I think Bayh was governor for a while before he was a senator.
Also, I think if the constitution is amended (a lengthy process) Schwarzenegger could get elected if he found Jesus and was “forgiven”. He might have to ditch the pointy Kennedy wife, though.
But Republicans would NEVER elect a divorced man! 
**D:**Obama’s not yet ready; he’s 2012 or 2016.
John Edwards will pursue but not get the nomination. Where is his base? He doesn’t appeal to Southerners, and he will be spending the next four years out of office at age 50. His path to the top was VP, and that’s gone now.
I’d love to see Harold Ford, but he has the same issues as the first two: youth and an unsteady regional base. He’d make a great VP choice, though.
I trust Hillary’s insticts: if she seeks the nomination, she’ll get it. But she will lose the general election. More likely, she will not run and content herself with being a major player in the senate.
Bill Richardson will appeal to Hispanics, which might deliver Florida. He might even put Texas in play. He’s your man.
R:
Racicot: Who? No name recognition. Possibility though.
McCain: Too old.
Jeb: Too dynastic. Will never be prez, which is a shame since he’d have done a better job than his brother.
Guliani: Too New York. Will get backlash from media that were forced to say nice things about him in 2002-2003.
Mel Martinez: Full support of Bush. Cabinet experience. Great biography. Will offset Richardson’s advantages with hispanic voters. Maybe a better veep choice.
I would love to see the Democrats open the tent a bit. At the end of the day we still had four rich, white men running for high office. I have dreamed of seeing Barbara Mikulski rip into George Bush, and I think she could do a fine job of it. Obama is too young and inexperienced to be running in '08, although in '12 I would be thrilled to see him on the ticket.
Hillary cannot win, unless people believe Bill will be running things from behind the curtain. Are there other good minority or women candidates that could step up?
2008? [looks at calendar] Aaah! ::runs screaming from thread::
Hillary can’t win against a halfway decent candidate, but I think she’ll get the nomination anyway.
As for the GOP…I think, despite his denials, that Jeb Bush will be tapped to run in 08. Whether he wins depends on how the next four years go.
Mikulski’s too old, she’s highly unphotogenic, she comes from too solidly Democratic a state, she has an unpleasant reputation, and there are rumors about her sexuality that would probably kill any presidential hopes she may have.
As for minority candidates, Bill Richardson’s Hispanic. Ken Salazar might be worth a shot, seeing as how he was able to buck a national trend this election.
Yeah, Richardson is so popular with Hispanics that he couldn’t even deliver his own state for Kerry, despite his popularity there. His political stock plummeted last night. I’m telling you, things are not looking good for the Democrats. Then again, Bill Clinton came out of almost nowhere, so who knows.
We’ll see a lot more of Racicot in the next four years. McCain isn’t too old. Jeb probably would have done a better job, but we both know he’s not interested. Rudy is too socially liberal for the right base. Mel is W’s Hispanic poster boy for Florida. They definitely have their differences.
After thinking about this over my coffee, I’ve noticed that Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer haven’t been mentioned. I don’t know what their declared intentions are, but I think a Richardson/Feinstein ticket could do well.
evan bayh? remember what happened last time a hoosier with a pretty face got into the white house?
and indiana is worthless from an electoral standpoint.
Feinstein’s in her seventies, and if she wanted to run for President, she would have done so by now.
Damn, I know you are right, but did you have to go mention all the reasons I like her as reasons why she is unelectable. My last thought is that after watching Madeleine Allbright on various news outlets I remembered how much confidence she inspired in me. Was she even born in the US?
On the Republican side I am afraid that Bush’s win will only push the party further right until they are defeated. There are a number of excellent moderate candidates in the party that will never make it through the primary process. Giuliani, McCain, Weld, Bob Erlich in Maryland, hell even Schwarzenegger. That may be a good thing as I think they could win.
Salazar will have his own problems by then.
D:
I just don’t see Hillary doing it. I think she’s a ticket to defeat.
I see these guys as players…
Bill Richardson
John Edwards
Barack Obama will be talked about but not run
Howard Dean will not get traction and won’t run
Evan Bayh
R:
I’d be astounded if Jeb didn’t at least explore the concept.
I like Chuck Hagel. He’s part of McCain’s block and doesn’t like GWB much. I’d be tempted to vote for him.
I think McCain will be too old though he’s damn-all unpredictable sometimes.
Bill Frist will throw his hat in.
I dunno, the best campaign would be Edwards/Obama and Hagel/???
That would make great storylines.
Schwarzenegger, of course, is ineligible to be President.
No, Czechoslovakia, IIRC. Too bad–Maddy kicks ass!
If Dubya weren’t a lame duck I’d just sit out 2008 and call it a rebuilding season. But it’s not going to be so both parties have to start planning now. Too bad Junior ran in 2000 because I always thought, “No, Jeb for president and George for Drunken Brother.” But there will be no way he could win next time, I fear.
OK, that explains it. My folks lived in Indiana when he was governor, so there lies the confusion.
It’s not just Indiana that’s in play by nominating a Midwesterner…it’s states like Ohio, Iowa, and even Arkansas and Kentucky. Kerry never really enthused those states–I don’t think they ever felt like he was one of their own.
Also, I knew Dan Quayle, and Evan Bayh is no Dan Quayle.
If I may stir the pot up a bit: I can see McCain running as an independent next time around. His loyalty to the GOP was likely was stopped him from doing it this election, but if he gets more agitated about the course of the war in Iraq (and the GOP top brass continues to ignore him) he might split. Hagel could very possibly join him.
So, Dopers, how 'bout an election '08 ticket of:
Dems: Evan Bayh/Barack Obama
GOP: Jeb Bush/Bill Frist
Independent: John McCain/Chuck Hagel
It certainly would be interesting, I’ll say that.
Toss in Dean/Kucinich on the left and it’s 1860 all over again!
John McCain has the benefit of being Democrats’ favourite Republican (unjustfiably, in my opinion). Unfortunately, he also has earned the reputation of a traitor amongst social conservatives (again, unjustifiably, in my opinion). That being said, McCain has been ingratiating himself with the media (Jon Stewart for example) and I’m almost certain he’s going to try again for the nomination.
That seems likely (and, on another thread, I predicted Tom Ridge for new VP).
Feinstein is too old, and too indelibly associated with gun control (an issue that the Democratic leadership has finally figured out will burn them).