All Aboard For The 2008 Express!

We are just over a week removed from the 2006 Mid-Term Elections, but the 2008 White House campaign is already in full swing. Just today, Arizona Senator John McCain announced his intention to form an exploratory committee to run for the GOP Presidential nomination. Big suprise! Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson announced that he is considering throwing his hat in the ring as well. Thompson, the head of the Dept. of Health and Human Services during Bush's first term, is expected to create an exploratory committee sometime early next year. California Rep. Duncan Hunter was the first to form a committee, and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani filed papers last week to form a committee. As of now, this is primarily the announced GOP field, other than a few non-office holders, such as John Cox of Illinois, who was probably the first GOP candidate to throw his hat in the ring. The field is expected to grow with Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, outgoing Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, outgoing Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, outgoing Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Kansas Senator Samuel Brownback leading the potential candidates yet to announce.

On the Democratic side, outgoing Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is going to directly file papers for a run, and bypass the exploratory committee. Delaware Senator Joe Biden and Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd have virtually announced they are running, while former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel has already thrown his hat in. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, Former General Wesley Clark, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson lead this group of likely candidates. Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner and Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold were considered serious candidates, but both have said they are not running. Many eyes are on Illinois Senator Barack Obama, as well.

Now that John McCain is running, expect former California congressional candidate and Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist to run as a candidate for the Constitution Party. Michael Peroutka, the 2004 CP nominee, may run again, as well.