President

History tells us that the person who will be elected president in 2008 is probably someone who is right now in the public eye, most likely holding a high political office like governor or senator. So here are a few of the most likely candidates:

Republicans

Haley Barbour (R) - Mississippi governor who became somewhat of a household name in wake of Hurricane Katrina, although he has since then not done much to keep his name in the national news.

Sam Brownback (R) - Kansas senator, conservative extremist

John Cox - A frequent candidate in the realm of Illinois politics, Cox most recently ran in 2004 for Cook County Recorder of Deeds (and lost). That same year, he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, but eventually dropped out of that race. He also ran for the U.S. Senate nomination in 2002, but lost to Jim Durkin (R).

Rudy Giuliani (R) - A moderate Republican and beloved former mayor of New York City, Guiliani might well be the next great candidate that unites America, ala Clinton and Reagan.

Chuck Hagel (R) - Moderate senator from Nebraska

Mike Huckabee (R) - Term-limited Arkansas governor

Alan Keyes (R) - Do you really think he'll ever just go away?

John McCain (R) - The populist senator from Arizona, has significant crossover appeal to independents and Democrats. However, McCain appears to be taking a page from President Bush's campaign plan by snuggling up to conservative groups and leaders. McCain will be 72 in 2008, which, if he's elected, would make him the oldest person elected president. Following the 2006 election, McCain formed an exploratory committee in preparation for a White House run.

George Pataki (R) - Pataki did not seek re-election as governor of New York, and appears to readying for the presidential primaries in 2008. In fact, he recently secured the help of former President George H.W. Bush as head of his political action committee.

Mit Romney (R) - Mass. Gov. Romney, who did not run for re-election in 2006, reportedly has presidential aspirations. Romney has been positioning himself as a hardline conservative.

Tom Tancredo - Tancredo, a U.S. Representative from Colorado who is running on an anti-immigration platform, will win most of his support from the most conservative fringes of the Republican Party.

Tommy Thompson - Former governor of Wisconsin and Bush's Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Democrats

Joe Biden (D) - A mainstay on Sunday morning talk shows, Delaware's Sen. Biden said in June 2005 that he's running for president in 2008.

Rod Blagojevich (D) - Even before he took office as Illinois' chief executive, G-Rod has been said to have presidential ambitions. Scandals and weak support in his own party have probably ruined his shot at the national stage, however.

Wes Clark (D) - Clark, a late-comer to the 2004 field, is still keeping in touch with his network of supporters. He was mentioned as a possible candidate for Arkansas governor, but decided not to run, meaning he may be considering a second presidential bid.

Hillary Clinton (D) - Hillary is definitely on for 2008. As the most recognizable name among the centrist Democratic contenders, she is going to be tough to beat. If Hillary runs, watch for several of these other Dems to bow out immediately. She may still see stiff competition from a progressive like Feingold.

Chris Dodd (D) - Senator from Connecticut

John Edwards (D) - Former Sen. Edwards of North Carolina has announced his 2008 presidential bid, making poverty a central issue. Dec. 28

Mike Gravel (D) - Gravel, an Alaska U.S. Senator from 1969-81 and vocal critic of President Nixon's secrecy during the Vietnam War, is running on an anti-Iraq platform. He's also running on the idea that the U.S. should move toward a more direct democracy where major policy decisions are made by national referendum, as opposed to being made by Congress or the president.

John Kerry (D) - Kerry is keeping his name in the news, a sign that he's thinking about another presidential run in 2008. That would mean his retiring from the U.S. Senate, as he's up for re-election in 2008. Given Kerry's recent verbal gaffe about the intelligence of soliders, Kerry's presidential hopes have to be slim to none at this point. Dec. 28

Dennis Kucinich (D) - Making his second presidential run, Rep. Kucinich of Ohio is running on a progressive platform.Dec. 28

Barack Obama (D) - Obama's popularity has not diminished since his inspiring 2004 address to the Democratic National Convention. In fact, given the high turn out on his recent book tour, Obama seems to at least have the popular support for a presidential run. Certainly, he more than any of the other Democrats listed here could compete with Clinton in terms of fund-raising. And with Sen. Russ Feingold backing away from his presidential ambitions recently, it could be a sign that progressives are lining up behind Obama.

