Presidential Candidates

I was discussing with a co-worker about the chaos that will reign in American politics in the near future with no clear front-runners on either side. For some reference, I’m putting together a list that we can all look back on and try to determine who came out of where once we have left the Bush II era behind.

Democrats:

1) Hillary Clinton – Sen. (NY). Presumed front-runner, although much debate as to whether she could win the general election.
2) John Kerry – 2004 candidate. Still strong, although still plagued by same weaknesses of 2004 campaign.
3) John Edwards – 2004 VP candidate. Came close to winning the 2004 nomination. Has been circulating himself well and storm to the front of the pack with a win in Iowa
4) Russ Feingold – Sen. (WI). Far Left candidate and will appeal to hard core Deaniacs. Probably not strong enough to get nomination, but could seriously affect the outcome of the nomination.
5) Mark Warner – Ex-Gov. (VA). Recently retired governor has a large war chest and is reasonably well liked in the South. More moderate than Edwards, he could win if the Democrats embrace a Bill Clinton type compromise candidate.
6) Christopher Dodd – Sen. (CT). Minor candidate. Probably will drop out after New Hampshire primary.
7) Joseph Biden – Sen. (DE). Minor candidate. Might be forced to drop out prior to any primaries due to tendency to place his foot in his mouth.
8) Bill Richardson – Gov (NM). A strong Hispanic candidate and former Clinton era cabinet official. Richardson has had fluctuating popularity and is probably far behind in money collected, but he could be a very viable candidate if immigration becomes the touchstone of 2008.
9) Al Gore? – Gore has denied that he is running, although if the Democrats fail to capitalize on the opportunities in 2006, he may enter the ring to try and rescue the party.

Republicans:

1) John McCain – Sen. (AZ). McCain never stopped running in 2000. While popular with the Media and some moderates, McCain’s love of first amendment regulation has angered the base. He may not be able to sway enough of the base to secure the nomination, although he could probably peel enough Democrats to win the general election.
2) Rudy Guliani – Ex-Mayor (NY). Rudy has yet to declare himself, but he is widely expected to dip his toe into the waters soon. His socially liberal positions don’t sit well with some in the base, but many love his direct and powerful leadership style. He could be a strong spoiler if he chose to enter (read: potential VP candidate)
3) William Frist – Sen. (TN). Frist is abandoning the Senate to devote his full attention to running for President. His record in the Senate is rather wishy-washy and he has watery personality, but he might appeal to Southerners. He would actually be better served to run for governor of Tennessee, where he is very popular, and get some legislative muscle under his belt before running for President.
4) Mitt Romney – Gov. (MA). Romney is socially liberal but conservative economically. He has done well in the heavily Democratic Massachusetts and it could springboard him forward. However, there has been some question as to whether the Christian Coalition will rally behind a Mormon candidate. This could hurt Romney in the Bible-Belt states.
5) Newt Gingrich – Ex-Congressmen (GA). Newt has resurrected himself from the ashes, decrying the spending and foreign policies of the current administration. He still carries a lot of baggage and will probably not do well outside of some Southern states unless Congressional malfeasance and pork become the center of the debate.
6) Sam Brownback – Sen. (KS). A minor candidate who will appeal to the conservative Christian Coalition. He might stir here and there, but it not a real threat to get the nomination.
7) George Allen – Sen. (VA). Economically conservative and socially more conservative than most of his rivals, Allen could carry himself far if he could find a way to distinguish himself. However, he is the candidate most in the Bush mold at the moment and even Republicans are getting tired of the Bush mold.
8) Mike Huckabee – Gov. (AR). Another undeclared candidate, but one of the few Washington outsiders that might make a good run. Conservative both economically and socially, Huckabee could claim knowledge of how to efficiently run a government as he has overseen a successful economic recovery in Arkansas.
9) Rick Perry – Gov. (TX). Bush’s former Lt. Governor who has become more popular in Texas than Bush was. Perry could bring many of the same qualities as Huckabee to the table, but he will become strongest if illegal immigration comes to the fore again as his policies of border enforcement have been reasonably popular throughout the Southwest.

I’m sure there are others that I have forgotten, but I think these 18 represent the largest runners in the field at this particular time.