Mark R. Warner For President '08?

[Pryderi]

WASHINGTON - The buzz here is about Deep Throat and how President Bush allegedly lost his 'Mo, but, being the campaign geek I am, I'm thinking about the future: the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
Here's where we are as we enter the starting gate. There are paired entries, as they say in horse racing. Hillary (and Bill) Clinton in Number One, of course. Then, the 2004 John-John ticket-mates, Senators Kerry and Edwards. The third pair are smooth-moving moderates: Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana and Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia. Rounding out the field, three other governors: Richardson of New Mexico, Vilsack of Iowa, Rendell of Pennsylvania.

Hillary's Hillary. 'Nuff said. The entry I'd rather talk about this time around is arguably the most obscure -- Warner.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8062256/

Here's Warner's gov site:

http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Governor/GovBioHome.html

I believe Dems need to nominate a moderate governor in order to retake the WH, and Warner could be the one to do it.

Senators suffer from voting records

http://www.draftmarkwarner.com/

What do you think?

[SaveElmer]

1. I live in Virginia...

Warner has been a very good Governor in this conservative state.

He took the Republicans in the legislature to lunch last term. He is extremely smart and has an ability to connect with people one on one, even with those that disagree with him.

He does have drawbacks however. He is very moderate, almost leaning conservative. He would not carry Virginia, or be particularly attractive elsewhere in the South, and he is not a very good speaker, often coming off as a bit goofy.

[Pryderi]

2. "goofy", "bad speaker"...hmmm...sounds like Bush. ;)

[SaveElmer]

3. He isn't that bad...

It isn't a bar to hom winning...but a negative. Might hurt him in the primaries...particularly against Edwards or Clinton.

[Placebo]

4. Hillary '08

Hillary '08

[FrenchieCat]

5. Don't know.....

But there is something about him that I don't quite find appealing. 1/2 of the battle is image.....and somehow, I don't think that Warner connotes the "image" I had in mind for a win in 2008!

[Awsi Dooger]

6. Warner would make Virginia very close

We have been pulling roughly 45% there, losing by about 8 points. But in 2004 that was only 5.5 or 6 points worse than we did nationally. There is evidence Virginia is slowly moving our way, maybe 2 points every 4 years. At that rate you have no chance to get over the hump minus a national landslide, making Virginia irrelevant, or the pull from a favorite son. That is typically in the 4-8 point range, especially if the state has not been represented on the ticket recently, which Virginia has not. We have so little margin for error that a shot at 13 otherwise impossible electoral votes has got to be considered.

Warner is certainly a more realistic option than Evan Bayh. He would lose Indiana by double digits.

Agreed, Mark Warner is not the most eloquent and his facial structure can make for some goofy expressions. That was the word someone from Virginia used early in this thread and I think it fits.

[FrenchieCat]

7. His lack of any National Security

and Foreign policy creds don't help him either. I mean, Bush and his neo con and his media will be in charge of what story "breaks" during the election. Another Bin laden Tape....and Democrats will be dead in the waters....All they've got to do is put "Condi" on the ticket as Veep....and we're toast.

[Awsi Dooger]

8. There is also the issue of Warner's plans after this year

Virginia is a very rare one-term only state, in regard to governors. He was elected in 2001 shortly after 9/11 and is out after this year. Warner doesn't have the safety nest of winning another term then evaluating a presidential bid from that perch. He may run for senate but that would be in an underdog role versus an incumbent, George Allen, and a loss would all but eliminate him from presidential consideration. If he wins then of course you've got the historical problem of trying to win the presidency as a sitting senator.