Super Seven Primary States Hold the Key for Democrats

"It may not decide who gets the nomination, but Feb. 3 will probably take a big chunk of the field out," said Joe Trippi, manager of Howard Dean's front-running campaign.

Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, making an 11th-hour bid to bolster his poll ratings, is airing his 60-second biography ad in veteran-rich South Carolina, Oklahoma and Arizona.

Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, in a make-or-break duel with Dean in Iowa, will air his first South Carolina ads within the week, and plans to eventually buy TV time in Oklahoma. Clark and Gephardt have staff in six of the seven states, more than any other rival.

The former Vermont governor has run TV ads in four of the states, more than any other candidate.

According to a survey conducted by The Associated Press, Dean has more paid staff than his rivals in Arizona (11), New Mexico (nine) and Oklahoma (seven). He and Gephardt have three in North Dakota

Dean's campaign says he has just three paid aides in South Carolina, compared to 11 for Clark and nine for Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina and Gephardt. Edwards had a slight lead over black activist Al Sharpton in a poll last week.

Interviews with more than two dozen experts in the Super Seven states turned up anecdotal evidence that Dean has the deepest grass-roots organization. But his operation is untested, and he may be weakest in South Carolina the day's signature primary.