I think Feingold might make a wonderful choice for the TOP spot. Some of his apparent personal qualities that make him desirable also make it unlikely he would run or even consider being chosen as a VP. He seems to have tried to avoid the national spot on occassions also any other Senator would have attempted otherwise.
I don’t agree with those who write off Hillary, either for the nomination or the general.
To put it simply, I don’t think the WOT will be over in 2008. I think/hope Iraq will be seriously calmed down, if not entirely pacific. But Fundamentalist Islam will not have folded its tent, and it’s entirely possible that there will be more terrorist attacks in the next four years.
Americans won’t blame Bush for those attacks per se; but if the dems can put someone that can make the case that they will be a better wartime leader, they would win. Hillary would be one of the few people who could run to the GOP’s right on defense issues without alienating the dem base; and she has been positioning herself to do just that.
Speaking personally, I think she’s is much too liberal on many domestic issues, and is fundamentally arrogant and dishonest. I also think that in any kind of conflict, diplomatically or especially militarily, President Hillary would be a Person Not To Fuck With.
Were I an enemy of the US, I can’t think of any current political figure I’d be more afraid to see in charge. I’d think about voting for her for that reason alone.
Reagan was divorced.
Ding!
Useless political trivia for $1000 please.
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OK, I can’t stay out of this thread.
Owens lost a lot of “political capital” this time. The Democrats took control of the state legislature, a Democrat was elected to the Senate, and a Democrat took what they hoped had turned into a safe House seat. He was opposed to FasTracks and renewable energy. Basically, all he accomplished was to deliver the state for Bush, and that would have happened regardless of who the governor was.
I honestly believe that the best course for the Democrats is to write off the South completely right now. Don’t nominate candidates from it, don’t put any more time and money into it than a token, and just don’t worry about it until times start to change. Kerry could have won the presidency without a single southern state. Instead of Edwards, he could have picked someone from a western state, or even from Ohio.
Since 1976, every election but one has been won by a current or former state governor. That’s a trend the parties will ignore at their peril.
I can’t stay out either. 
I agree with the Governor idea, it’s been said earlier that a candidate without a Congressional record to make fun of is an easier sell.
My prediction is…
<somebody new> for the Democrats, since Hillary would be loved in the primaries but shut down by the party bosses like Howard Dean because she can’t win the Presidency.
15% possible for Guliani, he really did a great job turning around New York City, and he handled 9/11 well enough.
15% possible Jeb Bush. Cool guy, but I’m not sure if the public would tolerate another Bush… simply tired of the last name.
70% <somebody new>
I haven’t been paying attention to Condi Rice. She seems female and black, which appeals to some people. If Iraq turns out more or less OK, what’s she got against her in a primary and presidential race?
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Arnold Schwarzenegger vs Bill Clinton.
If we’re going to personalize the constitution, why not for the dems too?
Peace,
mangeorge
Doesn’t want it. Like Powell, she’s just not interested in elective office.
Smart lady.
I don’t think they do, or at least not the smart ones. They just keep saying that she’s going to run because that keeps the reflexively anti-Hillary wing of the party riled up on a full-time basis. Perhaps soon they’ll shift to claiming that Michael Moore will be the candidate, since that’s equally implausible and will make the right wing folks even madder.
Let me repeat the challenge that I’ve made before. I will wager anyone at odds of two-to-one that Hillary will not be the Dem nominee in 2008. If she is the nominee I give you $50; otherwise you give me $25. [Bubblegum Tate]Will nobody meet my challenge? Have none of you Republicans game?[/Bubblegum Tate]
Oh yeah, before I forget to mention it, 2008 is Edwards/Richardson vs Frist/some old rich white guy or other.
Your post made a lot of sense… but then you mentioned Edwards??? Realistically, what chance does he have? He was too inexperienced this time around… and now he’s unemployed. As much as I don’t fall for the propaganda that trial lawyer = bad (from what I know, Edwards does good things)… but all I expect out of him in 2008 is an extra couple years of experience as a trial lawyer (and/or lecturer). He couldn’t even do his job as VP (deliver the South… or, well, a Southern state… or, well, PART of a Southern state…)
My call: Richardson/X, where X = virtually anyone else (possibly someone unknown right now, who shines in the primaries). I’d love Richardson/Obama, but I don’t expect it’ll happen. Oh, and either Bill Frist (or on a far outside chance, McCain) or, in the case of a near miracle, whoever Bush names as his Secretary of State if they manage to negotiate peace between Israel and an Arafatless Palestine.
Ooh, I would give my left nut to see that. Mainly because no matter who wins, we get a president who is pro-choice , pro-gun control, pro-stem cell research and anti-deficit spending.
Rice vs H. R. Clinton
Republican choices:
For reasons already stated, Powell and McCain are right out.
The four people I think most likely:
Bill Frist. Senate majority leader, Southerner, and has stated he’s interested in running. But he’s unlikely to succeed, given the problems Senators have in running, and especially as Senate Majority Leader.
Rudy Guiliani. Yeah, sure, he’s to the left of most voters. But he’s a household hero to most GOPers for his actions during and after 9/11. The big question is whether after 4 years of nothing he’ll still be able to pull on that support. But since Ashcroft is stepping down, there’s a strong chance Guiliani may be the next Attorney General, which will give him the push he needs in 2008.
Marc Racicot, or however you spell it. Former Montana Governor, and RNC chairman. Lots of inside pull and good ties to the standard GOP organization.
Bob Erhlich. Currently governor of Maryland, known as a moderate in the party. If he pulls off re-election in 2006, then he’s in great position for a 2008 run- a social conservative and small-government Republican who has proven he can get support and votes in a normal Democratic state. Of course, that’s assuming he wins re-election, which isn’t a huge possibility.
I had posted several months earlier that he is my darkhorse candidate to run in '08. Bob Erlich is just plain easy to like. He is blunt, funny and very articulate. I would not want to be the Democrats facing him in an election. I also think he will win re-election in Maryland. Maryland is one of the bluest states around and for a Republican to win he must be doing something right.
Well, he won in 2002 because he did a lot of stuff right, and because Townsend did nearly everything wrong. But I fully expect he’ll win in 2006- he’s done nothing particularly offensive, he’s done a few things that will actually get him votes (ICC! Woot!), and Maryland’s economy is picking up steam and should be in fine shape by election time.
I’m going to go way the hell out on a limb and say that the VP candidate for the Republicans will be J. Kenneth Blackwell. I think he’s going to run for and get Ohio’s governorship in 2006 and then is going to piss off a whole lot of people by accepting the nomination for VP.
He’s handsome, conservative, and has an easy name. He’s from the midwest and is black. He pissed off some people during this election season, but no one will remember that in two years when he runs for governor.
So that is my prediction for VP.
A little snip, compliments of fruitbat;
Judging from this last election, I doubt that these qualities are very important.
How about Jesse Ventura? For the Republicans or Democrats - he’s a libertarian so could fit with either. With respect to his chequered past, he can just say, "So what? We discussed that already and the citizens decided to trust me anyway. "
NO.
Sweet merciful Savior, help me get that image out of my head.
Regards,
Shodan
Ventura basically blew his political capital when he decided to stop being governor because it was too hard.
Ditto. And I liked him a lot when he ran.