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We defeated incumbent Senators in 5 states. Incumbent Senators don't generally lose, Doug.

I fully expect we'll add another pelt to that belt in 2008. It will say (NC) on it, but we'll have to go to the Watergate Hotel to find it.

This was an extraordinary election. Congratulations to the Democrats. I'm not blaming Dole for it.

So, who's your pick for Senate in '08?

The big prize in 2008 is the White House. So, Mr. Burns, where are you going to find a moderate Democrat to get enough Republicans to vote for them? I don't think that Hillary will be able to pull it off. And, running John Kerry again would be the joke of the year.

Any party who selects their Presidential candidate from the Northeast will probably lose.

Because the Dem delegate base is quite liberal, Hillary will have to mend some fences regarding her stance on Iraq, defense, with that group. Because the Repub delegate base is conservative candidates like Guiliani (pro-abortion, favorable to the alternative lifestyle, Northeasterner, etc.) won't stand a chance to get the nomination.

For the Repubs the dream team would be McCain for Pres & Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for VP. McCain is loved by most of us, disliked by few, and Jeb will deliver Florida as well as connect with the Hispanic vote.

For the Dems the dream team would be Hillary Clinton and Evan Bayh of Indiana. Governor Bill Richardson (Hispanic) of NM would have been a good pick at one point except for the fact he's alleged to have groped one of his female cabinet members.

In 2008, McCain gets the win.

If Easley runs against EVERYWHERE ELSE BUT IN NC Senator Dole in 2008, he'll win.

Left, right, moderte, liberal, conservative - I don;t think those words mean what you think they mean.

A Democrat who runs nationwide on a platform similar to the one Jon Tester ran on in Montana would win hands down (if the voiters liked him or her personally).

My money is on John Edwards. I honestly don't think Hillary will get the nomination. She may not even run.

And before you tell me that Tester, et al, are a bunch of conservatives the Democrats are going to have trouble holding in line, tell me what this agenda is, liberal or conservative?:

(from Atrios, re: Tester)

Supporting renewable and alternative energy sources (biofuels, bitches!)
Raising automobile mileage

Pro-choice
Protecting public lands
Country of origin labels for food imports
Affordable health care
Enforcing immigration laws for immigrants and employers
gun rights
A plan to end the war in Iraq
Increasing the minimum wage
Repealing the Patriot Act
Changing Medicare D to allow price negotiation with drug companies
No to social security privatization
Pro stem cell research
Middle class tax relief

Sounds pretty good to me.

Sorry about the language - I should cut and paste more carefully.

Edwards won't stand a chance. He didn't help the 2004 Dem Presidential ticket by failing to deliver his HOME STATE to the Dems and had no success in bringing in any of the other Southern states as well. At minimum at least one of the criteria to run a successful nationwide race is that you will win your own state.

Look at Gore, didn't win his home state of Tennessee nor did he even win the majority of the votes in the district he was raised in, he lost.

I believe people in 2008 will go with a moderate and in that case, who better exemplifies that than Senator McCain. The right wing nut jobs as well as the leftist tree huggers are persona non grata with the electorate.

Someone let Charlie Brown's teacher in here: "wah wah wah wah wah wahhhhh"

Jon, you should run for chairman of the Guilford GOP. You're even better at mangling talking points than Kindley is.

John,

Well thank you for your endorsement of me for the Guilford Cty GOP office.

I'm deeply humbled and feel challenged with respect to the great challenge that I face with to return the local party to it's roots: 1)Limited as well as accountable Govt. 2)Lower local taxes (sales & property), 3)Better schools, 4)Better paying jobs, 5)Increased emphasis on community colleges, and 6)on the State level, overturning the Lottery that preys on the disenfranchised and keeps them perpetuated in the throes of poverty.

Now those are talking points most of us can agree with.

Unfortunately Jon, governments run off these things called budgets. You have to have money to create budgets.

McCain will never win for president. He's got no respect anymore and he's a fair weather repub.. He let Bush trample his campaign with lies in 2000 (Repupublicans for Clean Air) then he acted like they were best friends, then he disagreed with him over the Geneva Conventions. What did they call that in 04', flip-flop? (Lets thank the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth for such a memorable campaign.)

I love the Karl Rove playbook. It's made politics so predicatable.

I wouldn't count out a Shuler for Senate 08 campaign.

I like Shuler and think he has a bright future.

He also has a STEEP learning curve. As a speaker and thinker, he's no John Edwards.

But his political philosophy makes him acceptable to a large majority of North Carolina voters. He just needs more seasoning. I'd give him two or three terms in his House seat.

Another question, however, is how many pro-life candidates national Dems would be willing to back. A House member is one thing, but in the House Shuler doesn't get a vote on judicial nominations.

"Another question, however, is how many pro-life candidates national Dems would be willing to back."

Zero.

That particular litmus test is written in stone.

Their senator-elect in Pennsylvania, Bob Casey, is pro-life. How he would vote on a Supreme Court nominee is unknown, but we'll surely find out sometime during the next six years.