I'm not particularly impressed with any of the 3 "frontrunners" at this point.

[calteacherguy]

They all have serious shortcomings, in my view. Anyone else feel the same?

[PassingFair]

1. I want me some GORE.

I would even go CLARK over this field.....

[calteacherguy]

2. Unfortunately, I believe Gore has shortcomings as well.

I understand the passion for Gore here...to some extent, I share it. But I don't think he would be the best general election candidate for us against the Republicans, and I think many here have a misunderstanding of how popular Gore would be as a Primary candidate with Democrats in general...not just those here on DU.

Gore impresses me with the work he is doing for the planet, but he does not impress me as a good choice for our nominee, even if he should decide to run (which I think it is clear now he won't).

[maximusveritas]

3. Welcome to the real world

People have shortcomings. You seem to be looking for reasons to dismiss candidates rather than trying to find the best person to lead this country.

[calteacherguy]

4. No, it's simply that I believe we can do better. nt

[wildhorses]

9. who do you suggest?

if not gore, then who:shrug:

[saltpoint]

5. I like the blue team. One of 'em will be our next president.

I think the virtues and accomplishments of all the Democratic candidates are easy to see and list.

[calteacherguy]

6. Certainly they all have virtues and accomplishments, and yet...

there is still something lacking.

[saltpoint]

7. One navigates through the primaries as a single voter among many

other single voters.

I'd love to handpick our ticket.

But so far the call hasn't come in.

[calteacherguy]

8. My OP was theoretical, I understand the realities

or our limited, media-driven choices.

Where is the 21st century's Truman, JFK, or FDR telling us all we have to fear is fear itself?

It feels like the Mrs. Robinson song, the part that goes "oh where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, a nation turns it's lonely eyes to you, boo hoo hoo..."

I feel like I'm being offered nothing but well-formed plastic.

[saltpoint]

11. I understand the impulse to have a titan going in, but most great

leaders aren't great before they're in office. Kennedy was widely opposed owing to his "inexperience," yet he rose to the occasion. Lincoln was scorned. Truman had some of the most historically low approval ratings in U.S. presidential history. He wasn't affirmed as a positive figure until after he left office.

Hard to tell which of our candidates have both the seeds of greatness and the star-charts to realize that greatness. We have to show some faith in the field.

I think it's a Democratic White House coming up in 2008, and that the nominee we Democrats choose will dig deep and produce a great presidency.

If I didn't think so, I'd stay home.

[PBass]

20. No candidate is perfect. FDR wasn't perfect, and neither was JFK.

I don't know enough about Truman to comment.

Al Gore has some things I don't like about him (Tipper's PMRC springs to mind immediately). Clark has some things I don't like about him (I'm a little uneasy about having a General as the president, for example).

There are no perfect candidates, there has NEVER been a perfect candidate and there never WILL be one.

This reminds me of people who say "I love her, but I'm not "in love" with her". In general it indicates someone not grounded in reality, immaturity, unrealistic expectations, etc.

IMO.

[snowbear]

10. Well.. just remember how it almost always turns out.....

Number 4 in the summer is very often number one after Iowa...

[Alexander]

12. Me either, although Obama isn't looking bad right now.

I'd really like a Gore or Clark run.

[rucky]

13. Look at the freak gallery on the other side.

I could live with any of 'em - even volunteer for whoever gets the nomination.

I've given up on perfect since Sunday morning (after Life Earth & no Gore announcement).

[Colobo]

14. One word: Obama.

[Like It Is]

15. It's Biden My Time!

Joe Biden is looking and sounding better every day! More Brains, More Guts, More Experience. He just needs some more money. Pitch in if you agree!

[calteacherguy]

16. Joe....is that you, Joe? nt

[saltpoint]

17. I have been listening to Biden on foreign policy.

The man knows his stuff.

[calteacherguy]

18. The idea of splitting Iraq into three nations is a gimmick.

It's a great recipe to get Iraqis to blame America for taking away their homes and destroying their country for generations to come. It's probable outcome would be bloodbath and genocide given the great number of mixed neighborhoods, cities, and regions. The struggle in Iraq is not over territory; it's over power and resources. You can't solve that by partitioning.

Joe Biden has become nothing more than an egotistical, wrong-headed buffoon pretending as if he has some sort of revolutionary idea that will work. He doesn't

[saltpoint]

19. Sounds like you and Joe aren't good pals.

Joe and I are good pals.

