As of now, who do you THINK will be our nominee?

[AshevilleGuy]

Not necessarily the one you want, but the person you EXPECT to win our nomination in 2008. Please no bashing, that is NOT the intent of this post; I just wonder if we can get a concensus here, it might be interesting. You might include your confidence level in your prediction. If this has been done before, I hope it was not recently.

I'll go first: If Gore stays out, it will be Hilary; if he comes in it will be Gore.

About 80% to 90% confident on this.

[TwilightGardener]

1. If Gore stays out (and I think he will), Obama. Edwards a close second.

[BayCityProgressive]

2. I think Edwards

will end up with it and he will pick someone experienced for VP. I am not supporting any candidate at this point. I just think Hillary and Obama will play themselves out.

[grytpype]

22. EDWARDS / CLARK 08!!!! THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR AMERICA

[jcrew2001]

32. Sadly Clark does not want VP

It'll be probably Edwards/Bayh.

[AlCzervik]

3. my speculator is at the dry cleaners.

a lot can and will happen in the year.

[Cameron27]

11. I washed mine by hand,

but it never was the same...B-)

edited: hit the wrong smiley lol

[Vincardog]

4. IF Hilary is the clear front runner 2 months before Iowa Gore gets in and wins

[Dawgs]

5. Barack Obama!

About 70% sure. Hillary will start to scare voters away - won't look good against Obama.

Gore if he runs.

[AtomicKitten]

6. a Democrat

[William769]

7. I agree, with only one correction.

It's Hillary.

[saltpoint]

8. Edwards, Gore, Obama, Richardson, Clinton -- in that order.

[Ian David]

9. I'm going to say that it's too early to be concentrating on just the frontrunners

There is still a chance that Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey could make a surprising last-minute showing.

[SaveElmer]

10. Hillary...which aligns with who I am supporting...

However I will gladly support whoever gets the nomination!

[greyl]

12. Gore. When his book is released in couple of months, we'll have a better idea. nt

[southerncrone]

13. Edwards, but still so early!

[John Q. Citizen]

14. Gore. It's his if he wants it. (And I think he does)

[w4rma]

15. Hillary. There are many things that could stop, and help stop, the machine, however. (nt)

[PresidentObama]

16. Obama, Edwards, Hillary. In that order. Out of the current field I like Edwards n/t

[mahina]

17. Obama, thank God.

This country needs HOPE! He is the smartest, coolest, most grounded and we are so lucky to have him. I like Edwards as a candidate too.

[Czolgosz]

18. Too early to say except that it'll probably be Hillary, Obama, Edwards, Gore [if he runs] plus maybe

one other candidate if, against all odds, that other candidate places in the top three in funds raised during the reporting period ending March 31.

Biden will be out of the race before Memorial Day (unless he stays in just to hear his own voice).

Dodd will stay in only for as long as he continues to raise funds successfully (could be the dark horse who raises enough money to break into the top tier).

Gravel will drop out after New Hampshire.

Richardson would drop out before Labor Day if he was running to win (because he won't raise the necessary money), but he will probably stay in because it's more likely he's not running to win (I thing he's running to set himself up as Hillary's VP and I predict he will stay in the race through the Nevada caucus to keep any other candidate from breaking too big of a lead over Hillary in Nevada where she's weakest and then Richardson will drop out and endorse her).

Kucinich will stay at least to February to influence the debates.

Clark won't run.

[southerncrone]

21. Agree 100% about Richardson & his role; very close to Clinton's

[MGKrebs]

26. That is very much how I see it.

I think it is highly unlikely Gore will run. I would think he would practically have to be certain he would win before he jumps in. I can't see him (and his wife and family) going through that again if it's not pretty cut and dried.

I hope Dodd makes a showing. Could be an intersting voice.

Hard to go against HC at this moment. There is definitely a chance she and another front-runner (Obama? Edwards?) will destroy each other and let #3 in, but I wouldn't want to have to count on that if I was #3.

I don't see Clark running either. Don't see any reason why he wouldn't have announced by now. If he's going to run, he needs to get started. If he's not, he would just say so... except that not saying so allows him continued access to the press so he can push his work further.

