THE UNDECLARED:

THE UNDECLARED

Ahhhhh. Not raising cash but not burning it either. It's a time to be teased, to get excited about a potential candidate. Start the Draft George McGovern '08, see if Keanu Reeves is interested, look for a niche candidate or someone who reminds you of better times, real or fictional. maybe some "simple folk". These are the candidates that can bow out if they realize the water is too hot, do opposition research on themselves and slowly move up in the polls as those who are already in the game stumble over themselves for attention and cash. Spending some nice summer days in New Hampshire eating lobster rolls, drinking Natty lites and living free and dying. Some nice days in Iowa counting cornfields, playing baseball against dead guys, or whatever the devil it is they do out there.

These are the candidates that will have the buttons, t-shirts and bumper stickers that you will find humor with in the future when cleaning your basement. My mother's truck with the Jackson '88 sticker on it, when Jesse could still make you believe. The guys (mostly) that are outside the mainstream but have some appeal.
There are scary parts to this strategy, if you are a party regular, you pretty much got to get in early. You need to raise the money for TV, get bad YouTube, Facebooks and MySpace pages up to create a buzz. Jump in late, right before a caucus and you may either have a quick organization that will get some folks out to the schools and VFW's or you may end up just as a late night TV joke.

If you're a celebrity candidate, a maverick or a kook, chances are the media bored with covering the same 5 syllable talking points and inane stump speeches of the ditzy dozen "front runners" will pay attention to you. If you're a bright but dull senator from the east coast, you better get in and get your numbers up or you'll be out of the race faster than you can say Tom Vilsack. For the voter it's interesting to follow, like the pretty girl on the subway, you can just take a look not realizing that she may be packing a razor knife in her sock or waiting for her boyfriend to get out of prison.

So here's the sexy seven coming up. There may be others and frankly there's a couple of these guys, who like the middle aged guy at the wedding are just excited to be asked to dance by the buxom bridesmaid, are only in it to postpone their fading glory, or sell their book or get some nice paying pundit job.

Fred Thompson

Ole Fred is starting to make some noise. As a huge fan of Law and Order and much younger wives, me and Fred should be peas in a pod. As I asked in an earlier post, will women voters vote for Fred Thompson in the general election, completely decked out with trophy wife?

Also in the parade of candidates trying to be just like Reagan, Freddie according to reports has a lot in common with Ronnie Reagan, lazy, multiple marriages, "plain speaking", actor; I got no idea what he's got going for him, actually. Freddie's got a kid the same age as mine, he's 65, damn, I feel like I'm going to drop dead and I'm not nearly his age. It will be an overall embarrassment if old Hollywood pulls that red pickup truck out of his ass. He may try to be this year's straight talker, I'm wondering if he'll be the first candidate to pull out the, "I'm not going to bullshit you" in a stump speech. (hell, I'd buy the t-shirt) I'll say this for Fred, he comes off as charming, speaks well and probably has a Q rating through the roof and has the benefit of while supporting going to war in Iraq, never had to vote on it. Was one of McCain's national co-chair's in 2000, may try to replicate his freethinking persona for 2008.

Michael Bloomberg

Mike Bloomberg is one interesting cat. Recently made himself independent after switching to Republican from Democrat so he could be elected mayor of New York. Likely the first mayor of New York to be a Red Sox fan. Bloomberg has the ability to self-finance, in fact he could likely finance the entire campaign cycle, Democratic, Republican, Green, Reform, Constitution, David Duke et al. So fundraising isn't an issue. Has declared that he doesn't see how a 5'7" divorced Jewish Red Sox fan from New York City (via Medford) could ever be elected President. But seriously, he is the Brewster's Millions candidate, single handedly he could turn this whole ATM political machine around with his own bankroll. No looking for handouts, can just blast away at partisan politics if he wants and speak his mind. Oh yeah, and you gotta say something for the Sox fan that's mayor of New York City.

Newt Gingrich

My God, it seems like I hated you a generation ago. At this point the Contract with America seems like a liberal Godsend in politics. A conservative policy argument in a much more reasonable time. Nowadays, people would probably think it was the Port Huron Statement. Newt is a womanizer, another guy on his third run in marriage but had the chutzpah to go on Dobson's show and talk about his sinning. Like if he just got it out there than it's ok. He's already been spanked by one Clinton, on the off chance he's nominated it may happen again. I think Newt's just doing this to ramp up his speaking tour. I think his strategy is to revise and update the Contract with America, get 5-7 talking points into every one's head besides the words "terror" and "Iraq". But most likely it's just a lotta chicken dinners at the Manchester VFW.

Chuck Hagel

Chuck's got a lot of appeal for the American public. A decorated enlisted infantryman in Vietnam, from a heartland state and a bonafide anti-Iraq, "staying the course is stupid" Republican. He has actually mentioned running outside of his party and may get the vote of those Republicans who are actually fiscal and social conservatives but haven't completely lost their minds. Hagel has the opportunity to be McCain 2000 if he has the gumption. I really have no idea why Hagel hasn't stepped into the race right away, unless there is some deep, secret in his past, or if he's just likes his role as it is and doesn't understand why anyone would want to be President. Would likely be attractive to many Reagan Democrats. Would face a fundraising challenge unless he runs with Bloomberg.

Al Gore

Albert Gore in 2000 came less than 600 votes from winning the Presidency. That being said had the man been able to carry his own state, the hanging chads and all the Buchanan supporting bobes and zeydes in Palm Beach County would have been for not. Al has become incredibly evangelical about climate change which is of interest to....all those people who would vote for him anyway. Others, truck drivers, NASCAR fans, generally most people who are consumers don't really care or understand, and think, "hey global warming, more beach days for me." I saw a replay of Al on the MTV movie awards, the only thing missing was him and Snoop smoking a blunt. I like Al's stuff on climate change, but Americans do not like to be scolded or cajoled into action, we like our politicians to give us undeserved platitudes and sweeping generalizations, so Mr. Vice President, thank you for being an outstanding elder statesman.

Wesley Clark

If you know me, you likely know that I'm a Clarkie. Clark is another authentic American hero, wounded in Vietnam and won the Silver Star, leading his company after taking rounds from a VietCong. And this was after finishing first in his class, going to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and finishing Ranger training. To me it goes far beyond his military service and understanding of modern warfare and international politics but a sense of his intelligence and his can do attitude. Clark always polls very low, likely due to his nerdy nature and his affinity for sweaters that would make Mike Dukakis blush. Clark was among the leaders of the the post Vietnam War military and helped to bring the Army back from the abyss. This leadership will help in a modern military depleted by prolonged deployments and losing by attrition many senior NCO's and junior officers. I know that Clark's role won't be President but as a National Security Advisor, chief of staff or a non-evil mirror image of Dick Cheney helping to run the governmental apparatus from behind the scenes.

Ralph Nader

Oh Ralph, you are the easy whupping boy for us that lean to the left. An authentic spoiler of the election of 2000. In 2000, Nader won nearly 3 million votes, enough to ego swab him into thinking about making another run in 2008. Nader styles himself as a man of the people, and see himself as a real alternative to the corporate Republicrats that are too cowardly to debate military spending and hand out corporate welfare hand over fist at the expense of American working people. Nader is likely to siphon off some of the Kucinich wing of the Democratic Party and those people young and old who don't want to "hold their nose" when they vote for the DLC endorsed candidate for President. Oh yeah, and likely to carry the vote of those who want or even think that Taft Hartley will ever be repealed. (ok, of those who actually know any of the specific pieces of Taft Hartley)

So there's the Undeclared, look for weekly updates on the race...