Fred Thompson just entered the race but is already a co-frontrunner in the national polls for the Republican nomination. President Picker still thinks that Mitt Romney will leap past both of these candidates after the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries in which Romney is doing very well thanks to a very aggressive campaign in those states.
That said, Thompson is clearly representing traditional Republican values where Giuliani sports a powerful "new Republican" message. It's going to be a fun race to watch.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Fred Thompson declares he's in the race for President
Tonight on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno Fred Thompson is declaring his candidacy for the Presidency of these United States. Newsweek's "Lazy like a Fox" byline comes to mind as Thompson talks slowly and in very general terms about his late candidacy, the other men in the Republican Race, and the Presidency.
My take is that Romney will soon be a fairly clear favorite over Thompson though Thompson's more conservative record and talk may keep him very viable as the Republican "on the right" in this race.
My take is that Romney will soon be a fairly clear favorite over Thompson though Thompson's more conservative record and talk may keep him very viable as the Republican "on the right" in this race.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Presidential Polls
This site has a GREAT summary of many presidential polls for the 2008 election.
On the Democratic side it's pretty clear that Hilary Clinton will be the nominee. My take is that even with a minor scandal or major gaff Hilary would withstand anything Obama could throw her way, and he's shown himself to be inexperienced enough to scare away the core Democrats that are essential to a 2008 victory. Hilary could be derailed with a major scandal but it seems unlikely there are any big skeletons in the Clinton closet or we'd have seem them "outed" by now as the New Hampshire and Iowa primaries loom, perhaps within a few months.
The Republican field is still wide open in my opinion, though Mitt Romney would seem to be the likely winner of the Republican Primary. Giuliani is also a possibility but his record, quirky style, and personal baggage seem to me an overwhelming liability when competing against more mainstream Republican candidates. Thompson is more along the lines of the traditional Republican conservative but in this election that may actually be seen as a liability by moderate Republicans. Also, his young and beautiful wife, combined with recent sex scandals on the Republican side, could be a liability for a candidate who will have to play the "family values" card to be viable with the core Republican constituency, especially against Romney's squeaky cleanness. McCain has all but fallen victim to his combination of Iraq War support and several election gaffes. The media, once enamored with McCain's honest and freewheeling style, seems to have tired of him and this is almost a death sentence for a politician.
On the Democratic side it's pretty clear that Hilary Clinton will be the nominee. My take is that even with a minor scandal or major gaff Hilary would withstand anything Obama could throw her way, and he's shown himself to be inexperienced enough to scare away the core Democrats that are essential to a 2008 victory. Hilary could be derailed with a major scandal but it seems unlikely there are any big skeletons in the Clinton closet or we'd have seem them "outed" by now as the New Hampshire and Iowa primaries loom, perhaps within a few months.
The Republican field is still wide open in my opinion, though Mitt Romney would seem to be the likely winner of the Republican Primary. Giuliani is also a possibility but his record, quirky style, and personal baggage seem to me an overwhelming liability when competing against more mainstream Republican candidates. Thompson is more along the lines of the traditional Republican conservative but in this election that may actually be seen as a liability by moderate Republicans. Also, his young and beautiful wife, combined with recent sex scandals on the Republican side, could be a liability for a candidate who will have to play the "family values" card to be viable with the core Republican constituency, especially against Romney's squeaky cleanness. McCain has all but fallen victim to his combination of Iraq War support and several election gaffes. The media, once enamored with McCain's honest and freewheeling style, seems to have tired of him and this is almost a death sentence for a politician.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
President Picker not needed
I'm rethinking this blog in light of the simply overwhelming amount of information flowing about the current presidential campaign.
I think mainstream news ignorance and "news fatigue" has killed most of the quality details about the hugely significant stories of our time - for example the culture clashes of the "European/American" vs the Moslem world, the Iraq War, Israel, Poverty, Aids, Global health.
CNN and FOX on TV and some print news is replacing the important stuff with stories bout spats between candidates, the fairly inane YouTube Democratic debate, and other weak examinations of the candidates.
Hey, maybe this IS needed because at the least I can try to address how the candidates would deal with real issues rather than focusing on the imaginary, silly, spin issues?
