John Edwards wins a second look

By Michael Buchanan BBC, Washington

No matter how close, at the end of the day for John Kerry, a win is a win is a win.

The Super Tuesday challenge does not play to John Edwards' strengths

He has now been victorious in 15 of 17 contests, and he has the overwhelming majority of delegates allocated so far.

The Wisconsin result does, however, mean that the contest definitely continues through to Super Tuesday, a round of 10 contests on 2 March.

John Edwards, coming off a surprisingly strong second place showing, will move ahead with renewed confidence.

Likeability factor

Democrats will now take a second look at John Edwards going into Super Tuesday.

There has been a fear that there could be a bit of so-called buyers' remorse with John Kerry, that he is the Al Gore of 2004.

Americans like to elect people they inherently like, people they could have a beer with, for instance.

There are some Democrats that fear that in a Bush versus Kerry race that the president wins on that likeability factor.

These Democrats think that John Edwards would compete better on likeability with George Bush.

Democrats will be asking whether the Southerner is more electable

Mr Edwards also is helped in that he does not have a four-term voting record in the Senate like Mr Kerry.

Republicans have already attacked Mr Kerry as soft on defence for votes that he made during the Reagan era.

Over the next couple of weeks, Democrats will be looking hard at the electability and the weaknesses of each candidate.

The only thing that matter to Democrats is ABB - Anybody but Bush. They are united as never before on electability.

That has what propelled Mr Kerry so far. He was seen as more electable in the eyes of many Democrats than Howard Dean.

But now he has Mr Edwards coming up in the polls, and Democrats will be asking whether the Southerner is more electable.

Challenges ahead

But Super Tuesday does not play to Mr Edwards' strengths. Of the states going to the polls, only Georgia is in the South. He has only shown a winning ability in the South, in his native state of South Carolina.

New England, New York and California will be most important on Super Tuesday, and Mr Kerry will be hoping to take New York, neighbouring his home state of Massachusetts.

All that is left for Howard Dean is to decide how and when to make a graceful exit

The slightly unknown factor in it all could be if Howard Dean withdraws and throws his support to Mr Edwards. There are rumours going around that this could happen.

Mr Dean has been strong in California for months, and if he went down that road and somehow managed to mobilise his troops behind Mr Edwards, he might change the dynamic of the California race.

For Mr Dean, he had another disappointing showing, coming in a distant third in a state he at one time said was a must win.

He has no travel plans. His campaign chairman has just left, and he is heading back to his home state of Vermont.

The Dean message has won the primary. He focussed minds of all the candidates on what the Democratic voters wanted to hear.

Other candidates have taken his message and refined it.

All that is left for Mr Dean is to decide how and when to make a graceful exit.