2004 Demorcratic Presidential Nominee

[Dynasty]

I'm always struck by how the national media focuses on the wrong candidates when disucssing who will be running for President in the next election. They inevitably focus their attention on Washington politicians, many of whom have very little national name recognition despite being powerful in Washington.

The top candidates the media is pushing to win the Demorctatic nomination in 2004 are Al Gore, Richard Gephardt, Tom Daschle, Joe Leiberman, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton. That's a former Vice President and 2000 Demorcratic nominee, four Senators, and one congressman. While I wouldn't be surprised to see Gore win the nomination, the attention he and the others are getting is out of proportion.

Vermont's Governor, Howard Dean, is another possible candidate. I'd expect an "unknown" like Dean is going to the only real hope the Demorcrats have for any success in 2004. All the other candidates mentioned will just look the old Washington guard.

History also suggests looking outside Washington if you want a winning candidate. Four of the last five men to be elected President were Governors immediately before becoming President. Three of them, Bush, Clinton, and Carter, were hardly known outside their home states just two years before they were elected. It's been more than 4 decades since an elected President was either a Congressman or Senator immediately before being elected to the White House.

2000: George W. Bush (Governor)
1992 & 1996: Bill Clinton (Governor)
1988: George Bush (Vice President)
1980 & 1984: Ronald Reagan (Governor)
1976: Jimmy Carter (Governor)
1968 & 1972: Richard Nixon (Vice President)
1964: Lyndon Johnson (President/Vice President)
1960: John Kennedy (Senator)

[Ed Miller]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Dean were the Democratic nominee.

[John Cole]

Dynasty,

I think Bush was quite well known by a number of people. The other day I heard an interview with his father who claimed that he knew his son had the right stuff to be president because he was an excellent hatchet man. Senior Bush said that when he wanted to fire Sununu, he sent his boy who, according to Dad, did such a fine job, that he effectively demonstrated his leadership abilities.

Wonder who junior's got for his hatchet man.

John

[Bill Murphy]

Ni Post. W would slaughter the 5 clowns and 1 clownette you mentioned. However, I think the Repubs would be terrified by some "untainted outsider", especially were he/she able to string 3 or 4 rational, logically connected, complete sentences together. Don't hold your breath, for either a Dem or Repub, who can do that... /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif

[HDPM]

Hillary won't run. She will wait for 2008 knowing the Democrat will probably lose to W. What will be interesting is to see how bad she and Bill undercut the 2004 nominee.

Kerry is already spinning his war record. I don't see how he can win after the 60 Min. story. When a guy you commanded says you're a baby killer, it's kinda bad.

Gore is leftovers.

An outsider has a chance. If Jimmy and Bill can do it, well, anybody CAN be President.

[andyfox]

Disagree with you on Gore. I think if he chooses to run he'll be the nominee (and lose the election).

Agree with you Hillary will wait until 2008. She'll need to make sure she doesn't undercut the 2004 candidate, though, to minimize the need for fence-mending four years later, I would think.

Agree with you on Jimmy and Bill. Carter started out at 1% in the polls in New Hampshire. Nixon's another example, politically dead in 1962, President six years later. And of course Dewey Defeats Truman. Anything can happen, no doubt, but W sure seems a shoe-in right now. You know I don't vote Republican, but as far as the Dems go right now, there ain't no there there.

[HDPM]

Agree with you Hillary will wait until 2008. She'll need to "make sure she doesn't undercut the 2004 candidate, though, to minimize the need for fence-mending four years later, I would think."

Oh, but it will be fun to see Hillary try to do it subtly. And the fundraising won't come through, then Hillary will have a red herring political issue. To be a fly on the wall of Hillary's office....

[andyfox]

Hillary subtle? Surely you jest.

I'd rather be a fly on the wall in Bill's office.

/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

[patrick dicaprio]

i would love to see giuliani challenge schumer or hillary. that would be more interesting than the pres election.

Pat

[marbles]

Yesterday the flat tax, today a democratic president in 2004! Hey, I'm all for talkin' politics, but we should focus our energies on things that could possibly happen.

I kind of assume Gore will be the nominee; no real rising star within the party (not that there are many anyway) will be willing to put it all on the line against Bush. As proven a couple of weeks ago, Bush is far, far more powerful than the democrats had estimated.

[Zeno]

I think elroy should run for president and Andy Fox should be the running mate. HDPM will be the campaign manager and Ray Zee will provide the financial backing through poker winings that all the 2+2 er's provide the stake for. We then divide up the rest of the tasks of the campaign among the rest of the regular posters. Once we win, we get rewarded with the usual payoffs in polictical appointments and favoritism etc. We then run the entire world like a huge no-limit poker game. /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif Does anyone else like this idea? /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

-Zeno

[andyfox]

I do not choose to run.

[HDPM]

eLROY and Andy on the same ticket? Man, that would be hard to come up with a theme for a campaign. Maybe more funding for research into schizophrenia would work. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[Bill Murphy]

You watch Bill's office and HDPM will watch Hill's. I'll just be buzzin' 'round Chelsea's, er, 'office'. /forums/images/icons/cool.gif