The Dark Horses in 2008 Part 1…

So, it has been a long time since a dark horse candidate came out of nowhere to win the nomination. Probably Jimmy Carter was the last such choice. Sure, there have been people who did remarkably well in the primaries and increased there name recognition, but never were able to catch the ultimate prize. Gephardt in ‘88 and Alexander of ’96 rose and fell, burned bright for a moment and then out.

With ’08 being wide-open on both sides of the aisle, we will defiantly get a good look at a number of these dark horses as they try and catch the media and public’s attention and hope a couple primary wins can start a movement.

I am personally intrigued by a number of these people. Though neither of the following people has been given much of chance by the media, I still think that two years is a long way off and who knows what can happen.

Gov. Mike Huckabee is sitting Governor of Arkansas and weight loss king of Presidential candidates. Sure, outside of living a trailer during work on the Governor’s mansion and writing a weight loss book, no one knows much about him. But consider his positives. One, he is a Washington outsider. McCain may have the rogue maverick working for him, but he is still in Washington. If the primaries turn on a fix Washington spin, a popular Governor who has the self-control to drop weight and keep it off could catch some votes. Two, he is a Southerner/Midwesterner-not a bad area of the country to be a GOP Presidential candidate. Three, he knows how to talk to the ‘Moral Majority’ base. He knows their language, but like (primary ’00) Bush and unlike Sen. Brownback he can keep dog-whistle politics. Four, he is willing to work for it, being up in Iowa as much as he has needs to count for something. Then again, he still must find a way to raise money and struggle for airtime over McCain, Allen, Frist, Gingrich, Brownback and every other candidate while still being a Governor of a small state.

Sen. Joe Biden has been telling people he is running for President since CBS called Ohio for Bush. A Senate career that spans over thirty years, a reputation for pompous non-questions of Supreme Court appointees and an unsuccessful Presidential bid in ‘88 would make him appear to be the exact opposite of ‘dark horse’. But considering how few Americans actually know who he is and the long odds most bookies give him, it is fair to call him one. Why in the world would I think he could ‘pass mustard’? Everyone is obsessed with the anti-Hillary. Who is it going to be? The word on the street is it will be a Southerner not currently employed by the government. (Two people fit that description.) If Hillary should falter early, then there could be a rush by the Northern establishment to find another candidate from their region. This would leave Kerry or Biden. Considering how Kerry did last time around, would it not seem to make more sense to sway with the man who has just as much experience is just as Northern, but does not have the stench of recent defeat? Plus, like Huckabee, Biden is willing to work for it and has already started laying groundwork.

Granted, there are great odds neither of these men will accept a Presidential nomination. But then again, in 75 who saw Carter. Hey, who saw Clinton in 90?

I just wanted to place these names out there and see what ya’ll think. Write in; tell me whom you see as a dark horse?

Keep your heads up….