Changes

===Potential Republican Candidates Who Declined to Run===

===Potential Republican Candidates Who Declined to Run===

Former Senator [[George Allen]], Virginia - endorsed Fred Thompson.

*Former Senator [[George Allen]], Virginia - endorsed Fred Thompson.

Former Governor [[Jeb Bush]], [[Florida]]

*Former Governor [[Jeb Bush]], [[Florida]]

[[Vice President]] [[Dick Cheney]]

*[[Vice President]] [[Dick Cheney]]

Former Senate Majority Leader [[Bill Frist]], Tennessee

*Former Senate Majority Leader [[Bill Frist]], Tennessee

Former [[Speaker of the House]] [[Newt Gingrich]], [[Georgia]]

*Former [[Speaker of the House]] [[Newt Gingrich]], [[Georgia]]

Senator [[Chuck Hagel]], [[Nebraska]]

*Senator [[Chuck Hagel]], [[Nebraska]]

Former Governor [[George Pataki]], New York

*Former Governor [[George Pataki]], New York

[[Secretary of State]] [[Condoleezza Rice]]

*[[Secretary of State]] [[Condoleezza Rice]]

Governor [[Mark Sanford]], [[South Carolina]]

*Governor [[Mark Sanford]], [[South Carolina]]

Former Senator [[Rick Santorum]], [[Pennsylvania]]

*Former Senator [[Rick Santorum]], [[Pennsylvania]]

== Democratic Strategy ==

== Democratic Strategy ==

As usual, the best strategy for Democrats is a hot topic for debate among members of that party and independent [[pundits]].  [[Daily Kos]] can occasionally provide arguments on the strategy that should be pursued by Democrats, although most posts there are simply rants against the Republicans or Democrats deemed insufficiently [[liberal]], which led [[Barack Obama]] to say in 2006 that he found the site "predictable."  A majority of Democrats are confident that the cratering popularity of [[President]] [[George W. Bush]] and particularly [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] puts them in a highly favorable position for 2008, to the extent it may even be their race to lose.

As usual, the best strategy for Democrats is a hot topic for debate among members of that party and independent [[pundits]].  [[Daily Kos]] can occasionally provide arguments on the strategy that should be pursued by Democrats, although most posts there are simply rants against the Republicans or Democrats deemed insufficiently [[liberal]], which led [[Barack Obama]] to say in 2006 that he found the site "predictable."  A majority of Democrats are confident that the cratering popularity of [[President]] [[George W. Bush]] and particularly [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] puts them in a highly favorable position for 2008, to the extent it may even be their race to lose.

===Potential Democratic Candidates Who Declined to Run===

===Potential Democratic Candidates Who Declined to Run===

Senator [[Evan Bayh]], [[Indiana]] - endorsed Hillary Clinton

*Senator [[Evan Bayh]], [[Indiana]] - endorsed Hillary Clinton

[[General]] [[Wesley Clark]] (Ret.) - endorsed Hillary Clinton

*[[General]] [[Wesley Clark]] (Ret.) - endorsed Hillary Clinton

Former Senate Minority Leader [[Tom Daschle]], [[South Dakota]]

*Former Senate Minority Leader [[Tom Daschle]], [[South Dakota]]

Former Governor and current DNC Chairman [[Howard Dean]], [[Vermont]]

*Former Governor and current DNC Chairman [[Howard Dean]], [[Vermont]]

Senator [[Russ Feingold]], [[Wisconsin]]

*Senator [[Russ Feingold]], [[Wisconsin]]

Senator [[John Kerry]], Massachusetts - endorsed Barack Obama

*Senator [[John Kerry]], Massachusetts - endorsed Barack Obama

Rev. [[Al Sharpton]]

*Rev. [[Al Sharpton]]

Former Governor [[Mark Warner]], [[Virginia]]

*Former Governor [[Mark Warner]], [[Virginia]]

==Third parties==

==Third parties==

New York City Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] has been frequently mentioned as a possible independent candidate for the 2008 presidential election and fueled that speculation when he left the Republican Party in June 2007. If he runs, he could put in over one billion dollars of his own money into the race.

New York City Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] has been frequently mentioned as a possible independent candidate for the 2008 presidential election and fueled that speculation when he left the Republican Party in June 2007. If he runs, he could put in over one billion dollars of his own money into the race.