Election Watch 2008

Feingold Announces Divorce

2005-04-11T20:58:00.000-04:00

Big news from potential Democratic Presidential candidate in 2008, Senator Russ Feingold, he is getting divorced:

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat mentioned as a possible candidate for president in 2008, announced Monday that he is getting divorced. He and his wife of 14 years, Mary, issued a statement through Feingold's Senate office saying, ``We are separating amicably and intend to remain very good friends.''
The marriage was the second for both. They did not have children together. Feingold, 52, has two daughters from his first marriage. Mary Feingold has two sons from hers.

Put a fork in him he is done. The American electorate is not going to vote a twice divorced currently single candidate into the White House. I am not sayign this makes him a bad guy, but it puts a label on him, you don't want if your running for President. Scratch one early wannabe.

Survey Paints Portarait Of Dean Supporters

2005-04-11T09:16:00.000-04:00

This is a revealing finding from the Pew Research poll previously mentioned. Read the whole story below, but essentially,, it says that Dean supporters want the party to move further to the left and embrace the so called "progressive" policies of Howard Dean and move away from centrist positions. If the Democratic party should indeed embrace this, it is doomed. The mainstram of America is in the center. Presidential Candidates embracing a left leaning liberal agenda are doomed to fail. There is a battle ongoing in the Democratic party between the center and the left. I hope for the sake of a strong two party system, the center wins.

As voters we need candidates on the Democratic side like Evan Bayh and Mark Warner . The Howards Dean's and John Kerry's represent old, out of touch thinking. Why doesn't the DNC see this? In any event, here is the article:

"Howard Dean's failed presidential campaign left behind a cadre of political activists who now constitute the most liberal faction of the Democratic Party and who believe the party should move to the left as it tries to rebound from Sen. John F. Kerry's loss to President Bush, according to a unique survey of Dean's followers. Dean attracted an activist corps that is whiter, wealthier, better educated and far more liberal and secular than Democrats generally or the population at large, according to the Pew Research Center. But the study found that Dean's followers were not, as some reports had suggested, dominated by young people and that he had strong appeal among voters ages 40 to 59.

The findings are based on Internet surveys with activists who had signed up on Dean's campaign site last year, which means the sample represents a fraction of the population. But the Dean followers provide an insight into what might be a much larger cadre of grass-roots activists who are a growing constituency within the party and one that Dean, as new chairman of the Democratic National Committee, wants to integrate more directly into party operations.

More than four in five (82 percent) of Dean activists in the study identified themselves as liberals, compared with 27 percent of all Democrats nationally. Asked what drew them to Dean, 66 percent cited the war in Iraq, and 99 percent of the Dean followers said Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq was wrong. On the issue of gay rights, 91 percent of Dean activists said they favor same-sex marriages, compared with 38 percent of Democrats nationally.

In a party that includes substantial numbers of blacks and Hispanics, the Dean Democrats are overwhelmingly white -- 92 percent, according to the survey -- and constitute what could be described as part of the American elite. More than half (54 percent) hold post-graduate degrees and a quarter have graduated from college. Almost one in three (29 percent) have household incomes of more than $100,000 annually.

One in three of the Dean activists said they never attend church, and 27 percent said they seldom do so. Those rates of religious participation are far lower than that of Democrats generally. More than half of all Democrats say they attend church at least once a month.
Dean's followers, according to the poll, want the party to challenge Bush more vigorously and embrace "progressive" policies, not the centrist positions that were critical to former president Bill Clinton's two victories. Just 18 percent of those who responded to the surveys said the party had effectively advocated liberal or progressive positions, and two-thirds said they want to see the party reflect those liberal positions in the future.

The Dean activists remain anti-Bush (96 percent strongly disapprove of his performance) and critical of Democratic leaders, with 86 percent saying those leaders have not done enough to challenge the president. Although three-quarters said they were depressed by the outcome of the election, half said the election results will make them more politically active.

