Now that the 2006 political season is over, what’s a political junkie to do? Why, start studying the field of candidates for the 2008 presidential no-holds-barred deathcage elimination ultimate slugfest smackdown. Let’s start by looking at the Democrats:
John Edwards: I really liked Edwards’ “Two Americas” campaign theme; it seems to resonate with a lot of people who are feeling anxious about their jobs, their health care, and their retirement. And he’s a Southerner, a characteristic that seems to be a prerequisite for Democratic presidents in the last few decades. He seems to be doing well in the early Iowa polls, but he’s also been away from the political scene for a while, which could hurt him in terms of fundraising and putting together an effective campaign team.
Hillary Clinton: She’s got the name. She’s got the cash. She’s got the connections. And if she is the nominee, the Republicans will unleash their vast hordes of underworld minions to do massive amounts of oppo research to provide fodder for attack ads that will make the Swift Boat spots look like gentle teasing. Part of me wants her to run because I think she would make a formidable candidate. Part of me wants her to sit out so I don’t have to look at right-wing sloganeering like this.
Barack Obama: He could be the lightning in a bottle that Democrats have been looking for. Bright, articulate, handsome, young; it’s like he was engineered in some secret lab funded by George Soros. But he has a troubling tendency to be all things to all people. Then again, so does Hillary.
Al Gore: I think he’s having too much fun going to Hollywood parties and doing the talk show circuit to put all of that on hold for the unforgiving rigors of a political campaign. But if he does decide to run, pass the popcorn and enjoy the dirty looks exchanged between him and Hillary during the debates.
John Kerry: You’re kidding, right?
And then you have the also-rans like Evan Bayh, Joe Biden, and Bill Richardson. Then again, Bill Clinton was a second-tier candidate in the eyes of many pundits.
I’ll give the Republicans a similar treatment in the next few days.
He’s my homeboy 😛