I think all our candidates thus far announced WAY too soon, imo.

[Clarkie1]

I mean, announcing more than a year before the first caucus, what is that?

[nickshepDEM]

1. The whole process is moving too fast.

But I guess there is a get on board or get left behind mentality. The race for supporters and more importantly $$$ makes it almost necessary to announce early.

[Clarkie1]

2. The American people are going to get so sick of politics. nt

[Oleladylib]

3. Totally agree, big cat fight...!

[TomInTib]

4. I agree.

The pubs are getting way too good a look at the targets.

But the hurried Primary schedule is the driver.

[Prophet 451]

5. It's because of Bush

He's seen as such a puppet these days and so increasingly unlikely to finish out his term that everyone wants to declare before his impeachment.

[AX10]

6. I agree. It is possible that these candidates will...

beat each other so badly that they have no chance at the nomination.
Come the fall, Newt and Gore or Clark announce their candidacy and go on to win their respective party's nominations. It's possible.

[Clarkie1]

7. people who are willing to do this full time for a year before the first voting

certainly do want to be President very badly, for whatever reason.

But when is enough enough?

[SaveElmer]

8. Well it isn't that dramatic...the only difference between now and 2004...

Is the actual announcements...

I mean Howard Dean was running from the first day after the 2002 elections....it just wasn't "official" yet

Jimmy Carter started running in early 1975...its just that the media didn't pay attention to him...

[Clarkie1]

10. It's pretty dramatic.

The media is paying attention this time, and paying attention early. There has never been anything like this in the American poliical experience.

And I think the American people are going to get sick of it real quick.

[SaveElmer]

12. Well thats the lay of the land...

If they hadn't announced the media speculation would have been just as tiring for some...

There have been many milestones in the way Presidential campaigns have been run...

In the early part of our history candidates didn't campaign openly...then Andrew Jackson and the Ant-Masons introduced party conventions and popular campaigning.

In the late 1950's TV came along and revolutionized it again...

The changes made by the parties themselves opening up the process with more primaries etc, radically changed the nature of campaigns...when is the last time a "favorite son" candidate ran for example?

And now the 24 hour news cycle and the internet are changing it again...forcing campaigns to start earlier

Personally I don't mind it...and I think people will just get used to it as they have all of the other milestones along the way!

[Clarkie1]

13. Yeah, the whole process just gets better all the time!

Like in the Beatles song!

[SaveElmer]

14. People adapt...nt

[Clarkie1]

20. Man, that's harsh.

"If they have no bread, let them eat cake."

[nealmhughes]

9. I analyaze it as a tactic used by big money names to thwart some less well funded.

Evidently, the strategy is: I will get the money first, and so people will be tired of donation of time and money and energy when the others have to drop out for money reasons, ergo, I will be one of only two when the primaries come around.
Unfortunately, this can tire out the public, who have longer memories (at least the politically active do) than the candidates' managers seem to give them credit. That is to say, some people have long memories, and the longer the campaign, the more chance to either commit a bona fide gaffe or else have the press label one's words as a gaffe by their less than stellar careful and critical reading of a statement and its context.
Anything perceived as a gaffe by the press then becomes a talking point for the opposition party who label it as "typical behavior" by the candidate under attack by them.
Gen. Clark is very smart in my opinion, for staying out to date, but not too long as he did last time. As long as he keeps the public speaking up and TV appearances regular, free campaigning, plus the simplicity of his message: It's not Iraq, stupid! and his generally progressive message make him brilliant for sitting out for now.
Why battle it out amongst one's own party when you can allow the other official contenders do it for you? The same goes for Gingrich. Let the Republicans have their "veracity" battles over the Born Again Conservative Credentials of Rudy, the Mormon, et al. and let the Grinch sail in comparison.

That is my take.

[Auntie Bush]

11. Sounds good to me!

:kick:

[postulater]

15. Yeah, don't they have day jobs?

[Golden Raisin]

16. It's like Christmas. It gets earlier every year.

Soon the stores and catalogs will start Christmas advertising and decorating on the 5th of July. The entire electoral campaign process in this country has become utterly ridiculous and insane, to say nothing of expensive. A potential candidate not possessing millions need not apply.

[Bonobo]

17. Agreed. They are like the ones in races that set a good pace and then fall back.

What are they called again? I forget. But that's what they are, I think. Hillary and Obama are fighting for VP at best at this point. They will be gone from the front this time next year.

[omega minimo]

18. Well this way they don't have to concentrate on holding Bushco accountable & ending this illegal war

:thumbsdown:

while other members hold hearings and investigations that get shoved into the shadows while campaigning hogs the news cycle.

:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

[Adelante]

19. Very good point there

We don't need news about elections at this time. We need news about what the country needs right now.

[omega minimo]

24. mebbe news on how to guarantee the next elections won't be stolen

John Conyers introduced a bill on election crimes-- did that make the news?

[bigtree]

21. who's to blame?

[KingofNewOrleans]

22. So, when did candidates start for the 2004 election?

Dean--May 31st 2002

Kerry--Dec 2002

Lieberman
Gephardt
Edwards
Sharpton--Jan 2003

Kucinich
Mosely-Braun
Graham--Feb 2003

Wes Clark--Sept 17 2003

This cycle doesn't look too different to me.

The campaigns are getting more attention early, because of the drama (and continuation) of the mid-term elections, the fact that there is no incumbent, and the entrance of two "superstars" in the race--HRC and Obama. If not for Iraq, the media probably would lose interest soon enough, but Iraq probably means the race will go on, ad nauseum.

[LWolf]

23. Would you feel the same if Clark had announced?

I think it's a matter of getting your name out there; once the first candidate announced, if you don't want that to be the first name that everyone thinks of because of first and most media exposure, you join in.

Should there be some scheduled "formal announcement date" in which everyone announces on the same day? When would the best time for that be?

[Uncle Joe]

25. It's only to the benefit of the mass corporate media who pressure them to do so.

To the MCM it's the same as Christmas Shopping Season, megabucks come rolling in, I believe this is their primary motivation.