Looking toward 2008, almost half of Dean's Internet followers say he definitely should run for president again. That is more than double the percentage for former senator John Edwards (N.C.) and Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.). The two most recent Democratic nominees fared badly with the group: Two-thirds of those surveyed said Kerry and former vice president Al Gore should not run. "

Obama 08?

2005-04-11T09:08:00.000-04:00

A Pew Research poll shows that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is a popular choice for president in 2008 among the Howard Dean crowd. Two-thirds of Dean's online activists from 2004 say they'd rather see Obama run for president than Al Gore or John Kerry. Their other favorites, besides Howard Dean himself, are Sen. John Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Don't count on it. Although Obama is an intelligent individual and a rising star, 4 years in the U.S. Senate and 38 years of age will not be enough to get anyone elected to the Presidency. He will need more time, experience and seasoning if you will before he can effectively mount a Presidential run. I think he will need wait until 2016, at that time he would be a a term Senator, with 12 years under his belt, be in his mid forty's and had time to present himself to the American public. Everyoen is so quick to push the guy to greater heights. His time will come I am sure....

Bayh Polling Well

2005-04-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

"Two out of three Hoosiers believe Hoosier Sen. Evan Bayh has the personal qualities needed to be a good president. And without knowing who the other candidates might be, about half said they are likely to vote for Bayh if he is the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in 2008, according to a new Indianapolis Star/WTHR (Channel 13) poll. Bayh has said it's too early to talk about whether he will run for president. But he has hired aides, made fundraising changes and taken other steps viewed as laying the groundwork for a possible bid.
Bayh also has gotten favorable attention from political pundits as a possible contender, largely because of his ability to do well in a Republican state like Indiana."

This really is a good starting point for Bayh. He polls well among his own constituents as well as s erving a a benchmark for how he is doing later on. He is a well spoken, intelligent individual, who is liked by folks on both sides. With the experience as both a very successful Governor and Senator on his resume he has qualifications few candidates can offer.

Rendell Won't Run

2005-03-31T22:18:00.000-05:00

The Doylestown Intelligencer notes that when Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) was asked whether he's interested in running for president in 2008, Rendell said, "Not really. The timing is wrong for me."Rendell "believes Hillary Clinton would be tough to beat in a Democratic primary, but isn't certain she'll run because of her good standing in New York and all of the history that would be dredged up."

I don't see Rendell as a viable candidate anyway. He is beloved in Philadelphia and the eastern half of Pennsylvania. Beyond that, most folks think very little of him. He ain't running and good riddance. We don't need any slick politicians in 2008, thats for sure.

Is Pataki Eyeing 2008?

2005-03-31T22:10:00.000-05:00

Read on what is being reporting this past week about New York Governor George Pataki:

Governor George Pataki insists he’s not thinking about the 2008 presidential race, but his denials seemed a little hard to believe with the sudden reappearance by his side this week of Zenia Mucha, the tough-talking political operative who left Albany in 2001 to become the top flack for Disney’s Michael Eisner. As a longtime aide to Senator Al D’Amato known for colorful rows with the press, Mucha was dispatched to shore up Pataki’s faltering 1994 campaign against Mario Cuomo and was widely credited with engineering his surprise victory.

Her ability to keep Pataki—and everyone else—on message is thought to have helped spur his rise from unknown Peekskill state senator to governor and onto George W. Bush’s short list for vice-president in 2000. (Dick Cheney, head of the selection committee, selected himself instead.) When Eisner lured Mucha to the Mouse with an extravagant salary, many of her associates nevertheless were certain she’d return to politics; her reemergence is viewed as a sign the governor is getting serious about 2008.

Tight-lipped as ever, Mucha insists she’s merely taking a week off from her day job to “help out.” But friends say she’s planning a return to New York as head of Pataki’s national campaign.

