2008: On Your Mark, Get Set...
"If you ain't first, you're last." Such is the limited wisdom imparted by Will Ferrell's character in "Talladega Nights," but it's also beginning to sound like a pretty good way to describe the 2008 presidential field. With the recent announcements by Senator Hillary Clinton and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, the possibility of our next president laying claim to being a "first" just got bigger.
Clinton, of course, is widely viewed as the most serious woman candidate in history. Fellow Democratic Senator Barack Obama is beginning to look like the best hope yet for a black candidate to capture the White House and Richardson would be the first Hispanic to occupy the Oval Office. Over on the Republican side, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is looking to bust another religious barrier by becoming the first Morman president.
It is perhaps the most diverse, and largest, group of serious candidates ever assembled to run the gauntlet of a presidential campaign and it doesn't hurt to have some distinguishing characteristics. With all the "firsts" already mentioned, it shouldn't be surprising to think we may see some others discussed. John McCain, for example, would be the first Vietnam combat veteran to be elected if he should win, a designation shared by other fellow probable or potential candidates like Chuck Hagel and Duncan Hunter. Of course McCain's experience as a prisoner of war during that conflict puts him in an even more rarified position.
It's a field that could see nearly 20 serious candidates for the most wide-open presidential contests ever, campaigns will try to find any edge to set them apart or appeal to a particular constituency. So don't be surprised to see a fair amount of resume-mining by these campaigns in a search to find those little nuggets unique to them. Remember John Edwards and the constant reminders of his heritage? Time to find out whether the White House has ever been occupied by the "son of a mill worker."
It seems fitting somehow that this campaign holds so much promise of breaking down some historical barriers. We've just seen the first woman be elected by her peers to become Speaker of the House. It took 41 years, but in two weeks the first black coaches to ever appear in the Super Bowl will square off against one another. Is it impossible to think of electing the first Vegan president? (Sorry Dennis Kucinich, but it's a long shot at best). If not now, when? If not them, whom? If you're not first …