|
Sanford given chance in
presidential race
By NANCY C.
WOOTEN, T&D Features Editor
An Internet tracking service for
the 2008 presidential race placed South Carolina Gov.
Marshall C. "Mark" Sanford Jr. at number 8 in its power
rankings among Republican potential
candidates.
Through its use of wire reports,
campaign staffer scuttlebutt and confidential tips from
readers, the "Jockey" who handles rankings at
PoliticalDerby.com said it felt "ashamed" that Sanford
had too long been unranked and relegated to the "others
receiving votes" category.
"But with some serious
love from the Weekly Standard and recent fund-raising
reports revealing oodles of out-of-state cash, Sanford
is in the rankings for good. So welcome, governor," the
"Jockey said.
Because Sanford was a first-timer
in the rankings, the Jockey shared a bit of advice: "In
the future you might want to avoid calling potential
2008 donors 'idiots.' Grassroots activists have very
long memories and, should you change your mind, you'll
be eating that line in your opponents commercials come
2007."
Sanford — a former Congressman,
attorney and U.S. Air Force veteran — has not expressed
interest in running for President in 2008, and in fact,
quickly shot down a "Draft Sanford" movement in April
when he told South Carolina newspapers he would
"absolutely not" be a candidate for President in
2008.
Ahead of Sanford on Jockey's list, in
descending order with accompanying comments,
are:
n U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-Virginia) (being
encouraged to resign from the Senate and launch a
"Listening Tour");
n Massachusetts Gov. Mitt
Romney ("broken glass conservatives" may not perceive
him as "one of their own");
n Mississippi Gov.
Haley Barbour ("Katrina has been a political gift to the
affable Mississippi governor");'
n Former New
York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (faces the same social
issue questions as Romney, but 'GOPers may be more
willing to forgive Giuliani given his hero-like
aura');
n U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona)
(Jockey's inside sources say they'd bet that McCain will
ignore his naysayers from the right and run with
everything he's got);
n U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo
("For a House member from Colorado that speaks almost
exclusively on one issue — immigration — he sure plays
well — and often — in non-border states.");
n
U.S. Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) ("If
he's successful in shepherding through Roberts and
Gonzales — just a hunch — he'll earn back some
grassroots brownie points lost over the "compromise"
debacle and his recent support of stem cell
research.")
Sanford is also seen as "moving up"
by primaries2008.typepad.com, as are Allen, U.S. Sen.
Sam Brownback (R-Kansas); and Romney.
Behind Gov.
Sanford on Jockey's list are U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleeza "Condi" Rice of California, Arkansas Gov.
Mike Huckabee, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and U.S. Sen.
Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), who has also indicated
that he is not running. Others receiving votes are Vice
President Richard "Dick" Cheney of Wyoming, who also
says he is not running; U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel
(R-Nebraska); Colorado Gov. Bill Owens; former Wisconsin
Gov. Tommy Thompson; Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich
Jr.; former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia;
and New York Gov. George Pataki.
Jockey's
Democratic picks are, from one to ten: U.S. Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton (D-New York); Hillary Clinton (two spots
for being a heavy favorite), New Mexico Gov. Bill
Richardson, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner; U.S. Sen. Evan
Bayh (D-Indiana), Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, former U.S.
Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, Illinois Gov. Rod
Blagojevich, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Delaware),
Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean of Vermont, who
has said he is not running. Others receiving votes are
U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), former Vice
President Al Gore of Tennessee (who is not running),
U.S. Sen. Barak Obama (D-Illinois), U.S. Sen. Blanche
Lincoln (D-Arkansas).
E-mail this
page
Print
version
Back to the top
|