It is very difficult for Patakli to win re-election as Governor in NY. He would be running for a third term with sinking poll numbers. Any candidate wouldbe hard pressed to return to the Governor's manions after 12 long years. If Pataki runs for Governor again and loses, his Presidential aspirations will be damaged, but if he steps aside and bows out in 2006, he leaves as a retired, not defeated incumbent.

He is a moderate and a northerner which may hurt his chances in 2008, but make no mistake this guy wants to run and likely sees 2008 as his best chance. He is in.....I dont think he had a chance, but nevertheless he is gooing to run.

Ford For Senate 2006...And Beyond?

2005-03-17T16:13:00.000-05:00

The moderate Democrat plans to quickly jump in when Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) officially announces his resignation, he told FOX News. Republicans often insist that no Democrat can win statewide office in the South, but Harold Ford's supporters say that it won't deter the congressman. “If you have the ability to deliver a message crisply and effectively and you can relate to voters, you can transcend a whole lot of racial and political boundaries,” said Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.).

Unlike many ultra liberal members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Ford Jr. has “positioned himself as a centrist,” Rep. Davis, a moderate-liberal Democrat, added. “I think it will enable him to break out of the pack that black Democrats are pushed to in the South.”Other observers wonder whether Rep. Ford, Jr. should expect some resistance from his left flank. Ron Walters, director of the African-American Leadership Institute at the University of Maryland, said he and other black liberal Democrats are concerned with some of Rep. Ford’s policy positions.

Ford has been carving out a profile as a Blue Dog Democrat and hoping that would be sufficient, to allow him to be competitive. Because of that, some have considered him to be too conservative, but in fact it postions him well for the future. Ford, Jr. has voted with conservatives on issues such as banning partial-birth abortion, and voting for school prayer, the war in Iraq, and cuts in the capital gains tax. However, he supports affirmative action, banning oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, and opposed President Bush’s tax cuts.

Ford has positioned himself well in the center muchin the style of former President Clinton. I do not believe there is any question he could win the Senate seat in Tennessee, and I further believe he could be a legitimate Presidential candidate in the future. At 34 he is too young an inexperienced to run in 2008 or even 2012, though he could be a good VP candidate in 2012.

In any event, I have been impressed with Congressman Ford, so his future bears watching.

Condi Rice Won't Run

2005-03-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

Condi Rice told Tim Russert she does not intend to run for President, doesn't want to run for President, and does not plan to ever be the President. She outright said, twice, that she WOULD NOT run.I don't think there's any wiggle room left. And here I just got my bumper stickers in the mail...NOT!

Really, I am not a big fan of Ms. Rice. I think she is a brilliant woman, but a candidate for President, I don't think so. Everyone seems to have this belief that anyone with a high profile and political clotu is qualified to be President. Wrong....we don't need resumes for President, we need individuals with intelligence, vision and a moral compass. Ms. Rice is a bookworm whose risen to her level of incompetency.....she is not Presidential material.

Online Coalition:Protect Freedom Of Speech

2005-03-11T21:47:00.000-05:00

Be sure to sign this letter to the FEC. Doesn't matter where you stand politically; the right to speak, or write your opinion has to be upheld. There is safety in numbers so pile on and add your name to this bi-partisan coalition. Thanks!

The Effect Of Federal Fiscal Policy On 2008

2005-03-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told the House Budget Committee last Wednesday what every adult who runs a fiscally sound household already knows: "You cannot continuously introduce legislation which tends to expand the budget deficit" without running into serious trouble.

The term that he used was that President Bush's current policy would be "unsustainable." The term we as private citizens would use for this eventuality would be personal bankruptcy - and that, unfortunately, is exactly where the Bush administration, in contrast to good conservative fiscal policy, is pushing our country.

I firmly believe that the budget deficit and its effect on the hearts and minds of voters is coming to roost in the 2008 campaign. I think that voters are starting to take a harder look at the fiscal policies not only of this administration but of Congress as a whole, and are becoming more uneasy with the idea of deficit spending and its long term effect on the economy.

