I have written several diaries about potential diaries in the past about potential 2008 presidential candidates.
This diary is not in the same vein, however.
Rather, this diary is about a Draft Movement. A Draft Movement for Blanche Lincoln for President - 2008
www.lincoln2008.com
Also, please note. This diary is NOT an endorsement for Blanche Lincoln. I have no candidate for 2008 - it makes no sense 3 years in advance.
Still, I figured it would be a good opportunity to talk about Lincoln, and start some discussion on her future.
In 2004, I volunteered for the Arkansas Victory 2004 Coordinated Campaign. One of the candidates that we supported was Blanche Lincoln. It became very clear that despite the best efforts of the NRSC, who targeted her for defeat, Lincoln was going to win. And she did, winning by 12 points. Lincoln was sent back to the United States Senate after receiving more than 580,000 votes, the highest total cast for a candidate to the U.S. Senate and the second highest total for a statewide candidate in Arkansas election history. Remember, Bill Clinton is included in this list, so this is a fairly impressive statistic. She made history in 1998, when she became the youngest woman ever elected to the United States Senate.
Blanche is very popular in Arkansas. As a canvasser/phone banker, I was always amazed at how many Bush supporters also supported Lincoln, and pretty enthusiastically.
She has served in both the US House and Senate.
1993-1997: US House
1999-Present: US Senate
Personally, I think that talk about her as a 2008 presidential candidate is way premature. Her name nationally is not at the point where I think she could be a viable candidate. Besides, she's a US Senator - and they haven't exactly made the jump lately.
But here are some things to think about regarding Blanche Lincoln.
First, she has served in Congress for 10 years. By 2008 she will have served in the Senate for 10 years and Congress for 14 years. This takes away experience as an issue, in my opinion. Bill Clinton had 14 years of public service under his belt when he became President.
Second, Lincoln is probably the most popular elected Democrat in Arkansas. The state is fairly Democratic, so that says a lot. At the Clinton rally 2 days before the 2004 election, she introduced Bill - not a bad spot to have.
Finally, Blanche is a fairly good, energetic speaker. In the TV age, this is a plus.
In closing, I think that Blanche Lincoln has become the heir to Bill Clinton as the Democratic leader in Arkansas. Will this translate nationally? Only time will tell.
I'm just curious to see what people think about her.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
For more on Blanche Lincoln, go to
http://lincoln.senate.gov/index.cfm