In the upcoming Democratic Dogfight to see who the real top dog is to walk (or slog) away with the nomination in 2004, I wish (clicking my heels together three times) that Lieberman, who's Republican lite; Sharpton, who wants to be a power-broker but is still carrying a lot of baggage; Edwards, who needs to finish at least one term in the Senate before embarking on a national adventure; and Gephardt who is almost as perennial a candidate as Harold Stassen was, but finally got the cojones to announce his candidacy since he's probably looking at retiring from the House anyway, would all just get the hell out of the race and leave it to Kerry and Dean.
I have no inherent dislike for any of the other announced candidates, but the last thing needed in the Democratic Party are major fractures over policy and direction when facing Karl Rove. If there is any one person inside the beltway who can exploit a small fracture and turn it into a festering wound that might not ever heal, it's Rove working through the 1600 Crew.
I know that anyone can run for President (except me..naturalized citizen, proudly became one to accept a commission in the Navy decades ago) but this is hardly the time for squabbles between candidates over who supports what program/policy/spending cut etc... more than the other guy, and that's exactly what it will come down to. And Karl Rove will be sitting there with a sharpened pen and a good wind-up Smirky ready to attack the pack as "inconsistent and liars". Then it'll be a bad day at Black Rock and we'll be waiting 'til 2008 for another chance to change the resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
