Are there already parallels between '08 and '04? [View All]

[kevsand]

I'm talking primarily here about the various niches that will be filled by prospective dem candidates. I started thinking about this as I was reading some strong cases being made for Feingold in another thread, and it struck me that he might end up as 2008's Kucinich. That got me wondering about the other candidates, and how they will be perceived once we're actually in the think of it.

It only took me a minute or two to sketch out the short list below, and it kind of scared me. Are there natural gravitation points (or just plain slots) that candidates rise to fill? Can we really be looking at the broad strokes of a repeat of the 2004 primaries? Is it just me, or does the field look really lame at this point?

A couple of disclaimers, first. This is not a manifesto, or a chiseled in stone dogmatic opinion, so no flaming, please. I don't intend to defend any of these possible associations too strenuously. This was just a hasty, cocktail napkin type thought experiment. I focused on two things: ideology and public profile.

Kerry and Edwards supporters, yes, I know, they aren't on this 2008 list. No offense, but I was looking at the new blood for the comparisons. I reserved the right to keep Clark because, well, I'm a Clarkie, and it's my list, and I honestly can't think of anyone who does Clark better than Clark. No doubt fans of Kerry and Edwards feel exactly the same about their guys.

And while this sort of comparison can be fun (if we keep it civil), I'm interested most of all in whether y'all think it says anything larger about the nature of primaries in general, or the dynamics of the dem party in particular. Are there inevitable trends in this sort of process? Does history repeat itself so obviously?

So okay, here's the list:

2004 = 2008

Kerry = Biden
Edwards = Warner
Clark = Clark
Dean = Richardson
Lieberman = Bayh
Gephardt = Vilsack
Kucinich = Feingold
Sharpton = Walken
Braun = Clinton

Play nice...