Class of 2008, part 1

I saw a report on Fox "News" the other night about Hillary Clinton's proposed run for the White House in 2008. It got me thinking about the aspirations of the many that will likely run for the vacant presidency. While Wikipedia has a good article here, I thought I would run down the major canidates both with brief description and commentary.

DEMOCRATS

• Sen. Russ Feingold (WI) - The popular lawmaker from Wisconsin is currently serving his 3rd term in the U.S. Senate. He is considered somewhat independent, though he has a history (like most congressmen) of voting with his party. One of his most significant acts as a Senator was co-sponsoring the campaign finance reform bill bearing his name (McCain-Feingold). He is liked for his "common sense" approach to lawmaking and is often praised as a "reformer."
• Sen. Joe Biden (DE) - Biden will be up for re-election to serve his 7th term as the senior Senator from Delaware in the 2006 "mid-term" elections. Biden is the first Democrat to officially declare his candidacy. He has a been an opponent of President Bush's unilateral war in Iraq and will be an integral part of this summer's debate over the nomination to fill the vacancy left in the Supreme Court by Justice O'Connor as a member of the Senate Judiciary committee. Seen by many as a longshot.
• Gov. Bill Richardson (NM) - Richardson is the Chairman of the Democratic Governors’ Association, as well as a former U.S. Representative, U.N. ambassador, and Secretary of Energy. He has overseen dynamic growth in the economy of New Mexico, a state with a balanced budget and (get this) a budget reserve. Has reportedly said he will seek the nomination. Washington outsiders always make attractive picks to voters. It's the whole you have to campaign against Washington to get into Washington phenomenon.
• Sen. John Kerry (MA) - The 2004 Democratic nominee may very well be the 2008 version as well. As advantages he has national recognition and a large bank. His biggest negative, of course, is the fact that he already lost once. Now, I haven't become a Kerry hater since he lost. Admittedly, I was never his biggest fan, but in the words of a South Park, what do you do when the race is between a Giant Douche and a Turd Sandwich? All kidding aside, Kerry would have been a good choice in '04, but I think there are some great choices in '08.
• Former Sen. John Edwards (NC) - The '04 veep nominee had presidential aspirations of his own last election cycle. 2008 may provide him with with another chance. However, Edwards has the same negative as Sen. Kerry in that he has lost once (twice, if you include losing the primary). He also has the additional shortcoming of losing the public's eye. He is now the leader of One America, a political action committee dedicated to softening the effects of poverty. To me this PAC seems more like a desperate way to keep Edwards in the limelight.
• Gov. Mark Warner (VA) - Warner is the Chairman of the National Governors' Associaton. His stock has ascended in large part to the grassroots community. The internet can do wonderful things for lesser-known candidates, much like it did for Howard Dean in 2004. As governor, Warner has steered the State of Virginia through a huge budget deficit without resorting to massive cuts in important programs like education (are you hearing this, Gov. Daniels???). As the NGA's chair, Warner has had the opportunity to bolster his national standing. It was here he introduced a plan to refom America's high schools. These types of undertakings are monumental. They are both of high importance and difficulty. While many look to merely cry out against th system, Warner has introduced a way to change it. I'm not endorsing his plan or his candidacy, but measures like these should not go unnoticed. Warner also shares Gov. Richardson's "outsider" advantage.
• Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY) - Of course, no discussion of 2008 would be complete without mentioning former President Bill Clinton's other half. I certainly would not discount the possibility that she may well be the first woman ever elected as President of the United States of America. With that said, she would have a long road ahead of her. First, she needs to secure her re-election to her seat in the Senate. Though she will no doubt face a big name opponent brought in specifically to beat her (maybe Gov. Pataki or former NYC Mayor Giuliani???), she will, by all estimations, retain her seat. Another problem Sen. Clinton has is the media. Though usually potential candidates want the media watching, Clinton has the media not only watching but analyzing every move looking to see how she is posturing for the bid in '08. While the attention may not be totally undeserved, it does make "everyday" business harder to conduct. Third, she had a problem of being polarizing. True, the current President is about as polarizing as they come, but what George W. Bush is to Democrats, Hillary (and to only a slightly lesser extent, Bill) Clinton is to Republicans. Where there was an ABB (Anybody but Bush) campaign in '04, we may see an ABC (anybody but Clinton) campaign in '08. With all of these things holding her back, Mrs. Clinton does have things going for her. Her high profile does work for her too, remember. The fact that she is a woman could lead many to vote for her for that reason. Though some have called it posturing, she has seemed to soften on some issues like Defense, while working bipartisanly on others like Healthcare. Certainly, Sen. Clinton will be a player in the next election.
• Sen. Evan Bayh (IN) - The junior senator from Indiana is serving his second term. Defending his seat in 2004, Bayh defeated his opponent by twenty-five percentage points. More astoundingly, he tallied more votes as a Democrat than President Bush did as a Republican in my triple-cherry red State of Indiana. There are two knocks on Bayh: he's not particularly well-known outside of his constiuency, and he's not liberal enough to escape the Democratic primary. The first, I think, is easy to overcome. Many had not heard of Clinton or Bush before they declared their candidacies and they were both two-term Presidents. The second, however, may be a problem. Primaries are very difficult to maneuver. Some may even say they are harder than the general election. After all, it's easy to argue with someone who has oppositional politics, but it is much more difficult to debate people that are essentially on your own team. I wish I had advice for the Indiana Senator here, but I think we'll just have to wait and see. What Bayh does have is what ESPN's Bill Simmons calls TUP (Tremendous Upside Potential). He's not a liberal, for one. This is a plus in a general election. Though some states (e.g. New York, California, Massachusetts, etc.) will vote for liberals regardless, many American voters feel disconnected from those on the far-left. He is what George Bush promised to be, a uniter. If Bayh can pull near-80% approval ratings as a Democrat in a traditionally Republican state, it is very hard to say he is anything resembling a divider. He's a Democrat who is strong on Defense and is socially moderate to conservative. Though Bayh has yet to declare his candidacy, he has formed a PAC, All America, that will allow him to create a larger national presence and support nationwide travel to accomodate such. What the heck, I'll come out and say it: Bayh in '08!

The second half of this post will focus on Republicans. I hope to get this out in the next week to week and a half. You all have my permission to stay on me to get this done.