There are more hats being thrown into the political ring, for the next President of the United States, then on Cinco De Mayo in Brownsville, Texas (pun intended). Of course, some are "front runners" now and others are the dark horses, but all of the democratic and the republican candidates are just as viable as the next. However, when it comes to the political green, the war chests, or the mass raising of cash there are definitely those that shine brighter and brighter each day. Hillary Clinton has over $125 million already in her coffers and Rudi Guiliani (now that his strategy plan has been leaked to the "New York Post" in a supposed "Left Behind in a Hotel Scandal" three months ago) he too is to be raising around $100-125 million to make his bid for President. Actually, "Newsweek" and "Time" have both said, with multiple other sources, say that to run for the White House period, a person must have a minimum of $100 million. Talk about leveling the playing field, right?
However, sitting two years out from the actual election, a bad war with Iraq blazing in full force, and in the week a new Democratic Congress ready to take over, there is a lot of guess work to see who will be the new man/women in charge of the Presidency. All things considered and if all things stay like they are today, I would hedge my bets on one ticket for the democrats John Edwards for President and Barack Obama for Vice President (with the republicans having many "exploratory parties," candidates dropping out 'like Bill Frist and others', and so many people trying to jockey to the top, over John McCain to be the republican front runner). Edwards has been crisscrossing Iowa for the last year, has all of the unions in his pockets, and has the experience from last years VP campaign for name recognition. Edwards wife has fully recovered from breast cancer, and although I do not want to be crass, Americans like a good "beat the odds, and overcome" story (hence, Lance Armstrong, etc..etc..), which will shore up a good portion of the woman vote. Obama definitely has his lack of actual experience, but will not be doing his "Dan Quayle impersonation," stating that "I have the same experience as Jack Kennedy did, when he ran for office." With the Obama star rising as fast as it is, it is bound to burn out, thru the grind of political positioning, constant questions, and a barrage of republican and democrats looking at his record, past cocaine use, and other problems under rocks somewhere in the world.
Therefore, things two years out, mind you, look like this for the democratic ticket. John Edwards for President and Obama for Vice President, and what a formidable ticket it will be. Edwards will win the Iowa Caucasus and the Nevada Democratic Caucasus, with Hillary and Obama falling somewhere in second and third, plus a bevy of other democratic names below, bringing up the rear. Of course, there will be the over the top, but not viable candidates like Joe Bieden, Iowa's own Governor Evan Bye, and then others with little to no chance to win. Once Edwards shores up the Iowa and Nevada Caucasus, he will be on his way to the Massachusetts Caucasus, where Hillary Clinton should dominate the far left core of that state. Which in turn, will make the "two candidate race": Hillary Clinton and the "Un-Hillary" candidate, which will be John Edwards. The "Son of a Mill Worker" John Edwards, who says he is tired of talking about his humble upbringing, never misses a chance to plug his father's plight, overall.
The real race will not be for who the Democratic Presidential Candidate is, but actually who will Barack Obama will jump out of the presidential campaign, and into the VP race and for whom? With two years to go, over three quarters of America (at least between the coasts) hating Hillary Clinton, smart money should be on John Edwards for President and Barack Obama as his Vice Presidential counterpart.