I'd vote for him if he becomes our nominee.

And he may.

[jillan]

27. here's one for you - If Bill Clinton was in office today, there is a good chance that he would

embrace Biden's plan.

Check it out:

Presidential Candidates Provide Iraq Escape Hatch, Weiner and Larmett Say in Wichita Eagle Oped;



Biden-Brownback Plan Combined With Hillary Clinton Timing Could Extricate
U.S. From Iraq

WASHINGTON, July 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A former Clinton White
House Public Affairs Director and spokesman for the House Government
Operations Committee, Bob Weiner, and a former House and Senate
Congressional Foreign Affairs Legislative Assistant, John Larmett, in an
op-ed in the Wichita Eagle, wrote that "a sort of United States of Iraq ...
The Biden-Brownback plan could extricate us from the long war." The
bipartisan plan, proposed by U.S. Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Sam
Brownback (R-KS), both running to succeed Bush, "would assist Iraq by
giving each of the three ethno-religious groups -- Sunnis, Shiites and
Kurds -- a sub-state under the overall federation to pursue their
interests."

http://prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-06-2007/0004620981&EDATE=
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Presidential Candidates Provide Iraq Escape Hatch, Weiner and Larmett Say in Wichita Eagle Oped;
Biden-Brownback Plan Combined With Hillary Clinton Timing Could Extricate U.S. From Iraq
WASHINGTON, July 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A former Clinton White House Public Affairs Director and spokesman for the House Government Operations Committee, Bob Weiner, and a former House and Senate Congressional Foreign Affairs Legislative Assistant, John Larmett,
http://interestalert.com/story/07060000aaa0016e.prn/siteia/AERODEFN/aerospace_and%20defense.html

And Biden's plan for Iraq has also been receiving alot of attention at SAIS & Brookings.
Foreign Relations scholars and experts are calling it the perfect plan B.

[karynnj]

21. He's been on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for decades

I think he is far more knowledgable than the top three. I don't agree with his 3 state idea, because I think that it would be better to have a diplomatic summit - as Kerry proposed in 2004. The Iraqis with the support of their allies and the international community need to make those type of decisions and draw the lines - if lines are to be drawn. A three or an n state federation might be their solution. It has to be their solution and it respects their sovernty. Of course, people who out of frustration with the lack of motivation they see the Iraqis as having to reach a solution may be tempted to do it themselves, but we have never pushed them to really set their own course.

The danger is that to the Iraqis, we will look like an arrogant colonial power that assumes they know what is best for others. Almost everywhere the British empire drew lines, we have conflicts.

Running a committee is not the same as running the country, but it can tell somethings. Since the Democrats took power, the committee has covered issues that needed to be covered - and weren't for years. Some of the hearings though emphasize Biden's weaknesses. In some, he seemed to feel he needed to put his 2 cents in after each senator took his/her turn - often adding little. He also cut the time (or threatened to) for each of the other Senators who were running. In terms of running the hearings, I miss Lugar's grace though I appreciate the change in politics.

[hedgehog]

22. Have you visited web sites, read articles, watched the forums

or just read the put-downs here?

[LWolf]

26. Yes to all,

and my response is in post # 25.

[Totally Committed]

23. None of the fron three currently in this race floats my boat....

nor, for that fact, do almost all of the others.

I'll leave it at that.

TC

[Jade Fox]

24. Guess what? There's no perfect candidate, and.....

there won't be. Ever. Especially not in a two-party system where campaigns are privately not publicly funded.

I'm prepared to support 100% whoever gets the Dem nomination, and then be appalled by at least some of what they do.

We are in a fight for our country's life here. Let's not make it all about us.

[LWolf]

25. Other: "Not impressed" is too weak.

I'm frankly repelled, nauseated, by the "front-runners." In my case, campaigning for them is a lost cause. I'll write in a decent candidate before I'll cast a vote for them.

There are plenty of Democrats I'd be happy to vote for. Most didn't decide to run in '08. In the absence of anyone stronger, or at least comparable on issues, I'll give DK another vote, and I don't give a damn if I'm the only person who does. At least he will have earned it.

I would have been thrilled with a lineup that actually caused me some difficulty in choosing who to vote for. That didn't happen. Frankly, the '04 line-up offered better competition for my vote than this bunch.