CNN Ticker
I think mainstream news ignorance and "news fatigue" has killed most of the quality details about the hugely significant stories of our time - for example the culture clashes of the "European/American" vs the Moslem world, the Iraq War, Israel, Poverty, Aids, Global health.
CNN and FOX on TV and some print news is replacing the important stuff with stories bout spats between candidates, the fairly inane YouTube Democratic debate, and other weak examinations of the candidates.
Hey, maybe this IS needed because at the least I can try to address how the candidates would deal with real issues rather than focusing on the imaginary, silly, spin issues?
CNN Ticker
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Online Advertising in Presidential campaigns is trivial
Here's a great summary of online ad spending by the presidential candidates except for the fact that it does not note how trivial thee levels of exposure is even for McCain who ran the most impressions.
Clinton, with under a million impressions, is spending perhaps a ten thousand total.
This low spend indicates that the online marketing people are very challenged with this new media. A spend of million dollars online would saturate the online world with the message because you don't need much targeting for a prez campaign.
Maybe they are holding back for strategic reasons but I'm guessing that they just don't get it. Big firms continue to dominate the "thinking" about how to run online campaigns, and big firms consistently have their clients waste money on foolish and stylish high CPM image based advertising rather than dramtically cheaper and more strategic pay per click and cheap image campaigns. There is a huge amount of inventory available online for massive branding campaigns like a candidate needs.
Unlike other products where you need a lot of targeting, a candidate for national office generally wants to talk to *everybody*. Even kids can have an indirect impact on election politics.
Given the jaw dropping sums about to be spent, I think we'll see the smart candidates work a lot more with online though agency ignorance of online marketing strategy may prevail in this realm.
Clinton, with under a million impressions, is spending perhaps a ten thousand total.
This low spend indicates that the online marketing people are very challenged with this new media. A spend of million dollars online would saturate the online world with the message because you don't need much targeting for a prez campaign.
Maybe they are holding back for strategic reasons but I'm guessing that they just don't get it. Big firms continue to dominate the "thinking" about how to run online campaigns, and big firms consistently have their clients waste money on foolish and stylish high CPM image based advertising rather than dramtically cheaper and more strategic pay per click and cheap image campaigns. There is a huge amount of inventory available online for massive branding campaigns like a candidate needs.
Unlike other products where you need a lot of targeting, a candidate for national office generally wants to talk to *everybody*. Even kids can have an indirect impact on election politics.
Given the jaw dropping sums about to be spent, I think we'll see the smart candidates work a lot more with online though agency ignorance of online marketing strategy may prevail in this realm.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Fact Checking from Annenberg Project
FactCheck.org is part of University of PA's Annenberg Project and is a helpful site if you want to follow up on campaign claims by candidates as well as other facts in question by the media.
Check it out and check those facts!
Check it out and check those facts!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
The best campaigns money can buy
The 2008 Presidential primaries are still far away but the money trains for the top candidates are steaming ahead full speed. Each quarter seems to bring a new campaign finance record, and quarterly totals for the candidates would have run *entire presidential campaigns* in all but about the past decade. Compete.com has a great article about how online strategy could affect the election combined with some numbers reflecting support.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Clinton and Obama consolidate financial support in second quarter
The Hilary Clinton political juggernaut continues to move along powerfully, making it increasingly unlikely that a serious challenge to her candidacy will emerge. Obama's exceptional results raising money, outpacing Clinton in the second quarter of this year, have not translated into competitive poll numbers, though the race is still in very early stages.
One take is that Obama's enthusiastic early support seems to be transitioning from mainstream voters to a sort of "Obama fan club" that in some ways may even diminish his candidacy. The recent video "I've Got a Crush on Obama" is probably not the kind of online social networking that ultimately will favor Obama.
One take is that Obama's enthusiastic early support seems to be transitioning from mainstream voters to a sort of "Obama fan club" that in some ways may even diminish his candidacy. The recent video "I've Got a Crush on Obama" is probably not the kind of online social networking that ultimately will favor Obama.
McCain Cash Flow troubles
The McCain campaign is clearly languishing, probably due to McCain's unpopular war stance but I also think because he has failed to capture the imagination of voters the way he did in past campaigns.
