It seems Sen. Edwards gets it. This is the best chance for change in America.........and so of course Hilary will be nominated and engage in a scorched earth campaign with Mitt.

WOW. Tell it like it is! He nailed that one right on the head.

I'm also pulling for Edwards now, but to echo what tc said above, some element of the media or corporate bullshit will find its way to prevent him from getting the nomination. And so again, the forces of the dollar prevail.

tc I think you're right about that one. If Romney or Giuliani get nominated it will be no holds barred. Same with Hillary. Problem for them is that they're even more hamfisted at politics than she is, so they'll lose. McCain could beat a Dem, if it weren't for the war, and if it weren't for the fact that his party doesn't like to nominate people who act sane from time to time.

Maybe I'm a bit of an optimist, but I think I'm realistic enough. This bunch of Republicans are the most pathetic bunch of losers I've seen in quite a while. They won't be able to beat even a third-rate politician like H. Clinton.

The Clinton-Bush era might someday be remembered as the time when the Democratic party went from having to get lucky to get a once-in-a-generation politician elected president, to being able to have 45% of the vote wrapped up before they've even nominated anyone. Any one of the Republicans could turn into a real landslide loser on a par with Goldwater. That's especially true if Obama gets nominated.

Dende-I think you're quite right. This is what is so annoying to many of us about these DLC Dems. Why be Republican lite when the Repubs can give knuckle-draggers the real thing? If Edwards somehow got the nomination......man, the Rethugs would be beyond vicious toward him because they know he speaks the truth. Clinton or Obama are both willing to make gentleman's handshakes by pulling some of their punches while it's clear that John Edwards is taking the high ground. If it's Clinton, or Barack it seems-unless he realizes he has more sense than the DLC insiders, it's just more business as usual.

And let's not forget what Michael Moore said about the healthcare industry in his movie Sicko. There is absolutely no reconciling the current state of affairs in any way that involves the for-profit insurance companies. Any candidate who attempts "reform" rather than replacement of the private providers with a government-run single payer system is attempting a Chamberlainesque gesture of appeasement that is doomed to fail. So far the only viable candidate pushing single payer is Edwards and I fear that he doesn't really stand a chance against Hillary, though I might consider him as her running mate if she promised to give him free-reign as VP to take on healthcare reform his way.

I think that what Edwards and Democrats need to do is meet the "socialized medicine" mantra head on by pointing out what should be obvious: insurance companies don't practice medicine. Therefore, a government-run insurance system isn't "socializing" medicine! Insurance is nothing more than a system of spreading risk and to the extent that insurance companies earn profits while performing a function that the government can apparently do much more cheaply and with less bureaucracy (compare insurance companies with Medicare), the consumer is just overpaying the middleman who keeps part of what would otherwise pay people really do practice medicine.

Edwards is so great.

Edwards is the only viable candidate. All of the other candidates have glaring image problems - and image is everything. Hillary has no chance; the country's not yet ready for a male first lady and the democrats know it - they still have to garner the bigot vote... and for that reason Obama doesn't stand a chance either. It's nice that they're letting them play along though. That's a huge step for our country. I'm curious who will be VP. Edwards/Clinton would be a good ticket (either Clinton). I wonder if Nader will run again.

Edwards is right I think about one thing, and that is that health care reform that makes sense will involve a long, twilight struggle with the insurance industry. A long struggle in which they are eventually defeated politically, not a compromise. The insurance companies already know that, but a lot of Demcorats are still in denial.

Scott, I really disagree on your estimation of the chances of the Dem candidates. Hillary will have so much more money than any Republican that gets nominated, it's a joke. People talk about her negatives, but they're no worse than Bush's negative numbers before the 2004 race. The GOP is not excited about any of its candidates and it shows in the money figures. Evangelical churches--the main engine of GOP grassroots work--are not going to come out in full force for a Mormon or a crossdressing, pro-choice, pro-gay, shameless adulterer and serial divorcee. The white churches couldn't even get themselves stoked up for the first Bush or Bob Dole--you think they're going to boost for these hellbound sinners? Hillary, Edwards, or Obama would each beat any Republican. And if there happens to be a downturn in the economy or a big scandal for the Bush administration next year, it could be a complete bloodbath.

Hillary, Edwards, or Obama would each beat any Republican.

dende blogger,

I would be so happy if you were right on this. I still think a lot of the same people who voted for Bush would never vote for Hillary, let alone Obama.

It looks like McCain finally has a chance, since the other GOP candidates have worse image problems than he has... His affair was long enough ago, that it won't be held against him by the average person and he admitted the divorce was all his fault.

Given the choice between McCain and Hillary Clinton, I think a lot of Republicans would vote McCain. Just out of spite.

I would love to be wrong on this, that's just my opinion. Maybe I've just met to many racist, sexist, bigots and I've become cynical about the whole thing.

too many. damn tzpos.

Eh, I still like Biden more....

Hillary will have the hardest time winning, there are entire political organizations out there dedicated to defaming the clintons, sean hannity is their spokesman.

Now how are they supposed to bribe politicians if you don't invite them to the table? I don't know, but I'm told I should ask my doctor for a prescription to help me out with this problem.

I like Obama best of the Dem front runners, but i really hope Bloomberg runs, cause the guy is rich enough that his policies can't be swayed by anything but public opinion.

What about this though - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grzFEuCfG3I&mode=related&search=

Gravel says Edwards invested big time in Fortress, which is the financial backer for Humana, which is health insurance: http://www.southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2007/07/edwards-money-and-hypocrisy-part-2_16.asp

I can't believe you guys, I'm not even american and I know this.

Onegoodmove - stop backing edwards and you have to post this info!!! I love this site, don't spoil it for me

I really like how Edwards has been pushing hard on the progressive/populist themes recently.

Hillary would be a disaster. She is the only one who could hand the Dems a loss in this next election. Do not underestimate the immense number of people who despise her. She will drive hundreds of thousands of otherwise disinterested Republicans to the polls, simply to vote against her. Even progressives like me can't stand her wishy washy politics.

But anyhow, maybe I'm dreaming, but I think the ultimate would be an Edwards-Gore ticket. Gore being VP again. Gore is too dorky to be president, but he's wise and proven.