CNN American Morning Transcript

SHOW: AMERICAN MORNING 07:00

HEADLINE: Kerry Turns Southern Showdown into Landslide

BYLINE: Bill Hemmer, Bob Franken, Soledad O'Brien, Joe Johns

HIGHLIGHT:
Franken reports on yesterday's win in two Southern primaries by Senator John Kerry. Johns reports on what might be behind Howard Dean's determination to stay in the race even though he's won no primaries.

BODY:
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to politics now. Senator John Kerry is pledging to "take one step at a time" despite the seemingly unstoppable momentum of his drive for the Democratic nomination. Kerry chalked up two more victories yesterday, first in Virginia, where he won 52 percent of the vote; Senator John Edwards, second place, with 27 percent.

-BREAK OF TRANSCRIPT-

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Bill, thanks.

As John Kerry adds to his list of primary wins, questions are mounting about Howard Dean and his no compete campaign. After skipping yesterday's Southern contests, it appears it's going to be Wisconsin or bust for the former front runner.

Here's CNN's Joe Johns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While the other candidates were waiting for the Virginia and Tennessee returns, Howard Dean was holding a rally in Milwaukee.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thanks very much. Thank you.

JOHNS: Earlier at a middle school in Lacrosse, he offered students a history lesson about his home state.

DEAN: Vermont lost more people per capita than anybody else in the Civil War.

JOHNS: But the outlook for his candidacy has remained gloomy. Even though his campaign has raised more than a million dollars and purchased TV advertising time, Dean is still trailing in the polls. So why not quit? Dean says he owes his supporters.

DEAN: We can't just abandon all those people who we brought into politics. We're going to do what we can, if we're, if I'm not the nominee, to make sure the nominee does win. But we're also going to do what we can, because we owe all those people, to make sure that their voice is heard.

JOHNS: Among those telling him to keep fighting is a key supporter on Capitol Hill.

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D), CALIFORNIA: He called me yesterday to say that, you know, he'd been listening to his massive supporters and was thinking he did need to not fold his tent. And I agreed.

JOHNS: One political analyst says Dean could wield power in the party for a long time if he's careful.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: If Howard Dean turns his appeal over to the use of the Democratic nominee and campaigns tirelessly for that Democratic nominee, uses his e-mail lists to try and raise more money and generate support for that nominee, then he becomes a player in Democratic politics after the election.

JOHNS (on camera): Dean says he'll drop out of the race if it becomes certain there's no chance of winning. But for now, he intends to continue stumping for votes in Wisconsin, a state known as progressive and unpredictable.

Joe Johns, CNN, Milwaukee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: A reminder now. Wesley Clark's going to make his withdrawal from the race official today at 3:00 p.m. Eastern in Little Rock, Arkansas. You can watch that right here live on CNN