Since today is a very slow news day and since former Gov. Tom Vilsack dropped out of the Democratic primary, I thought I would give some thoughts on the subject of second tier candidates.

Tom Vilsack actually helped this site out a bit because as I prepare the 2008 section I find myself wondering just how much time I should put into researching and writing about those candidates who don’t have a change in hell of winning the nomination. Somewhere along the line running for president became more about getting your name on television and selling books than it did about actually running for president. Still the fact that they run is of some historic significance so it does seem important to catalog.

We have a ton of people running right now, especially on the Democratic ticket. People who cannot raise the kind of money they need to compete, don’t have platforms that appeal to most voters and don’t have the charisma to move people into supporting them. Now there are and will continue to be countless articles, blogs, and television commentary sessions where people claim this is about the worst thing imaginable for democracy. “Only those people who can raise money can win, what about the next Lincoln who just doesn’t look good on television” they ask.

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Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack has dropped out of the race for ‘08

Katha Pollitt mirrors many of my thoughts about the recent spat over Edward’s bloggers over at TPMCafe. Her question? How did many others not see the problem?

“The man is running for president, not king of the blogosphere, and he’s running now, not in some putative future when words like [add your own Pandagon/Shakespseare Sister expletives] have lost their punch. He wants — he needs — the votes of people who have never looked at a blog in their lives, who are deeply religious, culturally staid, and easily offended in about a thousand ways.”

It is a well reasoned and interesting read not just because I agree but because it touches on some very basic principals of campaigning.

“We liberals would certainly make a fuss about a Republican campaign hire who had written posts that could be interpreted as racist, sexist, boorish or the like. (We might not be as successful as Wm Donohue was with Amanda and Melissa, though, because the MSM might not amplify our complaints.) If the blogger tried to explain that the remarks were taken out of context, were making some subtle political point, were typical blogspeak and so on, we would just pile on the more ferociously.”

Now On Mitt Romney.com. Many news outlets are reporting this is the first campaign ad of the season. Technically that honor goes to Duncan Hunter.

For the major Democrats at least (except for Senator Obama which means for Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and some other Democrats) where ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos moderates a forum sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union(news story with links to ABC Live where you can watch it).

I have said it before and I stand by it. I really don’t understand why a campaign would run a blog without the candidates themselves blogging. I am not the only one wondering this especially when concerning Senator Clinton who launched her blog recently with a slew of non-Hillary people writing in.

Last night Senator Barack Obama attended a Hollywood gala fundraising event with magic and moonbeams and money pouring out from every window. Well thats how most of the news coverage last night saw it. Anyway Dreamworks Studios co-founder, David Geffen helped throw the event and according to the NY Times columnist Maureen Down he had some words for Obama rival, Hillary Clinton.

“Everybody in politics lies, but they [the Clintons] do it with such ease, it’s troubling… It’s not a very big thing to say, ‘I made a mistake’ on the war, and typical of Hillary Clinton that she can’t.”

Geffen, who was a big fundraiser for the Clintons not that long ago, also had some not so nice things to say about former President Bill Clinton.

Well sure enough, Senator Clinton released a statement about the statement:

“While Senator Obama was denouncing slash and burn politics yesterday, his campaign’s finance chair was viciously and personally attacking Senator Clinton and her husband. If Senator Obama is indeed sincere about his repeated claims to change the tone of our politics, he should immediately denounce these remarks, remove Mr. Geffen from his campaign and return his money.”

Then Obama’s campaign responded with:

“We aren’t going to get in the middle of a disagreement between the Clintons and someone who was once one of their biggest supporters. It is ironic that the Clintons had no problem with David Geffen when was raising them $18 million and sleeping at their invitation in the Lincoln bedroom. It is also ironic that Senator Clinton lavished praise on Monday and is fully willing to accept today the support of South Carolina State Sen. Robert Ford, who said if Barack Obama were to win the nomination, he would drag down the rest of the Democratic Party because ’he’s black.’”

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Some big name conservatives who spent big money in the past against Senator Clinton are apparently moving on.

Senator Barack Obama is hitting Hollywood tonight and is expected to raise a million dollars for his campaign. The big names of Hollywood, Hanks, Spielberg, Streisand and on and on are set to attend donating $2,300 a ticket to get in.

Mike Allen picks apart the drawbacks of all the ‘08 candidates over at The Politico.