…and Tom Daschle is setting out on it as he prepares to run for the Presidency in 2004. One wonders if Daschle has looked at his own numbers, as they’re abysmal. There’s a huge difference between running for Senate in South Dakota, which has 700,000 people and can be easily bought off with the prestige of having a Minority Leader and running in a country of nearly 300 million.
Tom Daschle is an attack dog and nothing more. He’s not a good strategist, he’s not a good political tactician, and the chances of him finding someone who can cover his flaws is going to be slim to none. He simply isn’t Presidential material in terms of appearance or in terms of personal caliber. Even in the Democratic pack, he’s not a very appealing choice.
However, I see him as a likely candidate in 2004. Why? Because he’s going to be the DNC fall guy. Having him leave the Senate to run puts Hillary in position to take his spot, something she’s clearly gunning for. It also leaves more viable candidates like Dean, Edwards, or Lieberman unscathed for a matchup in 2008. Like Bob Dole in 1996, running Daschle for President is way of putting him out to pasture quietly and quickly so others can move in. After the midterm debacle for the DNC, it’s clear that Daschle’s fortunes are waning, and this may be the way he leaves the political stage.
(Shakes his head in despair…)
Tom Daschle is a fine Senator- and a rotten leader. He should never have been the leader of the Senate Democrats, and I sincerely hope that he gets shot apart by the media before the 2004 primaries. The Democratic Party deserves better than Daschle, Gore, Lieberman, or Kerry.
Also, as a SD Democrat, I’m especially unhappy about this, as there is no heir apparent to Daschle… or to Tim Johnson. Considering that the Republican administration in this state is driving it’s economy, school system, and justice system into the ground, it’s a sorry state of affairs. I don’t see Gov. Rounds as a reformer or a man with any new ideas (unlike the Democratic candidate, Jim Abbott, who, although the strongest candidate the party had fielded for that office in years, was utterly trounced), and the legislature is no better. In addition to massive budget shortfalls and no programs left to be cut (the education system is on a shoestring, and law enforcement isn’t even going to be touched), our tax system, one of the most regressive in the country, will never be reformed as long as the current regime remains in charge.
Some days, I wonder why I’m still living here…
Becuase it’s free of course!
Tom Daschle, Attack Dog?
If Tom Daschle were an attack dog, he would have stood on the floor of the Senate and called for Bush’s execution as a deserter, instead of cozying up to the panty-waisted lickspittle.
If Tom Daschle were an attack dog, Bush would be answering for income tax evasion on the sale of the Rangers, instead of plotting further ways to plunder the US Treasury.
If Tom Daschle were an attack dog, he would have called for Dick Cheney’s head for having supplied Saddam Hussein with high-tech drilling equipment, instead of letting Cheney smear him as a supporter of Iraq.
Tom Daschle, attack dog? More like a bleating sheep.
I never said he was a good attack dog…