As the key players atop the long list of presidential hopefuls begin national tours and attempt to polish or establish a favorable public image, let me take a moment to handicap the field.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Front Runner: Hillary ClintonThe former first lady leads the way, being the most recognizable name and face among all of the candidates. Clinton will undoubtedly align herself with Bill Clinton’s legacy, in an attempt to portray a more centrist, fiscally responsible image. In reality, her senatorial voting record lies much to the left of former president Clinton’s policy choices, as she usually takes very liberal stances on social and economic issues. Having notably supported the invasion of Iraq, Hillary Clinton will approach the issue tentatively, using her position as the only female candidate to create a “mother’s point of view.”Expressing regret for what she has called the “needless loss of life” will help to drum support from empathetic female voters. From the day she moved to New York and captured a congressional seat, Hillary Clinton has eyed a Presidential nomination, and with an extensive support structure in place and her husband’s political clout at her disposal, it will be hard for the Democrats to deny her the top nod.
RUNNER UP: Barack Obama
The fresh face of this Midwestern senator has come to embody the possibility of change in Washington. Having not been elected at the time of the Iraq Resolution, Obama is one of the only candidates capable of touting that he didn’t vote for the war in Iraq and will probably do so every opportunity he gets. His platform will most likely be built upon two issues: establishing some form of universal healthcare and ending U.S. involvement in Iraq. Obama’s appeal to minority voters far outweighs the shortcoming presented by his obvious lack of political experience. The buzz surrounding his candidacy, and more notably the camera time and big name contributions he has taken away from the Hillary Clinton Campaign, has virtually guaranteed Obama a spot as the Vice Presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket.
WILD CARd: Edwards/Gore
Although still a contender, John Edwards’ position as a southern vote-getter will likely be nullified by Obama’s projected draw of the region’s registered black voters. He will instead have to focus on those issues that appealed to voters in his run in 2004, such as poverty and education reform.Riding the overwhelming success of his global warming documentary, Al Gore’s presence on the campaign trail will help to keep environmental concerns at the center of the presidential debates. Unfortunately for Gore, lack of charisma combined with a single-issue platform, as so often displayed by Ralph Nader, does not produce positive results. Both candidates stand in the lingering shadow of their recent defeats.In an election as important to Democrats as this one, it is hard to see them recapturing viability, although an unforeseen stumble by either of the front-runners could cast the pair back into the spotlight.