Given the low level of poll support (under 10% support among Republicans) it will be increasingly difficult to get donations and keep fueling the effort. I'm not even convinced he's really in this "to win" anymore.
Given the low level of poll support (under 10% support among Republicans) it will be increasingly difficult to get donations and keep fueling the effort. I'm not even convinced he's really in this "to win" anymore.
Romney's Dog and Romney blog
An absurd story about Mitt Romney and "animal abuse" has remarkable news traction as it appears to be hopelessly misreported, especially the time frame (I thought this happened last week until I read the details!). The Romney family *over twenty years ago* had a dog that enjoyed riding in a kennel strapped to the roof of the family car. "Forcing" the dog to ride on the roof has been implied where it seems a lot more likely that the dog, Seamus, liked to ride on the roof during family trips.
This is probably an example of some sort of odd "hit job" by opponents.
Anne Romney addresses this over at the Romney blog, though probably too weakly given the attention this continues to get on TV, Time Magazine, and elsewhere. Stories like this are things people can emotionally latch onto and it's important that the campaign at least does more to point out the absurdity of the allegations of animal abuse. Even Tucker Carlson said that Romney's probably "lost his vote"!
This is probably an example of some sort of odd "hit job" by opponents.
Anne Romney addresses this over at the Romney blog, though probably too weakly given the attention this continues to get on TV, Time Magazine, and elsewhere. Stories like this are things people can emotionally latch onto and it's important that the campaign at least does more to point out the absurdity of the allegations of animal abuse. Even Tucker Carlson said that Romney's probably "lost his vote"!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Democratic Debate
The Democratic debate in New Hampshire is featuring:
Hilary Clinton, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, and Chris Dodd, and Mike Gravel.
Over at USA Today they are live blogging the debate
The questions so far seem to focus on the basic American concerns of Iraq, Gas Prices, leadership, etc.
Unless I'm mistaken Hilary has been
CNN John King's highlight: Iraq disputes between Obama, Edwards, Clinton, Biden. Iraq as "the driving debate" in the left wing of the party. Larry King: "A lively 65 minutes" John Edwards with a strong presentation. Candy Crowley: Edwards is trying to "draw blood from the top candidates" Obama and Clinton. Hilary, in turn, trying to 'stay above the fray' as the front runner.
Hilary Clinton, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, and Chris Dodd, and Mike Gravel.
Over at USA Today they are live blogging the debate
The questions so far seem to focus on the basic American concerns of Iraq, Gas Prices, leadership, etc.
Unless I'm mistaken Hilary has been
CNN John King's highlight: Iraq disputes between Obama, Edwards, Clinton, Biden. Iraq as "the driving debate" in the left wing of the party. Larry King: "A lively 65 minutes" John Edwards with a strong presentation. Candy Crowley: Edwards is trying to "draw blood from the top candidates" Obama and Clinton. Hilary, in turn, trying to 'stay above the fray' as the front runner.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Campaign Blog? Romney Wins this race
Although (all?) the candidates have a blog presence, Romney's approach appears to be a clever combination of new media and old family values. Called "Five Brothers", this is a blog by the sons about the father. If there is anything new media loves it is "sincerity", and unless the brothers come across badly this is likely to be a much stronger social media approach than the canned sincerity of professionals managing the other blogs.
Is it too much to ask that the candidates themselves participate more actively online? We'll see more of that as the election continues, but I think all the candidates are missing an incredible opportunity to more fully immerse themselves into the online world. Edwards and Obama have profiles on Twitter but it's not clear who writes them which for me raises as many questions about the candidate as bonus points for jumping on the social media bandwagon.
Where's Ben Franklin when you need him? He would have loved the new media and probably would already have built more than a few new companies based on the efficiencies of the internet.
Is it too much to ask that the candidates themselves participate more actively online? We'll see more of that as the election continues, but I think all the candidates are missing an incredible opportunity to more fully immerse themselves into the online world. Edwards and Obama have profiles on Twitter but it's not clear who writes them which for me raises as many questions about the candidate as bonus points for jumping on the social media bandwagon.
Where's Ben Franklin when you need him? He would have loved the new media and probably would already have built more than a few new companies based on the efficiencies of the internet.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Republican Presidential Debate
MSNBC is hosting the first Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. Here, as in the Democratic debate, many are watching the top candidates to see if they falter or shine. Romney, McCain, and Giuliani appear to be those most likely to continue in this race until the end based on current polls and the substantial cash they have accumulated so far.