Each of us has to make personal decisions to balance our own checkbook each month. We can only hope that Congress has the sense and backbone to begin to balance the American checkbook and not allow the administration or Congress to continue to push our country, our children and grandchildren toward financial disaster.

In 2008, I can see candidates that whom have practiced and continue to preach sound fiscal policy and securing necessary programs such as Social Security have mass appeal to voters. The question will be, who will rise to the top? Any thoughts?

A Republican View On 2008

2005-03-06T22:04:00.000-05:00

As a moderate conservative Republican, I have been outspoken in my criticism of the President and the party on numerous occassions. I see the party extremists over reaching on what it sees as an electoral mandate. I find myself becoming even greater at odds with the direction that is being taken, as I believe it to be in contrast to the ideals of the Republican party and Conservative movement.

As I look forward to the 2008 Presidential campaign, I see but a handful of potential GOP candidates that would truly uphold those ideals. Arizona Senator John McCain, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel and perhaps South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Truly, the GOP field seems slim.

This is where I believe the Democratic Party has an advantage. I will ignore the obvious potential candidacy of Hillary Clinton for the moment and focus on more truly centrist Democrats, folks even I could cast a vote for. Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, Virginia Governor Mark Warner, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, and Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold. These are all individuals with successful political careers, all of whom would, I think, attract independent and moderate voters from both parties.

I see the GOP needing to have some potential candidate really step out into the positive spotlight over the enxt two years for the GOP to win the White House for a third consecutive term. As of today, I dont see who that might be. I believe the 2008 Presidential election will be seen as one of the most competitive and memorable in history. In part due to the fact that no incumbent President or Vice President will be running and also to the strong possibility of large crossovers voters from either party truly tipping the scales. Again, still a long way to go, but the advantage goes to the Democrats. It will be awfulyl hard for the GOP to maintain the White House after eight years of what could be considered a controversial administration.

We shall see.....

Governor Richardson Pushing For Early Western Primary

2005-03-03T15:04:00.000-05:00

Gov. Bill Richardson is planning an aggressive push to persuade Western mountain states to have a presidential primary on a single day early in the nominating process in 2008. Some might say it is an attempt to boost his chances for nomination in 2008, but I believe it is an honest effort to balance out the nomination process so that the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primary don't all but decide the nomination up front. Fact is the nominating process did not work for the Democratic party last time as all but one candidate was essentially left standing after the two early contests.

Original Source:

The Albuquerque Tribune: News.

Kudos also to Forty Four

Candidate Sites

2005-03-01T14:08:00.000-05:00

I will be working within the next week or so to gather up links to relevant candidate support sites. That is, sites hosted by supporters of would be candidates. I will try and keep them to the serious minded ones and truly potential candidates. They are great resources for learning about the potential nominees. In fact, I have never been as excited abotu a Presidential election as I am about 2008.

Bayh's Mass Appeal in '08

2005-02-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

With the Democratic Party suffering from what is perceived as too much cultural liberalism, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh could have a legitamite shot at being the first presidential nominee from Indiana since 1940. Bayh's name keeps surfacing in national political commentary about who can lead the party out of its post-election blues.

Bayh's credentials include his moderate to conservative views as well as a record of election success in a Republican-dominated Midwestern state. He won his recent Senate race by a record-setting 1,496,512 votes. Republican George Bush carried the state by a few less than that, 1,477,704 votes. Democrats are puzzled over why they can't win the red, or conservative, sections of the country. They are likely to take note of how Bayh has never lost a race in a very red state that last went for a Democrat for president in the Lyndon Johnson landslide of 1964.

The hardest part of a presidential run for Bayh, however, could be his party's primaries. The primaries tend to attract liberal activists, screening out centrist candidates like Bayh. But he could gain an advantage in a field of more liberal candidates if he is the only moderate to conservative.

