[Nuclear1]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061216/LOCAL19/612160469

U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., announced early today he will not be a candidate for president in 2008.
...
He conceded the odds were against him, describing himself as a "relatively unknown candidate."

Terrific.  Now without a moderate, honest, and experienced candidate running in 2008, the Democrats' chances aren't exactly hot.  If things keep going the way they are, and the Dems put out a polarizing figure like Clinton or a totally-inexperienced person like Obama, McCain won't exactly have it hard in 08.

Oh, and about Evan Bayh:  socially liberal, fiscally conservative; an overall moderate (i.e.: exactly what the Dems need).

Thoughts?

[redmenace]

Frankly Obama is just a bunch of hype BS

[Centrixo]

bush out and that black guy in for pres . would definatly bring a change and sort out any misunderstanding between white and black people. if all things go well my views on the usa will change.

bush looks like hes gone, mid vote elections has bush under 50% of the seats, not looking good.

[IceFire]

Bush has to be gone Centrixo.  Presidents only get two terms in the US.  Many other democratic countries do not have such limitations.

[Centrixo]

alright thanks, didnt know that.

[Ford Prefect]

I'd like to think Obama has a chance, especially because if I have to choose between Hillary Clinton and John McCain, I'll choose a Vicodin overdose.

[Nuclear1]

Problem with Obama is he has no experience, though.  There's only one person in the Senate with less national political experience than he does.

I'd rather see some moderate with competence running than some new "hopeful" face who earns his way there simply because the Democrats want to make a political move with minorities.

[Ford Prefect]

Well, I don't want a moderate because I'm not "moderate" by the current American definition. So with that as a given, I would rather have someone with less experience who supports policies I agree with than a "moderate" with more experience.

[Centrixo]

either way Obama is in. its up to the seats and people on the usa to vote now, you better be praying that obama or some new person dont come in and steals the limelight.

i dont live in the usa, but i do look into usa politics now and again, certain things bush hasnt done he should be shot for, kyoto treaty, the child homeless project, economic status for people, more places for the minority.

well who ever, as long as they atleast pull thier troops out of iraq and afganistan and then sign the kyoto treaty, i will be more happier.

besides, less experience your talking a mouldable person, you can shape this person into what ever you like. unlike bush.

[Rictor]

Well as far as I know Bush had no experience in national politics when he was elected, so that's not a pre-requisite.

I also like how the Dems have to field a "moderate" candidate (one that is further to the right than the party base) and the Republicans get to field a conservative candidate. It just moving the goal-posts further to the right, not that the Democratic party has been truly leftist for many decades.

John McCain will clean up, plain and simple. He's enough of a Republican to hold the base and enough of a centrist to get the swing voters in. The only way to stop him is to destroy the source of his power: the mystic power balls concealed in his cheeks.

[Janos]

"HILLARY CLINTON IS A ****" is propably the most powerful meme in the entire internet right now

it has little do with reality and more to do with propaganda though she's too rightist for my taste

but barack obama seems like a cool guy and he's too rightist for my taste too lol

[Maxwell]

Obama is a nice young fellow... and thats all most people know of him. It works to his advantage for now, but as time goes on I think he'll come off looking like an empty suit with a smile.  Hillary on the other hand is no choice.  Too much history as a senator and too much bad mojo from the Clinton era.  The main chance democrats have is to use these front runners as distractions, clearing the road for a third candidate.
Republicans on the other hand have a few more solid names to call on.

Its all going to pend on how the next year goes in the senate.

[Bobboau]

I also like how the Dems have to field a "moderate" candidate (one that is further to the right than the party base) and the Republicans get to field a conservative candidate. It just moving the goal-posts further to the right, not that the Democratic party has been truly leftist for many decades.

John McCain will clean up, plain and simple. He's enough of a Republican to hold the base and enough of a centrist to get the swing voters in. The only way to stop him is to destroy the source of his power: the mystic power balls concealed in his cheeks.

I like how you say the republicans get to run a right winger when the democrats have to run a centrist, and then in the very next line talk about how the most left wing guy of censiquence in the republican party is going to clean up.

[Mr. Vega]

Oh trust me, McCain is gonna be doing plenty of sucking up to the far right.

[aldo_14]

Every independent (news/editorial/opinion) report I've read about Obama is saying he's looking pretty strong as a candidate.

[Centrixo]

same in the uk. i hope its good news.

[Bobboau]

Oh trust me, McCain is gonna be doing plenty of sucking up to the far right.

I have no doubt, with some of the things he's done to piss them off he'll need to make a lot of BS to get them to let him run as there candidate.

[Rictor]

I like how you say the republicans get to run a right winger when the democrats have to run a centrist, and then in the very next line talk about how the most left wing guy of censiquence in the republican party is going to clean up.

The fact remains that McCain is more of a right-winger than X (potential candidate, for example Hillary Clinton) is a left-winger. The lefties in the Democratic party are few and far between, whereas the righties in the Republican party are the base.

But I would still personally prefer a libertarian Republican to a Clintonite Democrat, because libertarianism is pretty much the only ideology in the US where foreign nations have even a chance of conducting their affairs without interference. The Blair/Clinton types would jump at intervention just as quickly as the neocons, only they have slightly different pet projects and imperial plans. And since I know libertarianism is near and dear to you, polls show that a very healthy minority of Americans consider themselves to be libertarian.

edit: and I maintain that McCain/Guliani will sweep the elections like a fu**ing hurricane.

[Ace]

Well I actually met Obama, and the man actually has a brain in there which I can not say for the rest of the government.

If McCain is ran, it's only because the Republicans are trying to distance themselves from their more right-wing elements due to seeing what damage Bush has done. However, I expect the same thing to happen as with the past several elections the more moderate Repubs get torpedoed by the hawks. No matter how much sucking up McCain does to the extremists he's still not a good puppet.

If the dems are smart they'll run Obama, solidify their base, and make damn sure that McCain and Gulliani are lambasted by Republicans for being "too liberal." Still, I only expect McCain or Gulliani to run if the Republicans are really... really... scared. They might be desperate enough now to give up pushing things to the right for a bit, but somehow I think they still believe everyone wants rightwing politics and Iraq is an inconvenience as opposed to a symptom of their greater issues.

[Bobboau]

well I didn't say it would help him any, but he's gona try.