For those who want to disregard the Democrats

I am counting on a democratic victory in '06. The backlash from the overreaching republicans and their ongoing scandals (gannongate for instance) will cost them.

I think if we get a candidate like a Bill Richardson or another strong moderate, we can beat them. Thee best part about it is they will have shot themselves in the foot so many times by then, it should be easy for whomever we nominate to get the big chair.

(Hillary is just too polarizing folks)

If this once great party that used to really represent sound Ideals keeps on its present track, don't count on many "victory" parties in the near future. I long for the days of a active, powerfull Democratic party.

Have to agree with you here. There is no good that comes from underestimating an opponent. To tell you the truth, I think part of Prs. Bush's success has always had something to do with capitalizing on democrat's underestimating him.

The democrat party should not be singing its swan song, nor should anyone else be singing if for them. However, there are many things that the DNC are doing that have cost them, and will continue to cost them if they continue.

Looking at who has emerged as the leadership of the party, unless something really wild happens, I don't see the party doing anything but getting more radical, and chasing away those who think differently than that leadership.

The future will tell the tale, and I would never count the Democrat party out, but since leadership is everything....

I think if we get a candidate like a Bill Richardson or another strong moderate, we can beat them. Thee best part about it is they will have shot themselves in the foot so many times by then, it should be easy for whomever we nominate to get the big chair.

Yes, Richardson (and many other Democrat moderates could really bring some strength (as well as unhappy democrats) back to the party. Unfortunately (or fortunately if your not democrat ;~D) the current leadership of the party doesn't seem too interested in strong moderates, or bringing back unhappy democrats.

In 1980, the Dems had a weak, waffling president in office, and he was soundly crushed by an opponent with a clear vision for the future. By 1996, when you had another waffler in office, we Republicans produced an old man that no one was sure would live to see Inaguration Day, so the waffler won again.
It's all in the choices. By 2000, Gore was an eco-freako that put many people off, so we got it back. 2004 rolls in, and you had an out-of-touch rich guy(can anyone say Perot?) who really did kind of look like Herman Munster and couldn't seem to stop telling you how decorated he was in the service. That was another thing that put people off.
If you guys can't pull a decent rabbit out of your own hat for 2008, maybe it's time to start going to a different, more "Independent" haberdasher, and looking a new hat, perhaps? What do you think?

Hispanics flocking to the Democratic side and the religious right running out of states to put up gay marriage referendums. The Republicans are run by someone that didn't stick his hand out of the quicksand to be saved until his head went under. Democrats realize they got in only because the Republicans screwed it up so bad with their stay the course Iraq strategy and hand in the cookie jar membership. The Democratic party also realizes this is a what have you done for me lately electorate. They need to stay out of the far left ideals and put forth legislation more moderate in nature.