Bayh's path to victory could be to say, 'Are you tired of losing?' . Evan Bayh likely will not scare anyone. A lot of Democrats do that. They scare people across the country in red states on the social and cultural issues. Those Democrats represent to them too much change in a liberal direction. Political figures in both parties in Indiana think Bayh could be the nominee if he wants to pursue it.

Another potential centrist candidate is Sen. John Edwards, the losing vice presidential candidate. But he has two handicaps, he lost his own state and He's a trial lawyer, and that's something he will be beat over the head about.

Further, results of the 2004 election mayl favor Bayh. Between now and 2008 that there's going to be a recognition in the party that we don't need to put an Eastern establishment liberal on the ticket, the candidate has to appeal to people in the red states."
.
Republicans from his home state of Indiana also see strengths in Bayh. He's well spoken, andunliek other Senatorial turner Presidential candidate's, he was a successful two-term governor. Personally, I think Bayh would be a stronger candidate than the more liberal Democrat who leads in the polls, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

Bayh has said that it is too soon for him to decide whether he would seek his party's nomination in the 2008 race. He skipped the 2004 race because of his two young sons, and he is young enough to wait and still run in 2012 or 2016. But in terms of opportunity in his own party, the year 2008 may be Bayh's last, best chance for the presidential nomination. If Democrats are looking for a centrist candidate who has a formidable background with personality and wider appeal to Independents and cross over Republicans, I think Bayh might very well be their man.

Guiliani Or Rice? I Don't See It

2005-02-23T21:39:00.000-05:00

From CNSNews.com:

"Conservatives gathered in Washington, D.C., for a political action conference predicted that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani will win the Republican nomination for president in 2008.Giuliani received 19 percent of the vote in a straw poll conducted over the weekend at the 32nd annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

Giuliani narrowly edged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who earned 18 percent of the vote after intensive campaigning by her supporters, who donned "Draft Rice in 2008" buttons and stickers.Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), tied for third place with Sens. George Allen of Virginia and John McCain of Arizona; they all received 11 percent of the vote."

I dont see either Guiliania or Rice. In Guiliani's case, although I like him, I believe as a Northeastern candidate he will have trouble convincing Southerners that he is their candidate. As for Rice, well I think she has far to many negatives for all but the extreme right to support. Guiliani is certainly positioning himself for something, wether it is President, US Senator or Governor of New York is yet to be determined.

Edwards Keeping His Options Open

2005-02-21T22:14:00.001-05:00

From the Associated Press:

"Former vice presidential candidate John Edwards will not talk about whether he plans to run for the White House in 2008, but he is not pledging to stand aside if running mate John Kerry tries again. Edwards said in an interview aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week" that he and Kerry have talked often since they lost in November to President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. He would not say if he'll follow the example set by Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who was chosen by Al Gore as the Democratic candidate for vice president in 2000. Lieberman said he would not run in 2004 if Gore wanted to seek the presidency again. Gore did not, and Lieberman campaigned for the Democratic nomination. "Not only are John Kerry and I friends, our families are close," Edwards said. "I have enormous respect for him. But I'll decide what's the right thing to do based on what's going on with my own family."

Edwards said while his faith seeps into every part of his life, he is reluctant to make it part of campaigning. "I think it looks political. It looks like you're just moving around for politics' sake," he said. He applauded Iraqis for braving terrorist threats and voting for a national assembly last month, but said Bush administration policies have had a mixed effect in the Middle East. "There are some things that are happening that are positive, and there are some things that are happening that are not positive. I mean, there is an entire generation of people growing up in the Muslim world who are faced with poverty and despair. And they're blaming us. I mean, we are a natural target. And George Bush has helped make us a natural target," Edwards said. Rather than allow Americans to create private accounts with part of their Social Security contributions, as Bush proposes, Edwards said he would roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent of households and put that money into the Social Security system."

