warner

There's an article about Mark Warner on the Magazine at the New York Times. (Wish I knew how to link). He's being touted as the Anti-Hillary, in fact the choice to run against the incumbent, at least in the primaries. They'll have to announce by the end of next year their candidacy (or they could wait until Jan 2008 like Clinton and Wesley Clark)but fundraising suffers without the huge ramp-up as well as a lack of a national profile. Anyway, Mark Warner will NEVER win the nomination. Hillary has the nomination pretty much tied up- with a 10 year headstart on campaign finance (note that she and her husband are one of the VERY few politicians who now run in an race, whether senatorial, gubernatorial or presidential without being independently wealthy). Mark Warner, a Democratic Governor from red-state Virginia has a personal fortune of over 200 million. Go the little people! Even though Hillary is not really little. I agree that she needs a bruising primary so she'll go into the national elections ready, but Mark Warner is not the guy to put her through the wringer. He may go around brandishing his economic credentials, but 2008, like 2004 is going to be a social-issues election: such have the Republicans been successful in defining the agenda. Hillary is going to have a tough time in proving that she's not another shrill, angry, ticked off Democrat haranguing the stately Republicans like a terrier yapping at their heels (which is what they are already trying to paint her as, 2 years ahead of the primaries) but that she has real stature, policy stances and most importantly the means to BRING IT HOME. At the moment, its still too rocky to tell. I think 2008 is going to go to another Republican, but a Republican with crossover appeal, like McCain. I also don't personally think there is anything wrong with Republican values such as small government, fiscal conservatism, rugged individualism and live and let live with social policies. Hell, Hillary used to be a Republican nearly 40 years ago.

anyway. Watch this space. The race is about to begin. Right after the midterms this year.