Reply #23: Hillary is bleeding but still ok...Guiliani is fine...Where does Edwards go from here? [View All]

[theboss]

Hillary is hurt by finishing third, but there are still a lot of states that she can win. However, she has lost her chief strength which is the air of inevitability.

Guiliani is fine. He made a smart move by removing himself from Iowa. If he had campaigned at all and done that poorly, he would be in trouble.

Edwards' problem in 2008 is Edwards' problem from 2004. He can never get into a two-man race that he can win. He gets stuck in these three and four-person races where he inevitably finishes 2nd. He needs to actually win a state one of these days, and I honestly don't know what state that will be. He is the Ernie Els of Democratic Politics.

Romney is staggering as badly as Hillary but is still in it.

Thompson, I think, is done.

Honestly, McCain is the big winner in my view. The establishment Republicans need to make a stand against Huckabee and the Evangelicals. Romney was their guy, but he is not playing well right now. Thompson is not interested. And McCain is there ready to be whatever they want him to be.

Huckabee has a chance to be the McGovern on 2008 in that for Establishment Republicans, he is more dangerous than any Democrat. If Huckabee gets the nod, he might rebuild the Party into something unrecognizable to the Cheneys and Roves and Limbaughs and Wills and National Reviews of the world.