Reply #46: Well's she's got a big lead, plenty of cash, international name [View All]

recognition, a crack team, and most of the media attention.

Experience, though, is not the only factor voters consider when they vote. Senator Clinton enjoys very significant support from her constituents but has not served that much longer in the Senate than John Edwards. Obama is notably strong in community-building from his early work in Chicago. Joe Biden is an acknowledged whiz at foreign policy. There are many variables that make up a voter's final decision.

Some Democrats in our close circle feel that Sen. Clinton has the lead because of those other factors -- the money, the name, the crack team, and the media buzz. "Experience" alone is not a top consideration in Clinton's case. In fact, our 3 frontrunners have less than Dodd, Biden, and Richardson, for example, and experience, in and of itself, is not the sole determinant of greatness. Lincoln was a 1-term congressman with none of the advantages Sen. Clinton has going in, and he did just fine during a time of national crisis.

Hard to say if 08 will perform like other primary seasons -- since the calendar and conditions are shifting so much -- but I've seen some solid pole positions slip to well back in the back between mid-summer or fall and the evening of the Iowa caucuses.

I think the race for the nomination is still very much wide open.