John Kerry’s juggernaut continues to sail towards a November showdown with U.S. President George Bush as he won the Washington and Michigan caucuses Saturday.

He defeated former Vermont governor Howard Dean, Senator John Edwards and retired General Wesley Clark , according to media projections.

Kerry has now won nine of 11 states so far in his quest for the Democrats' presidential nomination. Edwards won his birth state of South Carolina last Tuesday, while Clark narrowly won Oklahoma.

The loss must be seen as especially troubling for Dean as he had previously raised more money in the northwestern state of Washington than all other presidential candidates combined.

In fact, some Democrats were speculating Thursday that if Dean couldn’t win in Washington, he probably couldn’t win anywhere.

Dean had given up on campaigning in the Michigan where Kerry had a huge lead going into Saturday’s caucus, focusing on Washington instead. His difficulties there should also be seen as a troubling sign for Dean, as Michigan has been hit hard by job losses some blame on free trade.

Kerry is a free trade supporter, while Dean has been more critical of it. However, the key factor for Democrats is who can beat Bush on Nov. 2, and Democrats appear to be thinking Kerry, with his Senate experience and Vietnam war hero background, is the man to do it on Nov. 2.

Dean was a one-time front-runner in the race until Kerry's campaign caught fire in Iowa. But in a terse e-mail Thursday night, Dean told supporters that if he doesn’t win the Wisconsin primary on Feb. 17, he will quit.

Wisconsin is a state known for progressive political leanings, so it should be receptive to Dean's populist message.

Clark and Edwards, both southerners, are focusing on upcoming primaries in Virginia and Tennessee this Tuesday.