On Tuesday, I posted a diary about my thoughts on the GOP candidates in response to her query about how I felt about all the presidential candidates.
Tonight, I finally had the energy to put something together about our team, so I feel like I may as well share my thoughts.
Follow me below the jump to read the thoughts of some guy you don't know.
Hey Mimi-
Sorry I didn't get back to you last night about my take on the Dems. I was installing a new e-mail program, so I couldn't access my regular e-mail.
So here's my take on our bunch of lovable losers.
Hillary Clinton -- The pro-war woman who seems to vote against any bill I support. She's too damn diplomatic and like her husband, she seems more concerned with gaining power than doing the right thing. Besides, who wants our country to be controlled by only Bushes and Clintons for 20+ years? I went into this election ready to HATE her. Hate her from the core of my being, I tell you!!! Besides, she's so polarizing that she's UNELECTABLE!
Well, the only problem is that after religiously watching what seems like 72 debates and after seeing the way she has run her campaign, I don't hate her. She has conducted herself in a way that has won even me over, to a certain degree. She's not my first choice, but I sometimes feel like she would be a better president than Bill was (I was never much of a fan of Bill) and maybe even a decent president. What she lacks in her ability to inspire me, she sometimes makes up for it with her incredible competence.
Chance of winning nomination: 60%
Barack Obama -- Have you seen the Obama Girl video yet? You can watch it here.
Sadly, I often feel like the Obama girl. Obama is my guy and I will stick with him unless the guy I love even more jumps in.
Obama is a great speaker, he's charismatic, and I like his experience for a guy as young as he is and I like the message that his election would send to the world (in essence, we would be saying, "Hey world! The things you like about the United States are back!").
Unfortunately, he's so engrossed in engaging in a "new kind of politics" that he can't engage in the old politics and do some attacking. There is a certain senator from New York who needs to be brought down a few notches, but Barack seems to think he's above that kind of politics. If he doesn't change that policy, he won't make it past Iowa.
Chance of winning nomination: 20%
John Edwards -- I love his wife. I thought he was a good choice as Kerry's running mate in 2004 (but I was wrong, as demonstrated in his lame debate performance against Darth Vader).
He's not a bad guy, but in 2004, he ran as a very centrist Clintonesque Democrat. This year, he's running as this populist anti-war guy who has admitted to having made some mistakes. That's fine. We all fuck up.
But how am I to trust his judgment if he voted for Bush's war and now feels bad about that vote? Was it all political gamesmanship? He hasn't given me any reason to think otherwise, no matter how much I want to.
I hope I'm wrong about him.
Chance of winning nomination: 10%
Bill Richardson -- He's the candidate with the best experience to be president from either party, hands down! He also seems like a good guy.
But it's hard for me to understand why a guy who is supposed to be so good is so bad as a campaigner. His debate performances are comically horrifying and he is so prone to blunders that you're afraid of what he's going to say each time he opens his mouth.
I think he would be a great secretary of state as he seems to have a great history of being a great diplomat. It's too bad he can't show that on the stump.
Chance of winning nomination: 5%
Chris Dodd -- You know I'm biased, but I would love for Dodd to be our country's first returned Peace Corp Volunteer President. He's right on the issues. His record in the senate is (mostly) good (and I say that despite the fact that like Clinton, Edwards, and Biden he voted for Bush's Iraq folly).
He looks like a president might look in a disaster movie from the 1970s.
But we all know that no matter how good he is on the issues, no matter how well he leads, his election just isn't going to happen. I blame that on too many years in the senate.
Chance of winning nomination: <5%</p>
Joe Biden -- Reminds me too much of Rick Berman for some reason. He's very Washington and seems to be in it for himself. He has a sense of entitlement that disgusts me.
Actually, he's not a bad guy, but well, he had his chance in '88 and blew it when he plagiarized Neil Kinnock's speech.
Otherwise, I think it's great that a man as clean and articulate as Biden thinks he might be president one day.
Chance of winning nomination: <5%</p>
Dennis Kucinich -- I like the guy. He was right about about the war and he has a lovely hippie wife.
He reminds me of the guys in college who lived in the Peace and Justice House with whom I frequently had friendly yet awkward verbal exchanges. I liked them, admired their ideals, but I felt as if we didn't live on the same planet.
Much like those guys, I'm glad Dennis is around, but that's about it.
Chance of winning nomination: <3%</p>
Mike Gravel -- I love the guy. It's like having our very own crazy liberal Grandpa Simpson in the race. I want to bring him home and have him over for Christmas dinner.
I also like the dada quality he brings to the race as can be seen here.
Chance of winning nomination: <1%</p>
WILD CARD!!
Al Gore -- I don't think I need to say much. If Gore gets in, I'm quitting grad school, quitting my job and moving to Nashville, Des Moines, Manchester, or wherever his campaign may need me. I think a lot of people feel the same way.
He won in 2000 while being shaky on the issues and he can win by being himself and being right on the issues in 2008. The difference will be that in 2008, he'll win by a large enough margin to actually win the electoral college and become president.
If he gets in the race, his chance of winning the nomination: >60%