Gravel, Kucinich Give Other Democrats Breathing Room

The leading Democratic contenders for president owe a debt of gratitude to two long-shot candidates who stood out in the party's first debate last week in South Carolina, say Democratic strategists.

That's because former Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio staked themselves so deeply into the antiwar movement that they made the others seem more moderate by comparison. Gravel and Kucinich were unrelenting in their demands for an end to the Iraq war and a quick withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Compared with this, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards seemed more centrist and pragmatic, party strategists say.

"That's why the front-runners want these other candidates in the debates--it makes them look more moderate," says a Democratic insider. Others say future debate organizers will be seeking to cut down the number of participants--eliminating those who barely register in the opinion polls, such as Gravel and Kucinich--to give the top contenders more of a chance to explain their views.

By Kenneth T. Walsh