Feingold Bows Out

Fresh off the news that Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is running for president, another oft-named possible candidate has decided not to. Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold (D), known as a severe critic of the Bush Administration, made his decision this weekend after seriously considering running. Many anti-war and far left elements were interested in a Feingold candidacy, but they will now need to look elsewhere for a candidate that shares their views.

The biggest winner from this announcement is probably Hillary Clinton. She has increasingly become the inter-party focus of anti-war elements in the Democratic Party, and it's very likely that with a candidate like Feingold on the primary ballot, she would have lost some key votes, possibly enough to tip the scales in favor of a Barack Obama or John Edwards.

The biggest losers are those who want a strong anti-war option on the primary ballot, even if that person is unlikely to win. Someone in the primary will almost certainly run against the war, but Feingold was probably the best positioned person to do that seriously, being a Senator with a strong record of opposition to the war. Until someone else steps up, those inclined to base their vote on the war will have to cast their net widely searching for a new standard-bearer.

I suspect that all eyes will be on Al Gore - if he runs, he would be well-positioned to take the anti-war vote (along with the environmental vote), and it would be interesting to see how he would stack up to Clinton, Obama, and Edwards in a four-way race.