It has been a slow two months in PatRoWland, and I'm sure you are as sick as I am of YouTube videos and flash animations. So as we stand on the precipice of a new Democratic majority in Congress (and hope, with baited breath, that they can last a few weeks before their first major fuck up), the time has come to address THE issue of the day in progressive politics:
The Race to Not Do Something Stupid and Nominate an Intelligent and Competent Woman for a Job for which She is Entirely Qualified Yet Stands No Chance of Winning an Electoral or Popular Majority (or, as you call it, the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. Tomato, toe-mah-toe).
As I stated back in November, I still believe that Hillary's presidential campaign will serve as a smoke screen used to attract the Right's attacks and allow our REAL nominee to rise to the party's forefront virtually unscathed from widespread criticism. Oh sure, there will be hotly contested primaries, but state-wide Democratic races will help us all figure out who is the best-suited to lead the presidential charge in 2008. Not a coronation or manifest destiny as some pro-Hillary folks would have us believe, the best Democrat will emerge from a large field of prospects ranging from likely (Obama, Edwards) to possible (Vilsack, Kerry) to laughable (Kucinich, Sharpton).
The first big name candidate to declare, John Edwards has a real platform, exudes charm and possesses ability to live in and understand the "two Americas" – something vital to relate to the masses and attract funding from the elite. His absence from elected office since his ill-fated 2004 run with John Kerry may prove to be more of a blessing than a hindrance; Edwards has spent the last 2+ years cultivating his resume on matters of international politics, while his lack of a constituency has allowed him to be the only major American political figure talking about poverty and offering a realistic plan for universal health coverage. Plus, relative lack of practical experience shouldn't be held against him, as Edwards himself points out:
"Look at Rumsfeld and Cheney. Both of them had extraordinary experience -- but we've seen that experience does not equal good judgment, and experience is not the same as having a vision, and experience does not guarantee adaptability. We've seen absolutely no capacity to adjust, to move with the world's changes."
The other big names likely to be on the 2008 campaign trail are still clinging to the ridiculous notions that they have yet to decide about their presidential ambitions. An old friend of ours measures up three juggernauts on his Obameter, and finds that the junior senator from Illinois may have an edge over his more experienced chamber-mates (I know I just spoiled his conclusion, but please read the article anyway. You won't regret it…plus YPC needs all the hits it can get).
I suppose it may still be a bit premature to start measuring horses in a race they haven't officially entered, but that's what modern politics has become. Besides, with less than absolute confidence in the ability of Team Pelosi to govern efficiently and effectively, the 2008 presidential campaign may be our only hope to ensure our country doesn't regress back into Republican control of all three branches of government.
And although such a scenario would be conducive for blog content, it's one I'm hoping doesn't come to fruition.
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