December 16, 2006, One step closer to Clinton/Obama '08
That would be the hasty departure of another Presidential contender, Democratic Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, who announced that he will not be seeking the Democratic Presidential nomination just 13 days after announcing an exploratory committee. That's got to be one of the fastest acts in the history of exploratory committees: Bayh concluded that the likely "pre-primary primary" fund-raising would likely favor Democratic juggernaut Hillary and current favorite "Not-Hillary" candidate Barack (my college classmate) Obama. Still out there are one-time TD Darling John Edwards, and all-time TD Darling, the sainted Al Gore.
The Republican side features the once-and-no-longer-sainted John McCain, St. Rudy of Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and presumably JEB Bush... Bill "Kitty-Killer" Frist has dropped out. Others in the game include George "Who?" Pataki, Sam Brownback of Kansas, and possibly others to be named later.
It seems like a long time from now; the new Democratic Congress hasn't even been seated yet (in a semi-crisis anyway dependent on Sen. Tim Johnson's health).
But it seems that the American political scene, which was once dependent on the raw real-politik of backroom bosses, has become dependent on the raw real-ekonomik of backroom donors and the ability to come up with campaign cash. While I remain perplexed as to which states that Al Gore lost that Hillary Clinton might win (btw, the voters of the Iowa caucuses may feel the same way, and if so, good news for John Edwards), she still seems to have that juggernaut thing going, for now... and with Evan Bayh out (joining Mark Warner and Russ Feingold) another one bites her dust...