Now, Bill Bradley is duplicating the trick in the Democratic primaries. This year, electability is the key. While Bush has accumulated a massive bank account, the money comes from the perception that he can win, not the other way around. After the crushing humiliation that followed the heady days of the Contract With America, the GOP is in no mood to indulge its ideologies if it means four more years in the wilderness. The obsessive focus of Republican primary voters these days is to win.
Victory is more important than abortion, gun control, taxes or any other hot button issue.
Bush showed a surprising early lead against Gore as Clinton sank deeper into scandal after his 1996 re-election. Pollsters were initially shocked to see Bush with a double-digit lead over the vice president. When Monica surfaced, W.'s lead increased as the vice president loyally walked the plank to defend his boss. But W. still faced a tough race against Elizabeth Dole, who was only 10 or 15 points behind him in most GOP polling. Dole's inability to raise money or get started, however, undermined the sense that she was electable.