2008: A Liberal Candidate?

[MessiahRp]

I know many of you would love it if Dr. Dean ran again in 2008 but here in Wisconsin a lot of us are thinking Russ Feingold may be a strong Presidential candidate as well. He would dominate a debate with any GOP candidate and is such a maverick that he finds a way to sidestep the liberal grabage tags every time out.

So the question I pose is, Which would make the better 2008 Presidential Candidate for the Left?

There are no wrong answers...

Rp

[AntiCoup2K4]

1. I don't think a Senator has a chance in Hell of winning, period

But I have no objections at all to a Dean/Feingold ticket.

[customerserviceguy]

10. Dean deserves another chance

but the Veep definitely has to be a woman or person of color. Democrats have completely walked away from Sen. Mondale's historic choice of a woman VP, and just gone with boring white men for the second spot, like Republicans do. How's that going to excite the electorate?

[mikehiggins]

2. Wes Clark

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you said "better" candidate.

:^)

Hey, I'm not trying to start another war here. I think, and I suspect most agree, that this was Clark's one chance to run and the fates (and the media) turned their faces away. So be it.

I also suspect that the chances of running a real progressive in 2008 are slim to none (assuming BushCo bothers with niceties like elections by that time). The "interest" in the grassroots the party bosses are portraying has more to do with the ability to raise lots of maoney in a hurry, than with any real concern with what you or I think.

If a real progressive runs in 2008 I doubt very much it will be as a Democrat, one of the reasons I think the time has come to walk away from the party voices and start a new movement.

Why do I feel like a lone voice crying out in the wilderness?

[joelogan]

3. yep. Lone voice, damn near (and BTW, Dean is no liberal)

And I think feingold's liberal pedigree is a bit questionable, too, from what I hear.

[Kahuna]

4. Neither of those two.

nt

[briankup]

6. hey...

...at least they can't say feingold is the most liberal member of the senate.
;)

[RunningFromCongress]

5. Let's swing for the green monster so-to-speak...

[mike_c]

7. agreed-- I'll DEFINITELY wait to see what the GP does in 2008....

eom

[Cheswick2.0]

8. I love Russ, but

Governor trumps Senator and Dean is has all the instincts of a grassroots maveric. He knows the party needs to start over and engage the people who vote for it.

[roguewolf5]

9. hmmm

to early to say. i do like howeverhow this poll doesn't include any old guard Dems. i believe that it is time for new leadership.

so that being said...i'll have to get back to you :)

[ArtVandaley]

11. Feingold

He's the most principled man in the Democratic party. And he's very independent, which appeals to swing voters as well as progressives. Voting against the Patriot Act even after the late Daschle warned him not to took a lot of courage. That's the type of man I want in the White House.
Feingold/Richardson 2008

[ever_green]

15. He sure is!

and we do need principles.

[StevieM]

12. Feingold all the way!!! (eom)

x

[consciousobjector]

13. Kerry's still my choice

and he's already expressed interest in running in 2008. Of course the question is moot because when it's all said and done, Kerry will have won 2004 and be running for re-election in '08

[newyawker99]

17. Hi consciousobjector!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ever_green]

14. oooh..that was a tough choice. I love Feingold though.

I would be delighted with either, but Feingold is just amazing. Not your typical politician. Plus a new face, people would definitely warm up to him in a hurry.

[mandyky]

16. Senators rarely win the presidency, so Howard Dean

But Howard Dean is not a liberal. I am not sure there is a label for Dean - maybe populist progressive. He is fiscally conservative but he isn't a conservative. He is pro civil rights, including gays, but he think in terms of social class rather than race when it comes to affirmative action. As Gov of VT he had an A rating from the NRA.

I say Dean because he was a Gov and because I like the way he plainly speaks. I also think his southern strategy worked.

I really don't know much about Feingold except for campaign finace reform, but Senators have a rough time getting elected Presdient. Got a liberal Governor we can consider?