Well, here we are – the first of the year and the biggest news story is who’s running for president in 2004 on the Democratic side. It’s a sad decade to be a Democrat from the looks of things: John Edwards, Tom Daschle, Dick Gephardt, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and Al Sharpton.
Wait, I forgot about Hillary Clinton. Although she denies it, everyone knows she’s going to run for president, but the question is just when to announce it. Will Hillary unite the party for 2004?
First, let’s take a look at the official contenders.
We have John Edwards, who just this past week threw his hat into the ’04 political race and says he’s a “champion for regular people.” Sure, John, we believe you. A multi-millionaire politician that’s in touch with regular folks – it tends to be an oxymoron. The bottom line is that Edwards has no real record to show but a short time in the Senate, so he must use the champion-for-the-real-American routine.
The entire country has known that Tom Daschle wants to run for president for some time now, but I suppose he was simply waiting for the exploratory committee to give him the go ahead. However, Sen. Daschle has no chance whatsoever at president. He’s an obstructionist looking out for his political career.
Dick Gephardt is running the race as well, despite his political savvy – or lack thereof. Indeed, his political leadership equals a pile of trash to the Democrats. Wasn’t this the same man who was ousted from the House leadership position? Now he’s running for president, though he has no chance.
John “JFK” Kerry is a joke. I don’t know who told him he had a chance, but he doesn’t. The man couldn’t tie his shoe without help. Kerry is also playing the “people’s” president routine, yet, as Matt Drudge reported, he pays $150 for that terrible haircut he has. He lacks charisma, he lacks ideas, and most of all he lacks leadership. The man is a DNC guy and lacks the support for president.
Sen. Joe Lieberman entered the race late last month but can be thrown into the same barrel as the rest of the candidates. Al Gore is the main factor that made him a star and without him, most don’t see any flames. Although, as a moderate he may have had a shot, something in the 2000 election pushed him off the edge and he has become a full-fledged liberal – something the country doesn’t want right now.
Al Sharpton has said in the past that the Democratic Party is leaning right and must turn back to its liberal ideas. Yet, to be in touch with reality and with the constituency, it must turn from its liberal ideas and become moderate. If Sharpton can turn the party even more liberal, he’s my pick for president as it seems it would destroy the party.
The plan is so unorchestrated that it would appear someone is sabotaging the campaigns, but, as you can see, all candidates lack leadership, political savvy and political intelligence.
The spectrum is filled with a George Bush and Ross Perot scenario. They must unite or they will fall. Who can unite them? Senator Hillary Clinton seems like the only option now, but most analysts see her running in 2008. Time will tell the fate of the Dems in the next election.
In the end, President George W. Bush is the likely winner for 2004 and the realistic politicians will wait till 2008 when he’s out of the way. Until then, the Senate Democrats will continue to trip over each other until they stumble into defeat.