Based on the performances after about an hour of this debate it seems to me there have been no "home runs" or even any great quotable moments.
McCain has made his usual strong case for continued support for the Iraq War, adding that in his view the war before now had been "mismanaged". Giuliani cleverly weaved a complex but reasonable answer to the abortion issue. Most of the candidates state they are opposed to abortion and Roe v. Wade but Giuliani stated that the courts should decide the issue and women should have the right to choose to have an abortion despite he is personal "opposed" to abortion.
The fast and furious format is entertaining but I think it fails to capture much of the depth of the thinking of these guys, which appears remarkably similar on many issues despite the fact that they are trying to distance themselves from the competition.
Who won the debate? Off the top I'd suggest that Giuliani and McCain presented themselves much as they have for some time and their supporters, and voters somewhat new to the race, will view them favorably. Romney appeared somewhat off balance, answering more generally, as if he's spent far less time contemplating these issues. However Romney's looks and presence may play well with voters - he's arguably the most "presidential looking" of the crowd and in our very superficial society this edge can go a long way.
Conclusion? McCain by a slight edge over Giuliani, with Ron Paul as the most focused and articulate of the bunch.
Based on the performances after about an hour of this debate it seems to me there have been no "home runs" or even any great quotable moments.
McCain has made his usual strong case for continued support for the Iraq War, adding that in his view the war before now had been "mismanaged". Giuliani cleverly weaved a complex but reasonable answer to the abortion issue. Most of the candidates state they are opposed to abortion and Roe v. Wade but Giuliani stated that the courts should decide the issue and women should have the right to choose to have an abortion despite he is personal "opposed" to abortion.
The fast and furious format is entertaining but I think it fails to capture much of the depth of the thinking of these guys, which appears remarkably similar on many issues despite the fact that they are trying to distance themselves from the competition.
Who won the debate? Off the top I'd suggest that Giuliani and McCain presented themselves much as they have for some time and their supporters, and voters somewhat new to the race, will view them favorably. Romney appeared somewhat off balance, answering more generally, as if he's spent far less time contemplating these issues. However Romney's looks and presence may play well with voters - he's arguably the most "presidential looking" of the crowd and in our very superficial society this edge can go a long way.
Conclusion? McCain by a slight edge over Giuliani, with Ron Paul as the most focused and articulate of the bunch.
First Democratic Presidential Debate
I missed blogging the Democratic Debate but will return with comments. Who would have thought that the races would begin so early?
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
The Race is on for the President of the United States of America!
PresidentPicker.com started some time ago as a website devoted to information about the USA Presidential Election, but clearly a blog is the best venue for this project.
This from Wikipedia:
to be edited soon....
 Senator Sam Brownback | Sam Brownback, born September 12, 1956 in Kansas, senior Senator from that state. In April 2005, the Associated Press reported that Brownback, who is little known outside his home state, "is using a network of social conservatives and Christian activists to raise his profile" in such battleground states as Iowa and New Hampshire. On December 4, 2006, Brownback announced that he would form an exploratory committee.[1] On January 20, 2007 Brownback officially announced his candidacy. [2] |
 Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts | Mitt Romney, born March 12, 1947 in Michigan is the former Governor of Massachusetts. Romney did not seek a second term as Governor and has made numerous trips to primary states such as South Carolina, Michigan, and New Hampshire during recent years. Romney is running on his record as co-founder of Bain Capital, the CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and as Governor of Massachusetts. Romney also worked with Massachusetts Democrats to pass a healthcare plan for all citizens of Massachusetts, which to require individuals to purchase private, market-based insurance plans to have healthcare. Although he ran as a moderate for the office of Governor of Massachusetts and during his failed Senate bid in 1994, he supported more conservative positions as his term progressed. He requested the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court put a measure amending the Massachusetts Constitution to ban gay marriage on the 2008 ballot. Romney filed paperwork forming an exploratory on January 3, 2007, the day he left the governor's office.[3] On January 9, Romney raised $6.5 million in his first fundraiser, beating both Giuliani and McCain's fundraising efforts ($1 and $2 million respectively). Romney has already received major endorsements, including that of former Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert. Romney officially announced his candidacy on February 13 at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. [4] [5] |
