Via Majikthise: Feingold has announced he won’t run for President in 2008. This leaves the Democrats with Obama, an empty suit who has yet to win a single election against an opposition that isn’t laughably fractured; Clinton, a vestige of the Democrats’ 2002 election strategy; and Edwards, an economic populist of the worst kind, and a conservative or flip-flopper on every non-economic issue. Al Gore could become the first non-conservative President since Johnson if he won, but he won’t win.
With that slate of Democratic candidates, the 44th President will be decided when the Republican primary is. Giuliani, McCain, and Romney are all more than capable of beating every remaining Democratic candidate. By coincidence, the Republican slate of heavyweight candidates has become moderate precisely when the conservative wedge issues have stopped working and the liberal ones will as soon as the Democrats use them. It’s not that Brownback is a lightweight because he’s on the wrong side of public opinion on most cultural issues; he’s a lightweight because he can’t rile people up about his issues, regardless of their levels of public support.
By the way, for some reason this post was saved as draft back when I wanted it published, which was 3 pm EST.
Abstract Nonsense 
Mr. Levys’ fascination with Feingold reminds me of the fascination of many liberals with George McGovern in 1972. A Feingold nomination would have lead to the same result. However, it should be pointed out that I am not in total disagreement with Mr. Levy concerning the feasibility of many of the proposed Democratic candidates. I would agree that Hilary is a sure loser (unless she were lucky enough to run against a whackjob like Brownback), and Obama a very likely loser, mostly due to his lack of experience. I don’t agree about Edwards who, given the withdrawal of Warner, is probably the strongest candidate currently mentioned (this withdrawal now appears most unfortunate because the election of Webb, would have given Warner a strong boost as it indicates that Virginia is winnable in 2008). Fortunately for the Democrats, it is unlikely that either McCain or Guiliani can get the nomination, leaving Romney as the most likely at this juncture. I think that many evangelicals, and even mainline Protestants would have a hard time swallowing a Mormon candidate, considering thay they believe Mormonism to be an apostasy.