TIME: An early eye on 2008

[arcos]

An early eye on 2008

<snip>

Among the earliest to start dialing for donors: Wesley Clark, who entered the '04 race just a few months before the first primary but quickly stumbled with a flip-flop on how he would have voted on Congress's Iraq-war resolution.

<snip>

Other Dems seriously considering a run are Delaware Senator Joe Biden, who almost entered the race in '04, and Virginia Governor Mark Warner, who is trying to elevate his national profile as he debates a presidential bid.

New Mexico's Bill Richardson is seizing every hobnobbing opportunity as head of the Democratic Governors' Association and is "definitely thinking about it," says a source close to him. Indiana Senator Evan Bayh is lining up a finance team and arguing that he can win in some red states.

Recent Veep contender John Edwards has been on the phone to thank supporters and say he will be back, but "he didn't impress anyone" with his work on the trail last year, a moneyman says, and may be a tough sell.

<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/31/early.2008.tm/index.html

[StephanieMarie]

1. I liked Richardson until he was such a weasel in the NM recount

[T Town Jake]

10. Ummmm...Governor Richardson WASN'T a "weasel"...

...he followed the law, right down the line. You don't know what you're talking about.

[Dinger]

2. U Wes A!

Please, please, please,.....................

[JoshK]

3. Talking about 2008 a week after Bush's inaugural is ridiculous.

It demonstrates the inability to get beyond a "horserace" mindset. It is the masturbatory preoccupation of small minds. Time would be better spent analyzing 1) why the Democrats have so dismally failed to offer Bush more than 25 cents worth of meaningful opposition, and 2) how a real opposition to Bush is going to materialize, to help everyone survive the next few years. Yakking about "candidates" now has roughly the same value as reading magazine articles about Brad and Jennifer.

[FreedomAngel82]

11. It's not bad to talk about

since it is 2005 but it's just still too early. Someone asked Kerry (from a french network) on the day he had his speech on his health care plan for kids and someone asked him and he said "too early." Smart I think. Other battles to win first. Anything can happen from now until the primaries begin. I just hope they get rid of the voting machines by then. Oh please!

[ClarkUSA]

12. Hey Josh, lighten up...it's just one thread so what's the harm

if it offers a bit of light onto this dark dark fascist world? If you want to strategize, go to the 2006 and 2008 forum.

[FrenchieCat]

13. I think that the reason that we are talking about

Replacing Bush so soon...."a week after" Inaugural....is because that's how bad we want him gone. I think that it's a good thing....

Can't ever be too early to meet the devil at the doorstep....to hand him his bags.

[Clark2008]

4. Run, Wes, Run!

A chant from the draft days... ahhhhh... good, good memories! ;)

[pityfriend]

5. On NPR

On the Diane Rehm show the other day, they also mentioned that Kerry might be posturing for another try due to his performance in the Rice reviews.

[saltpoint]

6. Edwards impressed enough people in Iowa to --

-- almost upset the Kerry campaign there.

TIME needs to check around a little.

TIME and NEWSWEEK had always touted Richard Gephardt's chances in Iowa, as it was a "neighbor" state and the demographics were "favorable."

Gephardt was buried alive in Iowa, finishing 4th behind Kerry, Edwards, and Dean.

[Still_Loves_John]

7. I think they mean

in the general election.

[saltpoint]

8. They do, yes. But I was touting Edwards' appeal.

There was an article on Slate.com (?) entitled "Why Kerry Had to Choose Edwards" for the ticket.

It was because Edwards impressed people who haven't been impressed by other Democrats.

I'm going to buy that TIME and keep it through the next 4 years. If I'm wrong about Edwards, I'll say so. If I'm right, though, I get to be the executive editor of TIME.

That's fair, isn't it?

[ClarkUSA]

9. Nice news indeed -- that man is my Hope

Gert and Wes - what a great couple.

'Now he is telling potential supporters, according to one he called, that he "learned from his mistakes, he knows it takes more time and preparation than he put in--and that his wife is fully on board," which wasn't true the first go-round.'

[cire4]

14. Edwards stumping for Pres > Edwards stumping for VP

I think it is unfair to judge Edwards on his performance as a VP candidate. When he was campaigning in Iowa, he gave absolutely killer stump speeches. Easily the best of the bunch. I am a Dean guy and even I got goosebumps hearing some of his populist rhetoric.

However, that populist rhetoric seemed to be significantally toned down while he was on the stump for VP. His speeches lacked the same kind of magic that I heard in Iowa and New Hampshire. He didn't go after outsourcing, NAFTA, poverty etc. as hard as he did in the primaries. I think Kerry's handlers and the DLC/DNC leadership types tried to help craft his message as a VP candidate, but instead they diminished it. Perhaps they were afraid of being labeled as anti-business or proponents of class-warfare.

Whatever the case, I still think Edwards has potential and I'd be willing to give him another chance in '08