Could Gephardt win?

It's no secret that I have presidential preferences (Dean, Kerry, Edwards, or Graham), and then there are the rest.

Not many people are giving Gephardt much quarter this year, but Jay Carney in Time thinks Gephardt could surprise everyone, and deserves a spot in the "top tier" of candidates. Carney's argument is as follows:

1. Gephardt will win Iowa. He's from neighboring Missouri, Lieberman will probably skip the caucuses, and Kerry won't "capture the imagination" of Iowans.

2. Gephardt will win New Hampshire. The three "local" candidates, Dean, Kerry and Lieberman, will split the "favorite son" vote leaving Gephardt with the victory or at least a "solid showing".

3. Gephardt may be a tired candidate, and old candidate, but he doesn't look as old as Bob Dole. And having DC experience will be good in a post 9-11 world.

4. He's the best fundraiser.

5. He's got labor.

6. He's got charisma. No really, he does! As evidenced by his floor speech over Clinton's impeachment.

It's a valiant (if futile) effort, and I won't disrespect it by tearing it apart. For those of you Gephardt fans, I offer this in the spirit of "equal time".

But seriously, Gephardt ain't gonna happen.

Posted February 22, 2003 10:00 AM | Comments (53)