Democratic Power Rankings

[wyldwolf]

I was checking out the Congressional Power Ranking today, and started wondering what formula I would use to formulate Democratic power rankings across the board that would include Democrats who are not currently holding office. Certainly Bill Clinton and Al Gore have huge influence within the party, as do John Edwards and Wes Clark.

One category to use in the formula would be media buzz, and Google News would provide a great starting point for that. However, that would pose a problem because, for example, there are more than one "Mark Warners" in the listings. But just as an example, using Google news, here are the top 10 Democrats with the most buzz. The numbers represent how many articles they're appearing in in Google News:

Bill Clinton: 11,500
John Kerry: 10,700
Hillary Clinton: 8,020
Al Gore: 5,960
John Edwards: 4,880
Harry Reid 4,710
Nancy Pelosi 4,510
Charles Schumer 3,450
Ted Kennedy 3,030
Howard Dean: 2,980

Each of the top 10 get a certain amount of points here.

Another category would be do they hold an an important and influential leadership position? In this category, Howard Dean would get the most points, followed by such names as Reid, Pelosi, and Schumer. Democrats not in the Buzz top 10 might very well enter the overall top 10 for holding important leadership positions - like Rahm Emmanuel and Steny Hoyer.

But what if they hold an elective office combined with the leadership position? Would the size of the state matter? Would Pelosi overtake Dean based on being the minority leader AND a Rep from California?

Which would garner more points? A senator or a congress person? How would tenure play into it?

Then, of course, there would be a public voting poll for people to add some extra points on to their favorite before the final tally is made.

Thoughts?

[Lautremont]

1. Is it true that the most powerful Democrat has less power than

the least powerful Republican? If so, why, and how could such a disgraceful situation have come to be?

[blm]

3. If we had a Parliamentary system that would change.

.

[saltpoint]

2. Suspiciously absent from this survey: Mike Gravel.

[FrenchieCat]

4. I believe that Power is about making points, not adding them up.....

What "points" has Hillary, out high "google-fundraising-position holding" Democrat made lately? :shrug:

[wyldwolf]

5. well, FrenchieCat, you can't come in and change the terms of a thread

..and then expect an answer.

Why not start your own thread instead of trying to hijack this one? I'm sure you can find plenty of people who will participate in yet another anti-Hillary thread.

[FrenchieCat]

6. Oh....so sorry!

I beg your pardon!

Didn't mean to interrupt your "analysis" of who's got all the power!
(answer: the Republicans do till further notice)