Aides to Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark said the retired Army general will officially withdraw from the presidential race today after finishing third in the Virginia and Tennessee primaries Tuesday.
\It is a good move,"" said UW-Madison political science professor Virginia Sapiro, adding Clark did not have much choice at this point.
""He got the answer he needed. The answer is no,"" she said.
Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Wisconsin chair of Clark's campaign, said in a press release no candidate matches his expertise in foreign policy.
Clark never mentioned himself by name in a speech to supporters after the primaries, nor did he mention Wisconsin, whose primary is Feb. 17.
""We may have lost this battle today, but we are not going to lose the battle for America's future,"" he said.
Clark is expected to officially concede at 1 p.m. today in Little Rock, Ark.
Meanwhile, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., won both primaries, making him the victor in 10 of 12 primaries and caucuses.
As of press time, Kerry was winning Virginia with 52 percent support and Tennessee with 41 support. Southern native Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., came in second, trailing Kerry with 27 percent support in Virginia and 26 percent support in Tennessee.
Kerry told supporters Americans are voting for change and the wreckage of the Bush economy.
""Americans are voting for change in the east, the west, the north, and now in the south ... and I am thankful for that,"" he said.
Edwards, a North Carolinian, was anticipating a win in Tennessee. If he could have won anywhere, it would have been Tennessee, said Sapiro.
""The traditional view is that southern states will go for southerners and they would not necessarily go for northerners, certainly not a Massachusetts guy,"" Sapiro said. What matters is what you will fight for, she added.
Co-chair of Students for Kerry Don Eggert said people are more concerned about the candidates' electability than their state of origin.
""What people are looking at is who is the candidate that can beat George Bush, who is the candidate that is strongest, not just on one issue, but on all the issues put together, and who is the candidate that can go two-to-two against the Republicans this November,"" he said.
Eggert said Wisconsin citizens are committed to working hard, as they already have, to ensure Kerry wins the state.
Eggert said he feels Kerry can gain support from Wisconsin.
