Larry O'Donnell on Franken today...sizing up 2008, separating wheat from the chaff....

[Gloria]

O'Donnell was on to give his critique of the 2008 race, to "save time" by dispensing with all the hopefuls that aren't going anywhere and naming those that were key. He came up with McCain as the GOP Presidential nominee.

Moving over to the Democrats, the very first thing he said was: "Wes Clark is the no. 1 pick for VP for any candidate for President. Franken asked him if he thought it would hurt Clark if he ran for President and O'Donnell said he didn't think so.

As for President...Vilsack, Biden are nothing; Edwards will be an early casualty. Franken asked why and O'Donnell said that he only had poverty and something else as an issue, but really didn't have any plans to solve the problems. And, since he ran for VP once, they wouldn't give that to him again. O'Donnell said he didn't want to take Kerry off the list because he had gotten a bad rap recently and because he knows the work he's done over the years in the Senate...but he left the impression that this was more of a "heart" call. He said the Richardson had no chance even for VP (same for Vilsack, I think). Evan Bayh...if it weren't for the present field, he would do well, but not this time. He said Gore will NOT run. He sees the Democrats nominating either Hillary OR Obama for President.

[napi21]

1. I agree withhim for right now! But you have to remember this is

December 2006!!!!!!!!!!!

Anything and everything will happen in the next months and years to change the status quo.

Sit tight and let history unfold.

[INdemo]

7. I still say Kerry wins the nomination becasue he is a much better

campaigner and will have the edge in raising money.Remember he did not lose the election in 2004....Anyone that takes the botched joke as a negative for Kerry has probably been taken in by the Republican propaganda on other issues..The MSM is the Repukes best friend because they are echos for their propaganda and the reason they are so damn good at it.

[Vyan]

13. Seconded!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

2. assuming obama runs

and i don't think he will-he's too loyal to the clinton's to risk upsetting her coronation-he's gunning for v-p

looks like all the attempts to give this party an identity and take it back from the rightwing crooked carville crowd were for naught and hillary will triangulate the democrats out of an identity

i just dread having carville, begala, davis and the rest of the gang back when we were almost rid of them

it's alll about personalities and issues can take a hike now

[JohnLocke]

3. Larry O'Donnell is an idiot.

There's plenty of time to raise cash, name recognition, etc.; fame is a liability, not an asset, in these early stages.

Richardson, Vilsack, Bayh have little chance. Kerry blew his campaign. Feingold, my first choice, will not run.

No idea why he wrote off Biden. Biden has been campaigning more-or-less continously for 20 years. He has foreign policy credentials, is a great speaker, comes off as oily for some people, but has a good shot.

Clark hasn't made any movements. He is possibly lying low for the time being. Soros's fundraising for him bodes well. I am a fan of both him and Edwards and can't understand the rabid attacks of some of his so-called supporters towards Edwards. Gore hasn't made any movement either. He is certainly qualified but I don't see the same excitement that I see for Clark and Edwards.

Edwards has a fine chance of being the nominee. For one thing, he is an incredible speaker, has a compelling story to tell, and has a brillant family. The "trial lawyer" bit won't play; I think that Edwards will be much more aggressive than Kerry will be in counteracting a swiftboating-in-process before it explodes. He has essentially neutralized his vote for the Iraq War Resolution. If he emerges as the front-runner and secures Iowa we could consolidate behind him early.

Clinton has little shot at getting the nomination. For conservatives she is too leftist; for liberals she is too rightist. She won't play well in Iowa, perhaps better in New Hampshire. I don't even see her being a serious contender in the long run.

Obama, if he wants to be president, needs to do it in 2008. Being in the Senate is a liability as votes stack up. Obama is a compelling speaker, but if he wants to build a national base of support he better get started.

I have no idea why people seem to be writing off whole swaths of potential candidates. Dean, Clark, and Edwards were extreme long shots for the nomination and yet they did quite well. I see no reason why "conventional wisdom" has merit this time.

That said, Edwards is to me the clear favorite here. Watch Warner, Clark, or Biden for VP.

[Gloria]

6. Soros has also met with Obama....People, this was done partly tongue in

cheek,and he acknowledged that it could be all wrong..... but he probably is accurate in dispensing with the lower echelon people. He also said that we should never, ever believe any of the stories in the NYTimes about how Pataki is getting ready to run...

[THUNDER HANDS]

8. Lawrence O'Donnell is not an idiot

I think it's pretty obvious that the field is going to come down to three people - Hillary, Obama and Kerry.

If Gore runs, it's the BIG FOUR.

I give the edge to Obama because in a field like that, he stands out the most. Newest guy in town, least amount of baggage, freshest sounding message, ect.

An Obama - Clark ticket sounds nice to me.

An Obama - Bayh ticket sounds nice to me too.

[sandnsea]

9. Clark, Obama and Kerry

Maybe Gore if he decides to run. Hillary really doesn't have anything to offer except Bill's star status and if Obama runs, that's gone for her. Clark still has everything he had in 2004, along with the knowledge to get in early and have a strategy. Given Clark or Hillary, I think people will choose Clark.

[sandnsea]

10. Lemme get this straight

You just laid out your opinion on 2008 candidates, which is exactly what O'Donnell did. Yet somehow, O'Donnell is an idiot and you're not. O-kaaay.

[Radical Activist]

4. typical beltway crowd conventional wisdom bullshit. n/t

[JohnLocke]

5. You put it just right.

:)

[freethought]

11. He didn't say anything about Al Gore?

I know Gore had been quoted a couple of times that he is not making plans to run, still it would have been interesting to hear something about him.

[Ninja Jordan]

12. Obama-Clark 2008

Obama would at least make it interesting. Hillary will actually harm the Party.