Presidential Pros and Cons

I'm taking a look at the pros and cons of the most talked about folks for the 2008 Democratic nomination in alphabetical order.

US Senator Evan Bayh (Indiana)
Bayh has been elected five times in a solid red state. He's a former governor with national security experience. He picked up more votes in the last election than President Bush did. Bayh is raising his national profile through his PAC and visits around the country. He's got a clean past but the only thing that could hurt him is the fact that he's a sitting senator.

US Senator Joseph R. "Joe" Biden Jr. (Delaware)
Biden is great when it comes to national security but what hurt's him the most is the same thing that caused him to make an exit in the 1988 campaign. He's already well known due to his frequent appearances on the political talk shows and is raising money through his PAC. He announced his intentions in June 2005 that he plans to run.

General Wesley K. Clark (Ret.)
Although General Clark is a military hero and not a member of the Washington elite, most of his donors in 2004 came from the major Clinton supporters. If Sen. Clinton runs, it could hurt his chances from a financial aspect. This year, he is touring a lot of states and campaigning for candidates and raising money for his PAC.

US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (New York)
Senator Clinton's best bet is to run for majority leader when the Democrats take back the Senate. Yes, she has the ability to win the nomination but she is too polarizing in a general election. Clinton is no stranger to the office having served as First Lady from 1993-2001 when her husband William Jefferson Clinton was serving as president. However, being a "New Yorker" might hurt her chances with middle America.

Former US Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. "Tom" Daschle (South Dakota)
Daschle has a PAC and has been campaigning some for candidates. He spoke at Iowa's JJ Dinner earlier this year or was it late last year. He has been out of office since 2004 and is doing everything that a candidate would do before announcing. Whether or not he runs is the question.

US Senator Christopher J. Dodd (Connecticut)
A sitting Senator, Dodd is giving thought to running for President. His website is not active at the moment as he was just re-elected in 2004. Being from a New England state will really hurt his chances in midwest and southern America.

Former US Senator John R. Edwards (North Carolina)
Edwards has been out of office since 2004 raising awareness of poverty. He has an active PAC and is helping candidates. The lack of winning his home state as the VP candidate really hurts his chances.

US Senator Russell D. "Russ" Feingold (Wisconsin)
Sitting Senator popular among Democrats who supported Dean. His PAC is helping out with candidates this election season. However, two divorces hurt his chances among the voters who care about family values.

Former US Senator Maurice R. "Mike" Gravel (Virginia)
A former veteran and senator from Alaska who has since moved to Virginia, Gravel has been actively promoting a national referendum focusing on three issues: the Iraq war, direct democracy constitutional amendment, and a fair tax plan

US Senator John F. Kerry (Massachusetts)
A sitting senator who lost when he ran nationally in 2004. See the same reasons I gave for Dodd and Clinton with regards to the lack of appeal to middle America.

Governor Brian Schweitzer (Montana)
Popular with grassroots activists but unlikely to run in 2008.

Governor Thomas J. "Tom" Vilsack (Iowa)
Vilsack's name has been talked about a lot and he has a PAC but I find it unlikely he will run in 2008. If he does, expect a lot of folks to stay out of the Iowa caucuses.

Former Governor Mark R. Warner (Virginia)
A former governor who is a moderate and lives in the south. What hurts him is that he only won one term due to Virginian law and his lack of national security experience. He is well known since he started Nextel. Before serving as governor, he lost for a 1996 Senate race against John Warner. The lack of foreign policy really hurts his chances a lot and he should run in 2008 for the Senate seat when John Warner's term ends. Another possibility is running for governor of Virginia in 2009.