A promise of success brings out the best in candidates. If there were no chance of a democratic victory in the fall, would Hillary and Barak be running? I doubt it. They'd leave Edwards or a retread out there to take a beating. The numbers are so strong for the Dems this time though that it appears that even a black or a woman might overcome all those prejudices to snare a victory.

Likewise, the Republican candidates are a pitiful lot. The front runners don't stand for anything that Republicans stand for. One has a dismal family record. His children don't support him and he has married his long time mistress who is a decade or so younger. Pretty girl though. One is Mormon. Regardless of your take on that, it is probably more prejudicial to be Mormon than black or a woman. And he doesn't raise money, as a gozillionaire he just spends part of his fortune to promote himself. Bravo if he gets the nomination. He has no constituency. Fred Thompson has wandered in to be a front runner and he seems clueless about the whole deal. A more natural fit for Republicans in his point of view, he has a trophy wife that is much, much, much younger. That's family values for you, dump the old broad for a dancing girl.

Now the Newter is thinking about getting in. Hahahahahahahahahaha. Did you see he criticized Thompson for announcing his candidacy on Leno. It should have been C-Span he said. Then Gingrich held a question and answer session on the internet on "Second Life," where everyone is pretending to be someone they are not. Gingy is clueless. His claim to fame is that by developing viscious campaign tactics, he led the Repubs to power in 1994. I want to ask, "How is all that Repub leadership working out for ya."

So there is a sea of weird non-Repub Repubs running for president is because no decent candidate would be caught dead in this race. It's for losers only.

I'm still of the opinion, however that Bush intends to remain in office past his term. We'll see.