John McCain.
To many, the senator from Arizona's candidacy is a foregoneconclusion and his recent buddying up to Bush loyalists and other oldadversaries suggests he's serious. He's a genuine hero with terror-fightingcredentials and know-how in handling the media. Allies say he's the answerto the GOP independent-voter problem that exploded last week.
Rudolph "Rudy" Giuliani.
He continually scores well in national polls, andGOP candidates across the land flew in the ex-New York mayor (circa 2001)as an anti-terror symbol. But he's given no indication thus far of wantingto run and skeptics wonder how far his distinctly moderate Republicanismwould play among hard-core GOP conservatives.
Mitt Romney.
Perhaps no one benefited more from the collapsing politicalcareer of Virginia Sen. George Allen, which opened up a space in theparty's conservative wing. His ability to become governor of Massachusettsshows electability and his well-known name and good looks are assets.Skeptics wonder whether his Mormon faith would play in places like South Carolina, a key primary state.
Newt Gingrich.
The leader of the GOP revolution of 1994 was once one of themost powerful politicians in America. He's a big thinker who confuses someand bores others with wordy statements such as his goal of "defining theidea context and solution context of the next generation of Americanpolitics." Name ID would be no problem.
Bill Frist.
The heart surgeon and outgoing Senate majority leader is movingback to Tennessee to make up his mind about a national campaign afterterm-limiting himself in Washington. His intellect is admired but he mayhave damaged his future by orchestrating perceived Senate missteps onimmigration and the debate over Terri Schiavo.
Chuck Hagel.
The Nebraska senator is regarded by some as McCain-light forhis straight-shooting ways, such as calling the GOP Medicare prescriptiondrug bill "a sham and a ripoff for everybody." But he's more conservativethan McCain and his personal story — turning a $5,000 investment into acellular phone empire — would have appeal.
Mike Huckabee.
A Baptist minister and TV executive, the outgoing Arkansas governor has strong anti-abortion credentials that would be appealing inthe right-leaning universe of Republican primaries. Despite dealing with aDemocratic legislature, he scored successes on health-care and other issuesas governor, the preferred platform these days for seeking the White House.
Duncan Hunter.
Who? You may have missed the news, but the hawkishCalifornia congressman who headed the House Armed Services Committeedeclared recently that he is taking steps to run for the White House. Heregards himself as a defender of the Reagan legacy; he's an immigrationhard-liner and engineer of the controversial border fence.
Rick Santorum.
Unlike fellow loser George Allen in Virginia, the defeatedPennsylvania senator who once was touted as the face of the Republicanrevolution is viewed as having a ballot future because of a wide followingin the GOP and an ability to put the concept of compassionate conservatisminto practice.
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The California governor and movie muscle-man who wasre-elected last week is showing Republicans how to appeal to AfricanAmericans, Hispanics and environmentalists. But no, he can't run forpresident because he wasn't born in the United States.
Democrats
Hillary Clinton.
She's queen of the hill in polls and her 1.5 million-voteSenate re-election victory last week shows she can play upstate andeverywhere else in New York. She'll be a major player with the advantage offirst-rate advice at home. Her principal task is persuading Democrats she'selectable around the country.
John Kerry.
Most of the dozens of candidates the Massachusetts senatorstumped for won last week. But his "botched joke" about non-studious youngfolks ending up in Iraq gave the GOP something to talk about in thecampaign's waning days and had some old allies remarking that theMasssachusetts senator has already blown one big election too many.
John Edwards.
The 2004 vice-presidential candidate has been a conscience inhis party and kept his potent "One America" campaign theme resonating bystressing poverty issues and global hunger upon his return to North Carolina. Elizabeth Edwards' battle with breast cancer since the lastcampaign makes his rags-to-riches family story that much more poignant.
Barack Obama.
His rise to the status of rock star is a cultural phenomenonthat has stunned political pros. Were it not for an accompanying rise tothe top tier in polls of Democratic presidential hopefuls, the pros mightnot be so impressed. In weighing whether the Illinoisan is ready to run,he's surely considering whether two years of Senate experience is enough.
Al Gore.
"An Inconvenient Truth," the film in which he stars, posits thatthe human race has a decade or so to avert calamity from climate change. Hehas the environmental message to run on if he chooses to make the race, andcan rightly claim to be the last Democratic presidential candidate to win amajority of votes. But he may conclude that voters want a new face.
Russ Feingold.
The senator from Wisconsin showed the politicalestablishment how to win with hilarious TV ads, and he can feel vindicatednow that the American electorate has caught up with his anti-warsentiments. "I'm just now beginning to think about what the implicationsare for what I do," he said after the midterm election, hinting that hemight be cooling on a campaign.
Evan Bayh.
His name has been popping up since the 1990s as a freshDemocratic face, and Indiana's junior senator, now 50, may need to decidesoon whether voters still would see the freshness. Democratic victorieslast week in Indiana, a state as red as Hoosier jerseys, suggest renewedappeal in the Midwest for Democratic devotees of moderate politics.
Tom Vilsack.
The outgoing Iowa governor got a jump on the field last weekwhen he filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to set up hiscampaign for the White House. Experts say he makes up in centrism what helacks in charisma. His campaign receipts in a "Gala Celebration of AmericanCommunity" fund-raiser in Des Moines Dec. 2 could help him make up hismind.
Bill Richardson.
The New Mexico governor and former energy secretary in theClinton administration is a skilled campaigner with a quick wit who canclaim Hispanic heritage at a time of expanding influence of both Hispanicsand Western voters in Democratic politics. He said last week he'll decideshortly whether to make the race, which might be aimed at vice president.
Joe Biden.
He ran for president once, back in the late 1980s, but quitafter being accused of plagiarism. The irrepressible Biden, elected to theSenate at age 29, is an adroit strategist who will carry on at length onglobal issues and anything else. He asserted more than a year ago thathe'll run for his party's nomination if he concludes he has a shot to winit.
Source: .http://www.stltoday.com/
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