The mainstream media continues to assess the effect of Howard Dean's successful second quarter fundraising effort. The Washington Post reports on what advisors to the other candidates have to say:

Advisers to Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) long have assumed those two candidates would face each other in the showdown for the nomination, in part because Gephardt is favored to win the Iowa caucuses and Kerry is favored in the New Hampshire primary. Not surprisingly, those Kerry and Gephardt advisers now see Dean as a bigger threat to the other.

Gephardt adviser Steve Elmendorf said Dean is now a threat to finish ahead of Kerry in Iowa and defeat him in New Hampshire. "There's a greater likelihood of that happening now than there was two weeks ago," he said.
Kerry campaign manager Jim Jordan disagreed, arguing that Dean's rise has come at Gephardt's expense. "The race is turning into essentially a Kerry-Dean race," he said. "We're very comfortable with that prospect."

Three other Democrats may face an even larger problem because of Dean's success. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) leads the Democrats in many national polls, but has not developed a significant following in Iowa or New Hampshire and now trails Dean in fundraising. Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) raised $7.4 million in the first quarter but raised about $5 million in the second quarter, and has yet to show the kind of grass-roots support Dean has demonstrated. Sen. Bob Graham (Fla.) got a late start and will find the field even more crowded with Dean in the top tier.

We think Lieberman and Gephardt can kiss the race goodbye. We put Graham in the same place as Kuchinich, which is only one step above Mosley-Braun and Sharpton.

We think its down to Kerry, Dean and Edwards for the top spot. Any one of them would be a giant step forward for the country and vast improvement over Bush. We think each of them would be smart to woo Wesley Clark as a VP candidate, and begin to be seen conferring with Gary Hart so as to create speculation that Hart would join the team as Secretary of State. We'd like to see Kucinich be appointed Drug Czar because he would advocate for the legalization of medical marijuana and end the War on Drugs fiasco. That leaves Attorney General....any suggestions?