[PerConPat]

I am taking a wait and see attitude, this 2008 race is too big to get bogged down with a Candidate that thousands of others have more credentials than he does.

And so should we all adopt a cautious approach. You made excellent points in your post. But if there are those with more credentials, we need to see them step up to the plate. These people need to be tested in the glare of the public spotlight that only a personal announcement of presidential intentions brings to bear. This present discussion, for me, of possible candidates has meaning basically in the context of primaries. I would not look approvingly on a sub rosa candidate carefully weighing his/her chances and waiting for the passage of time to harm opponents while possibly hiding their own faults.

[samantha]

The problem is that there are very few people that will be able to handle the 24-7 scrutiny. Conservatives in particular will not support men that cheat on their wives, and have engages in other unsavory behavior. Look at the crappola in the DBM long after Foley resigned, and long after Duke Cunningham was sentenced and packed off. The long knives of the DBM will be out for any Pubbie, but ignore anything "Rat" like Jefferson and his frozen assets. Lots of potentially great candidates do not want their entire life, and that of their Family on trial.

[rodguy911]

I would say over half the possible candidates for our side are o.k. guys the one I could not stomach would be McCain, I could not take him.He has sold us down the river one too many times and is a complete ego maniac.