BBC: Who's looking good for the White House after the mid-terms?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6134432.stm

George W Bush is barred by law from seeking a third term, and Vice-President Dick Cheney has said he will not stand, so officially, the field is unusually wide open. But in fact, each party has a clear front-runner: John McCain for the Republicans and Hillary Clinton for the Democrats.

Sen McCain - although he is a Republican - is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the voters' swing against President Bush, since he has staked out a clear contrast between himself and the president, political scientist Larry Sabato says. "It's obvious that a Bush look-alike will have great trouble winning in 2008," says Mr Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Several men who had been positioning themselves as conservative alternatives to Mr McCain had bad nights as 2006 results came in.

Across the aisle, Democratic Senator John Kerry - the loser in 2004 - may well also have destroyed any lingering presidential chances this year. He made a comment which the Republicans portrayed as an insult to the US military, and although he insisted it was a botched joke aimed at President Bush, it would be dangerous ammunition against him if he ran for president again.

Many other Democrats will expect their chances to have been boosted by the party's storming into control of both the House and Senate for the first time in more than a decade. Senator Joseph Biden is in line to become chair of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, giving him a platform to look presidential as he seeks a bipartisan solution to the Iraq imbroglio. Senator Evan Bayh helped the Democrats to pick up three House seats in his conservative state of Indiana, reinforcing his image as a vote-winner in Republican territory. And Senator Barack Obama's stock continues to rise and rise.

with 70% of the vote and $30 million in her war chest.

I agree that Kerry has probably shown himself to be too prone to making gaffes to stand any chance for 2008.

:eyes:

Hillary Clinton is not going to run for President in 2008. She's not stupid--she knows she's a polarizing figure, and the RW hates her more than they hate anything else about us.

INVESTIGATE! Then IMPEACH!

looking into the crystal ball:

with Bush/Cheney gone in January then Nancy takes up the Presidency

Although for that reason I'd be happy to see McCain nominated

"Sen McCain - although he is a Republican - is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the voters' swing against President Bush, since he has staked out a clear contrast between himself and the president."

Not so...He's a bush* clone! Where were they when McCain said he follows the bush policy and a vote for him is a vote for bush?

Someone over a BBC hasn't been listening since the 2000 election.

"It's obvious that a Bush look-alike will have great trouble winning in 2008," Well McCain is a bush look alike. This election has done great damage to McCain's chances to win. He must really be bummed!

... McCain was as big a Bush boot licker as anyone. When did HE really ever stand up to Bush? He made a bunch of noise and then folded like a paper napkin.

This is what passes for savvy these days.

I will do whatever I can to help Gore get elected...

longer than the lie about Kerry botched a joke.

The lie about McCain being a Manchurian candidate lasts to this day.

So why are lies about others that lasted longer and more serious better than a lie concocted over a BOTCHED joke?

Who is whispering to these "journalists" anyway?

Hillary team smears Kerry because they don't want her to have to face him during the SERIES OF DEBATES.

People who want to maintain power and don't want a candidate who might actually fight for the people, is my guess.

He got to witness firsthand the collapsed party infrastructure of McAuliffe's DNC, the failure of the party to side with their own nominee on crucial issues, and the failure of bigname Dems to side with the Dem nominee in Connecticut. He's seen alot these past few years.

has the best chance of winning. Therefore, Gore or Feingold. John Edwards and General Clark are good bets, though I think they are less likely to take an anti-war stance. I think John Kerry and Hillary Clinton will be more effective staying in the Senate for now, and taking on additional responsibilities there.
John McCain is definitely a front-runner for the repubs, and I agree that he is a * clone, and that would be scarey. But what would be scarier is if Jeb Bush decides to run. Since he is no longer Gov in Fla., he is probably looking for a job. And that would kind of extend the dynasty of dirty politics.