[DinahMoeHum]

19. It's WAY too soon for me. The front-runners right now may not

be the ones who actually win the primaries and the nomination next year.

It also depends on whether or not Al Gore or Wesley Clark decide to throw their hats in the ring.

But right now, I'm staying out of it. It's way too soon for me.

:kick:

[Just-plain-Kathy]

20. I’ll probably will get flamed for this but what the hell.

It’s a fact that Hillary didn’t do much in the last seven years to ensure honest elections.

She’s a woman republicans hate along with most democrats, yet the corporate MSM calls her the front runner.

She does whatever she could to cut funds to other candidates and is trying to push up the dates of primaries.

The fact that Bill helped PNAC by enacting the Iraqi Liberation act,I think Hillary will be crowned the primary win.

[elizm]

23. No flames from me...

I have your same fears. We keep getting told by the MSM and the polls that Hillary is the front runner, and yet I can not find anyone I know who supports her. I was a Dean supporter in 2004 and it seems the same thing happened. Suddenly when the primaries got here, we were told that voters were deciding to vote for Kerry because they thought he was 'most electable'. Once the voting began, everything changed....but he DIDN'T get elected. I think Hillary will be the nominee because, as her supporters love to say, "she has the money" (a sad commentary), but I DO NOT believe it will be who the voters truly want. And if that does happen, she will lose in the general...Her negatives are so high that she CANNOT win in the general. And I refuse to have another candidate crammed down my throat again. I will not vote if she is the nominee...If that is not being a 'good Democrat'... then so be it. Flame away! :)

[cleveramerican]

24. Hillary can't be stopped

which is not good news

[Czolgosz]

25. That's nonsense. Gore, Obama, or Edwards could stop Hillary. Edwards is polling ahead of her in Iowa

and Obama is tied with her:

Edwards 24%
Clinton 18%
Obama 18%
Vilsack 14%
Biden 5%
Richardson 3%
Clark 2%
Dodd 1%
Kucinich 1%
Undecided 14%

http://strategicvision.biz/political/iowa_poll_022207.htm

In New Hampshire, Obama leads Hillary and Edwards and Hillary are tied:

Obama 23%
Clinton 19%
Edwards 19%
Kerry 5%
Clark 3%
Biden 3%
Kucinich 1%
Richardson 1%
Vilsack 1%
Not sure 22%

http://www.zogby.com/NEWS/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1237

Polling isn't very useful at this early stage, but it certainly drowns the idea that Hillary is "inevitable."

[rinsd]

27. For me its a tossup between Edwards, Clinton & Obama in no particular order

Each of those candidates has shown an ability to campaign and fundraise.

[Colobo]

28. Obama

[Clarkie1]

29. I think Obama or Clark. nt

[jcrew2001]

33. Unless Clark quits Iowa again

then he'll lose again.

[Clarkie1]

40. Well, since it's 10 months until Iowa....

I think Iowans just might be in the mood for a fresh face in the not too distant future.

[jcrew2001]

41. You mean New Hampshire wants a fresh face

and that will be clark.

[rep the dems]

30. My gut is telling me Edwards. Not sure why. nt

[Dinger]

31. Whoever Has The Most Money

Nothing else seems to matter.

[jcrew2001]

34. I think it will be Edwards - he's had the most stable

and solid support.

Without Clark or Gore in the race, Edwards is the only Southerner in the race who can win the General Election.

[sampsonblk]

35. Hillary Clinton - No Competition at this point

No one is even close, even if they think they are.

[Pryderi]

36. Edwards/Richardson 08

[baldguy]

37. The next President of the United States.

[liberal renegade]

38. Will be Hillary Clinton

[liberal renegade]

39. It really is time

we had a woman for president and we need big dog back in the blighthouse....

[Alamom]

42. Yes, we do. eom

[wetcanvas]

43. Will be Hillary...

her and her team is capable of nuking anyone in her path. The are professionals. But winning the nomination won't get her the job. She's no Bill and she won't win anything in the south. I just cannot see it. Northeastern Liberals have a poor record in national elections.