The 2006 elections are fast approaching, but mid-term elections are rarely as interesting as presidential races, so let’s take a look at what’s on deck for 2008. For this column, we look at the Democrats.
Given that the nomination process consists of multi-candidate primaries and caucuses where it is only necessary to win a plurality of the vote in order to “win,” the candidate with the organized support of the radical, Internet-centric “new left” will have a big head start over the competition.
If the radical left can gin up interest among its adherents for a US Senate primary in a state like Connecticut on behalf of a no-name guy like Ned Lamont and deny the nomination to an incumbent Senator, then doing the same to help get a plurality of the vote in a few states early in the nomination process won’t be a stretch.
I think it’s fair to say that in 2004 Howard Dean only scratched the surface of what was possible in terms of marshalling such support and focusing it in targeted states via the Internet. Now imagine the same scenario, but on behalf of a politician that has more established credentials, or who is already accepted by more segments of the party base as well as the national media.
Also, as Dean proved, they can be an invaluable source of money, no small fact when one considers the cost of being competitive in the rush of early primaries where it’s likely a majority of delegates will be chosen in the first six weeks or so. To say nothing of having “momentum," or “Big Mo”, as George Bush, Sr. once referred to it.
Yes, Hillary has a lot of money and a lot of support, both in the Democrat party and in the press, but does that mean she will be the nominee? Especially when you consider that she’s extremely polarizing, with a pre-existing national image that gives moderate Democrats the willies (no pun intended). And she also has problems with the Democrat base, specifically the “new left” variety that provided the muscle to beat Joe Lieberman in Connecticut. They don’t like her stance on the war in Iraq, or her overtures to moderates on some issues, such as abortion.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Eric Berlin
I'm not familiar with the term "new left" in this context, Drew. Do you mean left-leaning candidates who "get" technology and use the Internet to raise money and gather support in the blogosphere?
2 - Silas Kain
Screw 'em all. I'm about ready to support Oprah.
3 - Nancy
Me, too: what's the "new left"?
The DNC running Hillary would be a huge mistake. Unless they're on drugs, they won't. They have other candidates who have less baggage & less accumulated hostility from conservatives. She will, OTOH, make a terrific senate party leader (replacing Reid), IMO: strong & takes no crap from anybody.
Edwards will be fine in about 8-12 years, with a little more experience & more of a record to judge him on. He's excellent human material: the poor boy who put himself thru school & made a million tilting at evil corporate conglomerates.
I like both Warner & Feingold, m'self, but there's Barack Obama to consider. By 2008 he'll have a little more time in office under his belt, and I suspect he'll be a major contender at least as a VP nominee, if not THE nominee. By 2012, if Ellison of Minnesota gets elected, I can forsee him running as well. I look forward to that. It's about time we get someone running (and winning) besides a whitebread Old-Boys'-Network male. I wish Shirley Chisholm were still alive, well, & young. She was presidential material, IMO, but born too soon. It will be interesting to see if any ethnic Arabs or asians make it into congress. We'll see, I guess, but it puzzles me why, as far as I can tell, no one of Arab or Chinese-Japanese-other Asian descent has ever run or made it in, except Dan Inouye of Hawaii.
4 - Michael J. West
I don't mind the "new left" coinage, but it bugs me that people so misuse the term "radical left," such as this:
If the radical left can gin up interest among its adherents for a US Senate primary in a state like Connecticut on behalf of a no-name guy like Ned Lamont
Lamont's supporters were NOT the radical left and suggesting they were is a gross misunderstanding of the word "radical." The Radical Left wouldn't be caught dead in any involvement with the Democratic Party. Feingold is probably the most liberal figure of any prominence in the Democratic Party and he's NO kind of radical.
5 - Nancy
This is true: the 'radical left' is waaaaaaay left, past even the leftist Dems. They're so left, they're on the far right.
6 - Georgio
hahahaha NANCY always gets it right..My choice for President would be Finegold with Obama as VP
7 - Michael J. West
Oh, Lord. Enough already with talk of Obama as VP. He's not even been a Senator for two years yet, for Christ's sake. Talking about him for higher office at this point is nothing but tokenism and a bow to his charisma; it has little-to-nothing to do with his actual national political record. And Hell, he doesn't even WANT to run in '08.
