I know this diary will arouse the ire of many kossacks, but I feel it must be stated. Lately, I have been reading with dismay at all the "Feingold for President" euphoria that's been floating around.
Now I personally like Feingold and agree with his Iraq position. He's a great Senator and if I lived in Wisconsin I would not hesitate to vote for him. But I am also a practical person and BADLY want to see a democrat win the white house in 2008. Another Republican presidency will destroy this nation and will relegate us to the status enjoyed by Britain circa 1970.
Having said that, a Feingold nomination will devastate our party, resembling the ill-fated McGovern nomination of 1972. Feingold will arouse the liberal activists in berkeley, nyc, and boston, but his support outside urban areas will be dismal. He is a twice-divorced liberal Jewish senator. No amount of personal charisma can overcome such a handicap. I grew up in the Deep South and am aware of the deep suspicion most Americans have of jews, especially liberal jews. Gore's selection of Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew, hurt him immensely in the South and was one of the worst VP choices in modern American politics. A secular liberal Jew winning the White House is so inconceivable that such delusions should quickly be abandoned, lest we remain in the political wilderness.
Let's stick with what works. We know what a winning Democrat looks like ie. Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton. We should nominate Mark Warner, a moderate Southern governor, who has real experience managing problems and can appeal to Red state Americans. A Warner/Clark ticket can win Ohio, West Virgina, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico in addition to the states that Kerry won. Can you honestly say that Feingold can win traditional bellweather states like Ohio? Extremely unlikely.
Warner/Clark 08