Election 2008 Preview - February 2007

Some non-partisan observations on the presidential candidates:

Biden: you may want to know that 2/3rds of the emails to Washington Week in Review (PBS) said your off-the-cuff Obama comments were clearly intended to be complimentary to him; another cable news sound bite distortion problem to create controversy – i.e. much ado about nothing.

Brownback: the home for the Republican right who are feeling let down despite past loyalties.

Clinton: most men don’t want a “conversation”; they want confident leadership and direction.

Dodd: an effective senate record does not necessarily a president make.

Edwards: you’ve grown up and have campaign experience, but is winning the Democratic left enough to carry you to the White House? (think Howard Dean)

Gingrich: you’ve come a long way back, baby, but who are you now?

Gore: not the candidate image of 2000, so what are you going to do now that you’ve found personality?

Guliani: memories of your 9-11 performance will fade quickly; a lot of old baggage is waiting to come out, and only the law-and-order-mayor portion of your history will likely appeal to the Republican right.

Hagel: courage of convictions is appealing, but you will need more than just Iraq.

Huckabee: it was a personal accomplishment, but losing 100 lbs of weight does not a president make.

Hunter: who are you and why are you bothering?

Kucinich: still the quixotic Don Quixote candidate.

McCain: out of step from the public on Iraq, and the once-attraction of integrity is increasingly giving way to pandering to the voters; he looks tired and diminished already.

Nader: symbolic candidacies are important, but only one is allowed per wanna-be candidate --- else you diminish your larger strength and contribution to the country (think Jesse Jackson)

Obama: inspiring, but most every election has had its Cinderella candidate (Gene McCarthy, Bill Bradley, John McCain in 2000) anointed by the press but who falters in translating a clean, fresh, honest-speaking image to the hard politics of being elected.

Pataki: served as governor too long; seems like old news out of the ascending flow.

Richardson: the only governor with national/international experience; a potential sleeping beauty hidden in the race.

Romney: learning and adjusting one’s beliefs can reflect wisdom, but which beliefs are really yours versus political opportunism?

Tancredo: who are you and why are you bothering?

Thompson: do you have any substantive plans we should know about?

Vilsack: lighten up on the extreme hardship background story; sympathy doesn’t win votes.