Obama is a legislator. How about if we actually LET HIM LEGISLATE for a while before promoting him to executive?
8 - JustOneMan
FindGold and Osama...what a great team that would be! I support it 100%....
9 - Nancy
Michael, I SAID in a few years - like 6 or 10 years from now. At the moment, any fresh face is welcome - plus he's not bad looking, and he has a rep of being somewhat honest & intelligent. We'll see if that pans out. If so, more power to him, especially if he can keep honest. Besides, I don't see any women anywhere in the forseeable chute - at least that the party heads would consider grooming, backwards, sexist farts that they all are.
10 - Michael J. West
Nancy, what you said was "By 2008 he'll have a little more time in office under his belt, and I suspect he'll be a major contender at least as a VP nominee, if not THE nominee."
Which is two years from now. And I'm just saying, why don't we wait and see? He could turn out to be a lousy, do-nothing senator like John Edwards. (And I say that as a Democrat from North Carolina.)
11 - JustOneMan
Nancy you racist troll
"plus he's not bad looking, and he has a rep of being somewhat honest & intelligent" its obvious what you are saying here - for a Black Guy hes "good looking, intelligent and honest" Its clear that you are suggesting that other "black males" are not!
Wake up minorities this is a classic example of how the left really views you..
12 - Michael J. West
That wasn't obvious to me, JustOneMan. I'm sure that's what you WANT her to have said, but frankly I think you're making shit up.
13 - JustOneMan
Mikey..I am not making it up..its pretty clear within the conetext she would not use these to describe a white male candidate...
14 - Michael J. West
It's not at all clear to me. Where are you seeing that?
15 - Nancy
Perhaps I should in fairness have added of Edwards that he's got a cute tush. I'm an equal-opportunity sexist troll.
16 - IgnatiusReilly
Ever since Kennedy v Nixon and the influence of TV, good-looking becomes an asset in politics. Some people find being honest and intelligent positive attributes. Not always found in politicians of all stripes, but it appears not to be as much of a concern from voters on the right. Nancy didn't say he was, but that it was his rep, and that we would have to see if it would pan out.
Considering she was talking about Obama, it would be tough to use those terms for a white man. The problem is JOM sees him as a black man while Nancy sees him as a man. The true racists always reveal themselves.
17 - JustOneMan
IgnatiusReilly - hmm lets see -
1. "Alleged" female liberal makes a racist inuendo
2. White conservative calls her on it
3. Liberal loon brands conservative a racist!
Guess what! I dont fall for the liberal PC crap..its clear where Nancy is coming from - she may not believe but its clear limousine liberal crap....
18 - Nancy
As usual JOM is doing his best to emulate his favorite neocon chickenshit hawk, Karl Rove, and cause trouble and plant innuendo & false meaning where none was intended except a straightforward admiration of specific male attributes of specific political males. Basta.
19 - JustOneMan
Thanks Nancy...you have just proved my point...by evoking Karl Rove...you had to distract from the fact that liberals like you are pure racists -- Democrats want a certain type of look for their - using Ted Rall of the Washington Post and a fellow democrats terms a "house N------" (the term he used for Ms. Rice)
20 - zingzing
jom--where was this example of "racist innuendo?" no one sees it except for you...
21 - JustOneMan
please zing must you beat a dead horse...why cant she just apologize and lets move on...
22 - zingzing
APOLOGIZE? for what? please. show us this "innuendo." if it's there, she should be sorry for what she said, but i don't see any. neither does mike, neither does IgnatiusReilly... it's just a question, so why not answer it? if it's there, it will be acknowledged.
23 - IgnatiusReilly
JOM, you're funny. It's now obvious you are a liberal, pretending to be a conservative just to make them look bad. Glad someone is caring on in Phil Hendrie's name.
24 - JustOneMan
Due to your liberal blindness you guys are incapable of seeing Nancys condecending attitude concerning a black politician...
25 - Michael J. West
Due to your liberal blindness you guys are incapable of seeing Nancys condecending attitude concerning a black politician...
I've gotta hand it to you, JOM, you're tenacious. If it was me, I don't know how long I'd be able to keep up pretending something was there and getting annoyed when other people don't see it.