Politics 2008:The Caucuses and The Dem/Rep Conventions

[TonyB06]

Originally Posted by WenD08

i am very hopeful about next year. the Democratic slate is a good one. as an aside, it's nice to be in a really Blue state in a Blue region
regarding the other side, it's interesting to see how the Repubs are (not) embracing their candidates. talk of a 3rd party of Christian-Right GOP defectors is interesting to watch. as someone who loves politics, this will be a great year-plus to watch.
the downside, these debates are a bit much...there've been a ton of them and it's only October, 2007

The "Queen City" weeps at your loss/departure

It is an interesting race to hanidcap... HRC seems increasingly solid, yet there is a deep reservoir for what B. Obama seems to represent (their fundraising totals are very close). Not exactly sure why John Edwards, vetted in '04, hasn't caught on more in the primaries.

On the Republican side, given the lukewarmed-ness of the given slate, I expected Fred Thompson's candidacy to reenergize that scenario. Doesn't appear to have happened.

3rd party, independent movements, I think, have affected races (Perot, Nader) so we'll see on this one. I think there may be a lot of disaffected, sit-this-one-out types among Republican voters.

[WenD08]

funny, i feel like some of the Queen City came w/me...but that's another story
John Edwards like John McCain, to me, didn't catch b/c folks feel like they had their shot now they must move on. Dems want a winner and and they see him as the past. a rather unfortunate past.
Fred Thompson, he seemed more interesting when he was a ?. now i think folks see him as a candidate and their ardor has cooled(ex. a lazy campaigner, not good as far as a public speaker, etc.). i don't think he'll catch up and surpass Romney and Guiliani. could be wrong but i don't think so.
as for HRC and Obama (a cousin of cheney, poor Obama), her fundraising numbers are going up and i'm a bit concerned. i want him in this until the bitter end. not as a distant 2nd but as a real contender.
but, we'll just have to see...