Political Pundits

Kerry is not getting a groundswell as the situation in Iraq seems to deteriorate.

This election is about Iraq. That's the only issue that matters.

He needs to come up with some idea, some sort of counter plan against the president and he hasn't.

I think they will hold him responsible for Iraq but no one is talking about it because of these hearings and all these ridiculous allegations and implications.

I think it's a recipe for some sort of disaster. I hope not but I wouldn't be surprised.

I mean for a bunch of different reasons. In the long run, they're cheaper. That's the idea anyway.

I think they're very worried because they don't have clear rules of engagement.

I think it's probably less sinister than that. It's just easy to hire contractors.

It's just easier politically to use contractors because you don't call up the same number of troops and -- and you don't need to reinstitute the draft.

Well, basically, the U.S. military couldn't be in Iraq without them.

As soon as you start a radio show as sort of an auxiliary arm of a presidential campaign, it kind of undercuts your whole mission which of course is to tell the truth or truth as you see.

George Bush, in the spring he added to the existing Clinton strategy.

I think the feeling is his campaign is about to be euthanized tonight.

I think if this contest were a week from today, he might win.

It's really clear that was behind Dean's -- sort of the collapse of his campaign in Iowa, as voters -- Democrats woke up one day and said it's been great being with you, but you are kind of unelectable.

It's kind of amazing. I mean, this is a long-time argument on people that follow politics. Do voters vote tactically or strategically in the way they just suggested or do they vote for the guy they like most, who they've met, you know, who…

Well sure. And Gore is part of the mainstream of the Democratic Party. I'm not sure it's an anointing, but it's getting closer to it.

Because it's most helpful right now. I mean, if you are going to endorse, you don't do it after South Carolina. You do it at this very moment.

It's striking because Gore, of course, is a Clinton guy. He was with him for eight years. Howard Dean is running not simply against George W. Bush, but against the moderate legacy of Bill Clinton.