Reply #10: My picks, and reasons for elimination.

[TheWraith]

Republicans first.

Former Health Secretary TOMMY THOMPSON
Former Virginia Governor JIM GILMORE
California Congressman DUNCAN HUNTER
Texas Congressman RON PAUL
Colorado Congressman TOM TANCREDO

These five you can file under "I don't know what they're smoking, but I know people who would like some."

Former NYC Mayor RUDY GIULIANI

Too many wives, too many questions, and too liberal for the flying monkey right that is the Repub primary base to open up to. He's basically running entirely on 9/11, and the Republican party's scary level of obsession with a horrific tragedy. But sooner or later somebody farther to the right is going to crank up a smear campaign the likes of which Bush used in 2000 against McCain, and Guiliani's gay-rights support and dressing in drag is going to kill him.

Arizona Senator JOHN McCAIN

Once a strong candidate, he's now sold out to the religious right, but the joke's on him, since they'll never quite trust him as one of their own. Besides which, with his almost obscene support of the war and the "surge," he's effectively strapped himself to a nuclear bomb, Slim Pickens style.

Former Arkansas Governor MIKE HUCKABEE

A small chance, but no name recognition.

Former Massachusetts Governor MITT ROMNEY

Support for abortion and gay rights will haunt him with the primary voters.

Former Tennessee Senator FRED THOMPSON

All I'll say is ((shudder)).

Nebraska Senator CHUCK HAGEL

Hagel, assuming he runs, is placed in the unenviable position of threading the needle between not being tarred by the war, yet also not having sucked up to Bush, who's still quite popular with the hardest of the hard core base.

Kansas Senator SAM BROWNBACK

Disturbingly, Brownback is a possibility. He's hard right and a fundie. He's distanced himself just enough from the war not to be a poster child for it, but not enough to alienate the pro-apocalypse Repub base.

Former Georgia Congressman NEWT GINGRICH

Another serious contender, he's crazy enough to

So my pick is Brownback or Gingrich for the Repubs, with Hagel as the dark horse candidate.

And now, the Democrats:

Former Alaska Senator MIKE GRAVEL

I think I speak for everyone when I say HAHAHAHAHA.

Delaware Senator JOE BIDEN

Too much foot-in-mouth. He's basically pork, i.e. "the other white guy" candidate.

Ohio Congressman DENNIS KUCINICH

DK is great, but he's kind of like a cartoon of a presidential candidate.

New York Senator HILLARY CLINTON

The war vote and her refusal to back away from it will garrote her with the primary voters.

Retired General WES CLARK

A great guy, and who I think would make a great president, but doesn't have a warchest to compete with the other big players, and doesn't--at least right now--have the kind of profile that would make such funding unneccessary.

Connecticut Senator CHRISTOPHER DODD

I think I speak for all the casual primary voters when I say: Who? Yeah, I know who he is, but how many other people do?

Former Vice President AL GORE

I don't think he's running, and even if he does, I think that most people want somebody fresh.

New Mexico Governor BILL RICHARDSON

Lack of name recognition, and lack of money. Might make a decent VP candiate to somebody.

Former North Carolina Senator JOHN EDWARDS

A serious contender, whose main drawbacks are the percieved lack of experience (exacerbated by the fact that he looks like a man thirty years younger) and having been strapped to Kerry for the 2004 election.

Illinois Senator BARACK OBAMA

The other major contender, who doesn't seem to have demonstrated any major weaknesses yet.

My pick: Edwards or Obama, with Clinton as the underdog.

Thus: Brownback, Gingrich, or Hagel against Edwards, Obama, or Clinton. Worst ticket for us would be Hagel versus Clinton, best for us would be either Gingrich versus Edwards or Gingrich versus Obama.