Russ Feingold: It's the principles, stupid.
Bill Richardson: Cross-party appeal
Wesley Clark: Nice guy, strong national security trump-card.
Mark Warner: Excellent gubernatorial accomplishments. Southern Dude.
Hillary Clinton: PRO: intelligent and capable. CON: fake, pathetic and unacceptable (to me) recent "shift to the right".
Brian Schweitzer: PRO: Cow-boy guvna! CON: too limited record and experience in that role.
Evan Bayh: PRO: "presidential presence". CONS: 1) It's the DLC, stupid 2) His recent pubibc desparaging comments about the party.
Barbara Boxer: PRO: fiesty stands early this year. CONS: 1) thar vim and vigor was short-lived. 2) uncharismatic (a visit to a pricey hair-stylist badly needed).
John Edwards: PRO: Clintonesque CON: Not sufficiently Clintonesque where is counts and helps.
Ed Rendell: PROS: 1) Blue-collared chap. 2) Quite good at deflecting smears with a smile (i.e. a "cool head") CONS: 1) IMO, looks like a garden variety "dirty politician". 2) May in fact be "dirty", and if true, will be indefensible.
Tom Vilsack: CON: It's the DLC, stupid. PROS: 1) Don't know much about him or his record. 2) Not an "Eastern elite liberal"
Joe Biden: CON: Talking head extra-ordinaire.
Other candidate: Vestige of starry-eyed optimistism.
Undecided: Indecisiveness.
John Kerry: 1) You've had you chance, dude, let it go! 2) Performed a flip-flop iraq tango before and during the campaign. 3) Should've fought Ohio for a nominal day or two, at least 4) Should've defended his honor when the swift junkies smeared him. 5) Should've delivered a quotable little during the last 15 years or so of his senatorial stint. All in all, you're a nice guy, I think, Senator, but please spare yourself and others the time and the trouble.
Neo
I'm also positive he's not running. He's done with politics, and is instead concentrating on running bad TV networks.
He is no longer "boring", IMO. Have you heard his recent speeches? His problem in 2000 was that he was too camera-conscious and was not crisp in his message.
and how he look at people as if they where retarded they may be but you don't do that to win Presidential election.
He looked down and sighed at George Dumbya Bush as if the latter is a retard (I do agree that that may have cost him votes and possibly the election; But I am sure that Gore won't be sighing in 2008 debates should he be the nominee :)). But in W's case, that's hard to resist, don't you agree?
He took some of the most progressive positions of any of the 04 candidates, was probably the only one willing to use the "L" word (liberal) to describe himself, and was utterly fearless in calling out Bush, Rove and DeLay by name.
Many have expressed skepticism of Clark because of their preconceptions of military officers, or because he has no voting record as an elected official. But if you take a closer look at his military career, you'll see a documented history of defending progressive values, especially in regards to human rights, the environment, and making education and access to health care a priority of effort and funds. The fact that he stood up for these things within the military culture, where it often made him no friends among the other brass, should tell you something.
