Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Presidential Power Rankings # 3

January 17, 2007

Well, after offering 13 names in both parties during the first week, and then upping it to 15 in the second week, I have now decided to compromise and go with 14 names each in both parties.

Please feel free to offer comments about how the Presidential race is shaping up at what is still this very early point, especially the developments of the past week.


As usual, I will begin with the opposition party:

1. Hillary Rodham Clinton (1)
2. Barack Obama (2)
3. John Edwards (3)
4. Al Gore (4)
5. Bill Richardson (5)
6. Tom Vilsack (6)
7. Joe Biden (7)
8. Chris Dodd (9)
9. John Kerry (8)
10. Dennis Kucinich (10)
11. Wes Clark (11)
12. Al Sharpton (12)
13. Mark Warner (13)
14. Mike Gravel (15)

The one change comes with Chris Dodd and John Kerry once again flip flopping (sort of like how Dodd and Ted Kennedy used to party at DC restaurants back in the 1980s) due to the fact that Dodd has now formally entered the Presidential race.

And now, the Republicans:

1. John McCain (1)
2. Mitt Romney (2)
3. Rudy Giuliani (3)
4. Mike Huckabee (4)
5. Sam Brownback (5)
6. Newt Gingrich (6)
7. Tommy Thompson (7)
8. Jim Gilmore (10)
9. George Pataki (9)
10. Chuck Hagel (11)
11. Duncan Hunter (12)
12. Tom Tancredo (14)
13 Ron Paul (new)
14. John Cox (15)

The GOP rankings see a little more movement on the margins with the somewhat suprise enterance of Congressman Ron Paul to the scene. The other notable news is that Frank Keating has ruled out a bid and has made it clear that he is deciding between McCain and Romney. Did Keating know I had him as high as #8? If so, he might have decided to stick with it.

Due to the Keating development, I have moved former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore into the position above former New York Governor George Pataki. My thinking is that whatever 204 people out there who were planning to support Keating, may be more willing to look at another former southern Governor such as Gilmore. Furthermore, Gilmore has officially formed an exploratory committee as of last week, while Pataki has remained pretty much under the radar.