Looking into the crystal ball.....What are the thoughts here?

If Kerry loses this election I have little doubt Hillary will get the nod in 2008.
Do the Dem's have any other choices? Howard Dean again maybe?

If Bush loses, who will be the front runner for the repubs? Will they go with Liberal Candidates Guliani? Pataki? Or hard right conservative Frist?
Any other choices?

I don't think we have seen the successor for Bush yet. My bet is that it will be a governor, but we'll have to see.

If Kerry loses? I imagine we'll be speaking Arabic and most of the country will be unemployed so that it won't much matter who runs for president.

If GOP:

Allen from Virginia is probably going to get the nod. But like Kerry what the hell has he done, absotlutely nothing. But at least he shows up and votes unlike Kerry or Edwards.

Mccain possibly, but too mixed in his political beliefs, and is a major hothead.

Jeb Bush has to be considered a strong possibility as well.

For DEM's:

Obviously Hilary, but she is not liked even but the more conservative dems, so this may not happen.

I still feel Leiberman may have had a shot to win it this time. So 2008 is a possibility.

A lot depends on the dems however. If they want to maintain the uber-liberal front it's doubtful a moderate gets the nod. You may see another nobody like Kerry step forward and win it again.

It's not so much that the country will be unemployed because I'm sure Kerry will provide the necessary welfare to take care of people too fuggin' lazy to take care of themselves. And then he'll just throw more taxes at people earning over...how much was it again? $100K? $200K? Yeah, that will foot the bill.

It's all the small businesses that will go away, unfortunately.

And you'll see Hillary in 2008 because even if Kerry wins, he will, without question, screw up the situation in North Korea so badly that even the FRENCH will want another president.

If for some reason they change the constitution and allow U.S. citizens who were not born in America to run, it would not surprise me whatsoever if we were on the brink of the first woman President in history. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm would make an extraordinary candidate. She's very attactive, extremely smart (Harvard Law School), extremely personable, likable, and able to discuss the issues in a kind and soft but tough manner. She would beat Arnold in a head to head competition, IMO. I doubt the law will be changed in the next 2-3 years though.

Hillary will NEVER be the Democratic Party nominee for President. Every time you hear someone metion Hillary it's either a Conservative trying to fire up the base or a Liberal with no political horse sense. Nobody who knows politics actually would believe Hillary would be nominated for anything nationally. She's too polarizing to be anything other than a regional candidate. Her act sells in NY, not the nation-why do you think she chose to run for senate in NY-it was a winnable race. Running for POTUS is not winnable, she knows it & so do the Democrats.

As for the Republicans, everyone seems to be overlooking the obvious candidate-George W. Bush.

Wes Clark or Edwards would certainly have a shot. Hillary would not have a prayer. The only people who seriously think Hil has a shot are republicans who would love to run against her.

I'll be God Damned if i am ever going to speak arabic. I don't care who is the president, i will never be caught dead speaking that language.

The Presidential term limit would prohibit Bush from running in '08.

If the Dems want to win in 2008, they need to look at a guy like Evan Bayh. He is a moderate Dem who could deliver Midwest swing states and compete in states like TN, AR, and LA.

I think Jeb, Rudy, and McCain are the Rep frontrunners in 2008. I'd put my money on Jeb at this point, with Rudy or Rice as the Veep.

If Kerry loses -- Joe Biden

If W loses - George Allen or Jeb Bush

Given the hard time you have with English, I can see your point.

Hey libs -- just curious -- why aren't you guys embracing Evan Bayh? This guy has got easily electable written all over him unless there are issues/skeletons I am unaware of. Hillary and Biden are caustic. Lieberman, as much as I like the guy, was running neck and neck with Sharpton in the primaries .

Just like George W, you are in denial of reality. Presidential term limits only apply to Presidents who serve 2 terms. In 2008 Bush, like his father will be able to run. What the polls are not showing is that there have been a ton of young people registering to vote, very close to the deadline. They are registering because, true or not, 50% of people who would be drafted believe that Bush will bring back the draft. Even if he wouldn't, they believe he will. The polls of registered & likely voters have overlooked this voting block and if they were included, everyone would see Kerry is ahead by a comfortable margin.

Well, if she's hot, then by all means.

So you are suggesting that if Kerry wins this election we should see GWB as a front runner four years from now? I guess it is not surprising coming from the party who promised "Gore in '04" back in 2000. And you suggest I am the one in denial of reality...

Seems to me GHWB has gotten by just fine with his life, as would GWB. It's Clinton and Gore that can't stand life out of the limelight.

I guess by all means then...
http://media.msnbc.msn.com/j/msnbc/1734000...4453.hsmall.jpg

In the realm of politics, I guess I'd have to agree. But if we're throwing out the requirement of beig born in the USA, why not throw out the unwritten rule of being a politican? If we're going for hot, then let's go for hot.

Hail to the Chief(ess)

I know Pataki likes to think of himself as a possible option in 2008; but I don't really see his national appeal. Anyone think he has a shot?

I hope not. He is dumber than Bledsoe.

Plus I see him being chased out of New York pretty soon.

1. You forgot to mention "FAT" and lazy...

2. Who needs more worthless junk.

3.The French want another president now.

there is not a surge in young voters registering over the phantom draft. all the young voters in draft range, myself included, who are going to vote in this years election were already registered. i know nobody who is going to go out and register to vote, and in turn vote for kerry over this draft scare. the only young voters i know who even bring this up are already registered democrats and already kerry supporters.

That is because VA Beach is for lovers...

What about the rest of the country, battle ground states?

I would like to see hard numbers that either support or deny this fact. Until then, both sides are blowing smoke.

i don't think he has the appeal nationally. certainly not equal to Rudy G.

was it a mistake for the Republican Party to select Cheney 4 years ago if they new he had no aspirtations to run in 2008?

Yeah, but you have to figure that given the utter lack of respect for the Constitution on the right and their willingness to change it whenever it gets in their way, there will probably be an effort to change it to allow Bush to run again or, in the alternative, to allow Arnold to run.

I think Bayh is a possibility, but I suspect the 2008 candidates will take form around 2006, not now. The names I'm hearing here are people past their prime, Giuliani, Pataki, et al. Schwarzenneger isn't a natural born citizen, so he's out. I've seen some Republicans on the talking head shows who might emerge, but its way too early to tell.

Mick, you used to be one of the libs who could hold a reasonable conversation around here. I don't know why you have become so bitterly partisan lately, but it's too bad.


I think Rudy is actually peaking from a national perspective, but he can't hold up to the scrutiny his life and record would face in a Presidential race. He'd do better keeping his aspirations to a Cabinet level position. Pataki and Arnold don't stand a chance. I also don't see Frist as a legitimate candidate. Jeb is probably the front runner at this point. He has a cute hispanic wife and a talented bi-cultural son who speaks very well. He'd carry all of W's base plus appeal much more broadly to the middle and hispanics.

True on all accounts. It is about time we had a gorgeous president anyway.