And Then There Were Nine (Again)

This shouldn’t come as any great shock:

Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, who sought unsuccessfully to capitalize on his vote-getting prowess in the state that decided the 2000 election, last night ended his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In an appearance on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” Graham, the former chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said he was becoming the first dropout from the 2004 contest because “I have made the judgment I cannot be elected.”

So who will drop out next?

You can rule out the fringe candidates bailing any time soon. Dennis Kucinich, Carol Moseley Braun, and Al Sharpton aren’t in it to win, they’re in it to. . . uh, they’re in it because. . . well, they’re at least entertaining, so let’s at least hope none of them gets out of the race before Super Tuesday.

But which of the Big Boys — Dean, Kerry, Gephardt, Clark, Lieberman, or Edwards — will be the next to go?

My money is on Edwards.