From
Forty-Four
- Sen. Hillary Clinton
- Sen. John Edwards
- Sen. Evan Bayh
- Gov. Mark Warner
- Gov. Bill Richardson
- Sen. John Kerry
- Sen. Joe Biden
- Sen. Russ Feingold
- Fmr. Gov. Howard Dean M.D.
- Gen. Wesley Clark (Ret.)
These are my current rankings of Democrats seeking the 2008 presidential nomination from their party, in order of those I feel most likely to win it.
The most important thing is likelihood that they will seek the nomination. Howard Dean for example would be a major player IF he seeks the nomination. Right now that's up in the air since he is aggressively seeking the DNC Chair position and may have the inside track according to some. Kerry is low because I think that at the end of the day he probably won't seek it again in 08, and right or wrong he has the stench of failure emanating from him.
Second is name recognition and overall popularity. Clinton is the obvious no. 1 because she has 100% name recognition nationally, in addition to several reports that she is in fact preparing for a run. Same situation with Edwards, making him an obvious no. 2.
And third is intangibles. Intangibles is just an overall feel of whether or not they could legitimately win it. Are they telegenic? Are they positioned to do well in the early primaries? Would they have the necessary backing, both in money and manpower?
I'll be updating my rankings whenever I feel it's warranted. Maybe in a few weeks, or a few months. We've got a loooong way to go. And this thing won't really shape out until after the 06 mid-terms.
