AN ARMY OF ALSO-RANS (Lackluster Dem candidates)

Baltimore Sun ^ | 2/21/03 | Jules Witcover

[Elkiejg]

WASHINGTON - Dennis J. Kucinich for president? Carol Moseley-Braun? Al Sharpton? Howard Dean and Gary Hart, for that matter?

On paper, anyway, none of these five presidential hopefuls stirs visions of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR or even Bill Clinton.

Yet each has either jumped into the race for the 2004 Democratic nomination or is poised on the brink - this political season's versions of Gary Bauer, Steve Forbes, Alan Keyes and all the other forgettables of previous presidential years.

[Elkiejg]

Good assessment on the sad group of RATS running for President - should be fun to watch.

[InvisibleChurch]

Rush Limbaugh suggested that one reason there might be so many candidates is to split the hard-left vote in the Iowa caucuses. This would leave the winner to be the most 'conservative' (read: more electable) candidate. Regardless, I'm crossing party lines to vote for Rev. Al (if available) during the primaries. If he can get 5 percent of the vote, he'll be allowed to dip into election funds, taking $$$ away from other 'legitimate' candidates. (HA HA HA HA!!)

[Mr. Bird]

On paper, anyway, none of these five presidential hopefuls stirs visions of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR or even Bill Clinton.

Witcover should have retired years ago. "Even Bill Clinton"??? Is he implying that Clinton had any more credibility in '91 than these jokers? At the time, Clinton was a newly reelected governor of a small, somewhat backward state, and was primarily known for the most boring speech ever given to a national convention. As time wore on, he became an even bigger joke, with his competitors marveling at his staying power.

But the reason he had staying power was that the media wanted him to stick around. He was charming, and he spouted all the right platitudes to liberal constituencies. Indeed, it was "the economy, stupid", along with Ross Perot, that even gave him a chance. How anyone could endure the draft issues, the inhaling debacle, the Flowers affair, and the trooper allegations and still win the presidency without the aid of the media is beyond me.

Bill Clinton may be the best historical hope for Reverend Al.

[D.P.Roberts]

Our local Dem aspirant, John Edwards, has decided to define his candidacy by supporting Affirmative Action. Of course, if you think this means he wants to run as vice president on a ticket headed by Mosely-Braun or Sharpton, you'd be wrong.

[RipSawyer]

"Witcover should have retired years ago. "Even Bill Clinton"??? Is he implying that Clinton had any more credibility in '91 than these jokers? At the time, Clinton was a newly reelected governor of a small, somewhat backward state, and was primarily known for the most boring speech ever given to a national convention. As time wore on, he became an even bigger joke, with his competitors marveling at his staying power."


How can you say such things? We have it on good authority from the inventor of the internet that Clinton was "one of our greatest Presidents". Or maybe he was President of the Arkansas Whorehounds and that was what Gore was referring to.