Say it ain't so, Mark. Well at least you managed to crush my dreams early enough that I might find another love. Mark Warner, former Governor of Virginia, millionaire, the moderate Democratic alternate to Hillary Clinton, has decided he will not run for the presidency in 2008. Shortly after making the announcement he left for, wait for it, Iowa.
Warner announced that he had talked with his family and did not want to expose them to a presidential run "at this time." Warner is 51 years old, leaving him at least two more presidential elections that he could run in without the specter of "being too old" Warner all but promised that he might run later. So a Democratic victory in 2008, an eight year administration and then Warner in 2016? Sure.
This is not to say that Warner has said he would turn down a vice presidential nod for 2008. He would be an attractive candidate for the number 2 slot, especially alongside a liberal northeast woman senator (God help us).
Please don't misunderstand me. I like Hillary. I think she is a great Senator. I think she should make a wonderful career of it, there. In the Senate. This country may be ready for a woman president, but there are too many people who are not ready for that woman to be Hillary.
The pundits are saying the person who will benefit from this most is my other dark horse candidate, Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana. As a Red state Democrat, he is close to the middle to appeal to both sides of the aisle. He has good political peerage but will only have to fight off the Hillary juggernaut singlehandedly with the absence of Warner.
After the midterms, we will get into this more with a handicapping of the leading contenders from both parties and see where things stand.
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