Ya know the old saying, if it looks like a dog and barks like a dog, it's a dog!

John Edwards is in the dog race folks. This guy is not going to fade away into the night. He is young, energetic and has real vision. This is a man who wants to be President, and as along as he can keep his name and face in the public forum, he will have a real shot in 2008.

Huckabee For President?

2005-02-18T21:52:00.000-05:00

According to this week's "US News & World Report", there's already another contender for the next Presidential race: Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who is much like Bill Clinton, except he's a Republican. His background as a former Baptist Minister may appeal to Christian voters and his Southern heritage certainly could play well in the heart of the south and west. I don't know much about him yet, but he could be an interesting candidate.

Feingold Discusses 2008 Plans

2005-02-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Sen. Russ Feingold "said he would consider running for president in 2008 if there is enough encouragement and interest from Democrats and if he thinks he has a real shot at winning the nomination.""Feingold, who plans to step up his national travel and speaking, said his goal for now is to influence the direction of the party and help it rebound from its losses."

Oh yeah, he's definitely running. He would be one of the first ones out of the gate along with Bayh.

Kenneth Blackwell's Rising Star

2005-02-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

One of the rising GOP stars is Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell. Recently in the national news due to his place in charge of the Ohio vote, Blackwell is also a man who has it all - with the added strength of being a solid conservative who will play well outside the urban, liberal enclaves. As Ohio Secretary of State he doesn't yet have the political stature necessary to run for national office, but as he's planning on running for Governor of Ohio in 2006, the sky is the limit if he can win that election. 2008 would be too soon for a Presidential run - and probably also too soon for a VP slot, but you can never tell. But a 2006 governorship opens up a 2012 Presidential run (if the GOP loses in 2008), or 2016 (if the GOP wins in 2008). However, campaigns are full of surprises and you knever know what could occur between now and 2008 to put him in favorable position for the coming Presidential campaign.

Kudos To DemWatch

2005-02-15T09:07:00.000-05:00

I want to pay homage to DemWatch creator Scott. He inspired me to not only create this blog to track the 2008 Presidential election, but keep a more open mind to views on both sides. What I am truly pleased by is how Scott, a Democrat and myself a Republican, can so easily converse and agree on a host of issues and respectfully do the same on issues we differ on. It is to me a great example of bipartisanship and just illustrates that we have more in common than we all believe. If we work together on addressing those issues and ironing out differences, we can work to elect a candidate in 2008 whom will best serve all the people.

Thanks Scott, please keep up the great work at DemWatch!

Chuck Hagel

2005-02-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

I dont think there is any doubt that Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel (R) is considering a run in 2008. Prior to November 2004, you would have been hard pressed to find Hagel anywhere. However since Bush's re-election, Hagel has been making appearances at a dizzying rate, including those of televised events on C-Span.

Hagel is an outspoken moderate, who like McCain, does and says what is on his mind regardless of whom (the GOP leadership) he ticks off. He has been on occassion, critical of the administration on a number of issues, most notably Iraq.

Now for sure, he has a lot of work to do in gaining name recognition and putting himself in a position to attract big donors, but, his maverick persona may play well will moderates and independents who are yearning for someone who doesn't always play along with the leadership establishment in Washington. Keep your eyes on him and see how often his face and name keep popping up in the media. He certainly bears watching.

Red And Blue America

2005-02-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

Here is the final election map from 2004. It sets the stage for 2008.

Eyeing The Presidential Election Of 2008

2005-02-14T14:42:00.000-05:00

This blog is dedicated to the 2008 Presidential election. We will track, follow, analyze the potential candidates all along the way, providing insight and analysis. Although I am a republican, this is neither a Republican nor a Democratic blog, but rather an objective look at the possible and eventual candidates. We will also touch on issues that will potentially affect the election and the candidates themselves.

All are welcome as long as we adhere to the idea of mutual respect for each other along the way.