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Politics : President Barack Obama -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (429)	12/17/2006 11:47:58 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 149317

Obama Forces Shuffle in Early '08 Lineup online.wsj.com Other Democrats Are Expected to Follow Bayh's Exit to Avoid Powerful Front-Runners By JACKIE CALMES The Wall Street Journal December 18, 2006 WASHINGTON -- Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh's unexpected decision not to enter the 2008 presidential race demonstrates how dramatically the Democratic field already is being jolted by this race's early X-factor: the grass-roots excitement about novice Sen. Barack Obama's possible run. Mr. Bayh's announcement Saturday could be just the first of several such pullouts by Democrats who have said for months or longer that they are interested in being president, Democratic strategists say. Speculation about who might pull out next centers on Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the party's unsuccessful 2004 standard-bearer, and Joseph Biden of Delaware. Meanwhile, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, Mr. Kerry's 2004 running mate, is going forward with plans to confirm his candidacy just after Christmas, in a modest event amid post-Katrina reconstruction work in New Orleans's impoverished Ninth Ward. Another Goliath Yet as Mr. Bayh indicated in his statement over the weekend, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton already loomed as one political Goliath intimidating other White House wannabes. Now the prospect that the charismatic Mr. Obama might jump in could prove too much for those who say they'll be making their own decisions over the holidays. While the first nominating contests are more than a year away, presidential aspirants already have to compete for the many millions of dollars and top political talent they'll need for a political campaign. Even front-runner Mrs. Clinton has expedited her explorations, amid flirtation by party activists and voters with the second-year Illinois senator. For all her advantages, the well-known and divisive Mrs. Clinton could be threatened by Mr. Obama's apparent appeal as a relatively fresh, smiling face to voters sick of vicious partisanship in Washington, as they signaled in last month's elections ousting Republican majorities in Congress. Mr. Bayh initially banked on his political success as governor and senator of red-state Indiana to give him appeal to Democrats who believe the party must attract moderate Republicans and independents to prevail nationally. But, he conceded Saturday, "The odds were always going to be very long for a relatively unknown candidate like myself....And whether there were too many Goliaths or whether I'm just not the right David, the fact remains that at the end of the day, I concluded that due to circumstances beyond our control, the odds were longer than I felt I could responsibly pursue." Stephanie Cutter, a Democratic strategist who worked on the 2004 Kerry campaign, said Mr. Bayh's exit, before he'd officially entered the race: "reflects the stiff dose of reality a lot of these candidates are facing right now. The 2008 field is shaping faster than in any previous election, simply due to the celebrity of Senators Clinton and Obama" and, in Mr. Obama's case, to "the real thirst in this country for someone new in the White House." Ms. Cutter and other strategists in both parties said Mr. Bayh couldn't help but be swayed by the contrast between Mr. Obama's rock-star-like reception last week in New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first presidential primary in January 2008, and the modest turnout of dozens for Mr. Bayh's own appearance there on the same day. Winnowing the Field [Who's Next?] Already the presidential field in both parties is smaller than many political professionals expected a year ago. Both parties have two undeclared front-runners: Sens. Clinton and Obama for the Democrats, and, for Republicans, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Both parties also have a third candidate seen as having potential: Mr. Edwards, who appeals to labor and party populists for his emphasis on helping the working poor and middle class, and who has made some inroads in Iowa, the first Democratic presidential caucus state; and Massachusetts' outgoing Republican Gov. Mitt Romney. Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, in the midst of a Mideast trip, told reporters yesterday in a conference call after his talks with Iraqi leaders, that he bluntly warned them that his -- and the nation's -- support for them will end unless the factions there unite and end the bloodshed. As for his presidential ambitions, he said he will make his decision soon. "This is only 2006 still," he added. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a favorite with some Republican conservatives despite having left office in disrepute eight years ago, said on NBC-TV's "Meet the Press" that he won't decide whether to run until after Labor Day, if no other Republican seems to have the nomination sewn up ahead of the January 2008 early nominating events. Others who express interest have been registering in single percentage points in recent polls, if at all. Besides Mr. Bayh, other prospects once thought to have potential already have withdrawn, including former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and populist-liberal Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold on the Democratic side, and outgoing Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, and Republican Sens. George Allen of Virginia and Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, whose re-election defeats last month effectively killed their presidential hopes for 2008 at least, strategists say. Write to Jackie Calmes at jackie.calmes@wsj.com