Bill Richardson (D) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is reportedly exploring a presidential bid; if he does run, he may be a favorite among Latinos. Richardson's candidacy may be undermined by a recent revelation that one of the points on his resume — that he'd been drafted by a major league baseball team as a young man — turned out to be false. Ouch.

Tom Vilsack (D) - Iowa Gov. Vilsack's name was being kicked around as a running mate for John Kerry, but that didn't quite pan out. However, he's considered a likely 2008 presidential contender.

Others

Michael Bloomberg (I) - The wealthy financial publisher and mayor of New York, Bloomberg switched party affiliation to Republican to inprove his odds of winning a mayoral nomination in 2001. Now there is speculation that Bloomberg may run as an independent, perhaps with the support of Unity '08, an organization that is promoting moderate candidates. Dec. 28

Al Gore (I) - Gore continues to insist that he's done with politics. However, Gore continues to be mentioned as a potential presidential contender and may indeed run as the anti-Hilary in 2008, and there is some speculation that he may run as an independent.

Jesse Ventura (I) - The Associated Press reports that the Harvard visiting professor and former Gov. of Minnesota is considering a run for president. For Ventura, there are a couple of downsides to being president, however. 1) Ventura loves his freedom, and 2) his wife is not too keen on the idea of living in Washington D.C., the article reports.

Not Running

George Allen (R) - Virginia's Sen. Allen had been rumored to be considering a 2008 run. But, given his loss in the '06 election, Allen's presidential hopes are pretty much history, at this point. He may make a comeback and run for governor of Virginia, however. Dec. 28

Evan Bayh (D) - The popular senator from Indiana announced he would not run for president. Dec. 28

Jeb Bush (R) - With term limits looming, Jeb Bush won't be able to run for governor of Florida in 2006. Before the 2004 election, Jeb said he wasn't going to run for president in 2008, and his father, former President George H.W. Bush recently confirmed that. However, Jeb may be on for 2012 if a Democrat wins in '08. He also is a top-of-mind pick for vice president. But then, having the name "Bush" on your ticket might not be such a good idea these days. Dec. 28

Dick Cheney (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney annouced he would not seek the presidency, leaving the door open for any number of Republicans. Approval ratings show that Cheney is extremely unpopular anyhow.

Howard Dean (D) - The former Vermont Gov. Dean is using his grassroots organization to stay in the political spotlight and propel him to the chair of the Democratic Party. In seeking the position, Dean said he would not run for president in 2008.

Mike Easley (D) - North Carolina Gov. Easley, who handily won re-election in 2004, said that he's not going to run for president in 2008.

Russ Feingold (D) - Sen. Feingold of Wisconsin is a favorite among progressive activists. After the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006, Feingold announced he would not run for president, saying he may support Obama or Gore.

Bill Owens (R) - Colorado governor who will be looking for a job after his term expires following the 2006 elections. He's announced that he won't run for president, though.

Colin Powell (R) - With tremendous appeal to moderates, Secretary of State Powell might be convinced to run, although he has declined to run in 1996 and 2000. Powell, seen by many as a voice of reason in the post-Sept. 11 Bush White House, might have trouble exciting the conservative wing of the party.

Condoleezza Rice (R) - Rice may run for senate in California 2006, especially if the popular Sen. Diane Feinstein (D) retires. She is more likely, however, to run for California governor if Arnold leaves the position. Rice has said on Meet the Press that she will not run for president in 2008, but conservatives continue to call for her to run.

Rick Santorum (R) - The ultraconservative Pennsylvania senator might have run for president if he hadn't lost his senate seat in 2006.

Mark Warner (D) - Warner, the former governor of Virginia, abruptly quit his presidential exploration. Dec. 28

Last updated: Dec. 28, 2006