senator Bradley was very negative in his campaign there," he said. "People are more interested in positive vision than in personal attacks."
Although Sabato referred to Super Tuesday as "Titanic Tuesday," in reference to Bradley, Wyche was more positive about Bradley's chances.
"We are going to be campaigning very hard and very aggressively," he said.
Read More
Israeli flag vandalized in Rouss-Robertson Hall
By Finn Trainer | YesterdayIn her statement, Dean Jenkins encouraged any student with information about the incident to come forward.
Student Council approves new CIOs, introduces Director of University Relations
By Vyshnavi Tatta | YesterdayDuring the Legislative session, the Student Council unanimously passed a bill to approve new CIOs, including Common Sense Club and Global Research and Consulting Club.
U.Va. Health faculty demand removal of health system CEO, School of Medicine dean
By Grace Thrush and Ford McCracken | 2 days agoThe letter states that leaders in U.Va. Health have dismissed, punished and silenced those who have followed U.Va. reporting protocols.