 Representative Duncan Hunter | Duncan Hunter, born May 31, 1948 in Riverside, California, U.S. Representative from that state and former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Hunter formally announced his presidential candidacy in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on January 25, 2007. He is known for his strong stance against illegal immigration, support for the U.S. military, and opposition to free trade agreements like North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization. [6] He introduced H.R. 552, The Right to Life Act, "to implement equal protection... for the right to life of |
| Official candidates | |
|---|---|
 Senator Joe Biden | Joe Biden, born November 20, 1942 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. Senator from Delaware and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, although he ceased active campaigning in 1987, before the first primaries. Biden first hinted that he might run in 2008 in a December 8, 2004 radio interview with host Don Imus, saying: "I'm going to proceed as if I'm going to run." Biden has repeatedly stated his intention to run, and did so as early as 21 March 2006. Biden's Federal Leadership PAC is "Unite Our States", which tracks Biden's public appearances and policy positions. On 7 January 2007 when asked by Tim Russert on Meet the Press "Are you running for President?" he responded, "I am running for President." He also said he plans to create an exploratory committee by the end of the month. [1][2][3] On January 31, 2007, he offically signed the papers with the FEC to run for president.
|
 Senator Christopher Dodd | Christopher Dodd, was born May 27, 1944 in Connecticut and is a five-term U.S. Senator from that state. Dodd was reported to be a likely contender for the Democratic Vice President slot on John Kerry's ticket in 2004. In May 2006, Dodd said he has "decided to do all the things that are necessary to prepare to seek the presidency in 2008", including hiring staff, raising money and traveling around the country in the next few months to enlist support.[4] On Jan. 11, 2007, Dodd announced his Presidential candidacy on the "Don Imus in the Morning" radio show.[5]
|
 Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton | Hillary Rodham Clinton, born October 26, 1947 in Illinois, U.S. Senator from New York and former First Lady of the United States. Clinton announced the formation of her exploratory committee on 20 January 2007 with a post on her website.[6] She has delivered several speeches which analysts say are intended to reach out to moderates. She has also been holding fundraising meetings, including meeting with women from Massachusetts, a key constituency of potential rival and 2004 nominee John Kerry. However, these activities are consistent with the lead up to a campaign for re-election to her Senate seat in 2006. Many Republicans appear to be hoping that Senator Clinton will run for President, presumably believing her to be a polarizing figure. If elected, Clinton would be the first woman president. Clinton announced on January 20th 2007 that she will run in 2008 (the same day she announced the formation of an exploratory commitee). She has not yet filed all the official paperwork.
|
 Senator Barack Obama | Barack Obama, born August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Senator from Illinois. A "draft Obama" movement began with his well-received keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Obama was the featured speaker at Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's annual steak fry, a political event favored by presidential hopefuls in the lead-up to the Iowa caucus. He was endorsed by talk show host Rachael Ray in 2006.[7] Various recent opinion polls have seen Obama's support rising, with him trailing only Hillary Clinton in several polls. If elected, he would become the first biracial and the first non-white president. Obama announced on February 10, 2007 that he will run in 2008. He has not yet filed all the official paperwork.
|
 Former Senator John Edwards | John Edwards, born June 10, 1953 in South Carolina, former U.S. Senator from North Carolina, candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2004 Democratic vice-presidential nominee. As a Presidential candidate, Edwards was famed for his populist message in his "Two Americas" Speech and also for his optimistic, positive attitude. This was evidenced by his refusal to attack his opponents. In the primaries, Sen. Edwards had strong come-from-behind showings in the crucial states of Iowa, Oklahoma, Virginia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Georgia. He also won the North Carolina caucus and the South Carolina primary. Edwards has kept his Federal Leadership PAC, the One America Committee,[8] active to help Democrats across the nation win elections in the future. On February 5, 2005, Edwards spoke at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's fundraising dinner. On August 18, 2005, Edwards traveled to Waterloo, Iowa to deliver an address to the Iowa AFL-CIO, a potential key supporter in the Iowa caucus. On December 16, 2006, Democratic officials reported that Edwards has expressed his intention to run in 2008. [9] On December 26, 2006, Edwards announced his candidacy after a technical glitch launched his campaign website a day early.
