A controversial candidate like Hillary Clinton will not be able to win '08

[brentspeak]

Consider the varying personalities in the sequence of Presidents over the past 50 years:

FDR - Charismatic, always-in-the-news President

Truman - Low key personality, but served during a chaotic time (WWII, MacArthur firing, Korean War)

Eisenhower - The public picked him, I believe, because he seemed like the kind of president who wouldn't dominate their lives by being in the headlines every day. Quiet, stable, not electrifying.

JFK - The public got bored of the low-key presidency, and wanted someone with charisma, electricity. Hence, JFK was elected. The public at this time WANTED a president in the headlines.

LBJ - Not as dynamic as JFK.

Nixon - Bobby Kennedy would have been elected had he not been assassinated. Nixon was a galvanizing/polarizing type the public probably wanted.

Ford - The public was weary of Nixon-type controversy and constant headlines. Ford was the perfect antidote to that.

Carter - More noncontroversial, laid-back politician the public wanted (the public still couldn't forget Nixon).

Reagan - The public apparently again hungered for a headline-making president. Reagan was certainly that.

Bush Sr. - Eight years of Reagan dominating the entire culture brought back blandness to the White House.

Clinton - People wanted young and dynamic again.

Gore - After 8 years of Clinton controversy, Gore was considered a more stable, bland type of politician.

Bush (2004) - War presidents, even idiot war presidents, have never lost reelection.

2008 - Even the fools who are fans of Bush will be weary of the endless headlines, controversy, division. The public will thirsting for someone bland, non controversial, a president who won't seem to dominate their lives day-in and day-out.

Hillary Clinton is definitely not that. John Kerry might be considered in the "controversial" category, too (through no fault of his own -- ie. SwiftBoat smears).