|
 Former Senator Mike Gravel | Mike Gravel, born May 13, 1930, in Springfield, Massachusetts. U.S. Senator from Alaska from 1969 to 1981 and an active candidate for Vice President in 1972. He was notable for advocating a guaranteed annual income, which he termed a "citizen's wage," of $5,000 per person, irrespective of whether the person worked. On April 13, 2006, Gravel announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. His policy announcements to date include support for direct democracy, FairTax and withdrawal from Iraq. His is considered a very longshot candidacy since former Sen. Gravel will be 78 years old at the time of the general election and will have been out of federal politics for almost three decades at the time of the election. Mike Gravel filed with the FEC in April according to various news sources.[10] [11] The FEC's site has listed his reports since July.[12]
|
 Representative Dennis Kucinich | Dennis Kucinich, born October 8, 1946, Ohio Congressman and 2004 Democratic primary candidate. Kucinich got the second highest number of votes at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Kucinich threw his support behind John Kerry after losing the nomination, although a sizable number of Kucinich's delegates refused to follow suit. Dennis Kucinich is known for his opposition to the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. His plan to end US involvement in the Iraq War replaces US troops with UN troops so that there is no loss of military support for the Iraqi people. He favors creating a Department of Peace. Kucinich is currently campaigning to end the war in Iraq by trying to cut off funding, and he opposes going to war in Iran. Kucinich has received many awards over his career praising his courage and his work for the peace movement. He is also a favorite among youth activists on the left. On December 12, 2006, Kucinich announced his candidacy at an event at Cleveland's City Hall.[13]
|
 Former Governer Tom Vilsack | Tom Vilsack, born December 13, 1950, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, former Governor of Iowa, Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. Vilsack will be succeeded as governor by Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver (D). Many suspected Vilsack was high on the list of potential running mates for John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential Election. He has recently been increasing his national exposure.[14][15] In 2005, Vilsack established Heartland PAC,[16]a political action committee aimed at electing Democratic Governors and other statewide candidates. Unlike the PACs of potential candidates, Heartland PAC is not a federal PAC and can not contribute to federal candidates. On November 9, 2006, Vilsack announced that he would be filing papers with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to run for President.[17]
|
John McCain
Rudy Giuliani
Barack ObamaChristopher Dodd
John Edwards North Carolina
Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa and
Representative Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York
Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico
Friday, June 09, 2006
President Picker
President Picker is coming as a resource for well informed voters in the 2008 USA Presidential election.
President Picker will have links to resources that will help you choose the USA President wisely.
In June 2006 we see the election front runners as Democratic Senator Hilary Clinton and Republican Senator John McCain.
Hilary Clinton is the former first lady, married to former President Bill Clinton. Their residence is New York. Clinton is best known for her work on health care reform during the Clinton administration. Many feel her time as Senator of New York has been largely as a stepping stone to the presidency, a strategy used by Robert Kennedy.
John McCain was a pilot in Vietnam and spent many years in a POW camp during that war. He is known for outspoken stands on many issues and a maverick independence that sometimes puts him at odds with more traditional republicans and the republican fundamentalist wing, though PresidentPicker predicts that after a contentious primary McCain will receive broad Republican support in the upcoming election, largely in fear of a Hilary Clinton victory.
Some have suggested that Dick Cheney will run in 2008. President Picker thinks this is unlikely, since his current role is effectively a strong "co-president" with GW Bush. Cheney is comfortable out of the spotlight and it's unlikely he'd see the actual presidency as a big "step up" from his strong role of the past 8 years. This, combined with questionable heart health and a likely desire to spend more time with family in his remaining years makes it unlikely he'll even run, let alone win the nomination.
What about Al Gore? President Picker thinks that Gore would like to run but that his time has passed. Gore could become a strong democratic contender if Clinton's prospects dim considerably. He did, after all, win the popular vote in 2000 in an election effectively concluded by Supreme Court intervention.
Websites:
John McCain - Senate site | Hilary Clinton - Senate site
John McCain for President | Hilary Clinton for President
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