A Whole New Ballgame

Kind of remarkable that there's no frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, but I think this analysis by Hotline is spot-on:

There is no Democratic front-runner. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards all have a plausible claim on the nomination.

The usual metrics are all jumbled. Clinton leads the money race, leads in New Hampshire, and tops the national polls. Obama leads in South Carolina, in media love, and in enthusiasm. Edwards has the tightest message, the best organization in Iowa, and the lead in Iowa.

Because Iowa is currently first, and because there's an undeniable Iowa effect, I give Edwards more of a chance than the Hotline does, as they put him slightly under Clinton and Obama. But clearly all three are well-positioned in their own way. And Richardson's been moving lately, so I think he should be in the conversation.

Meanwhile, on the Republican side, you've got someone who tells conservatives to "get over it" on abortion, a guys who claims you can skip through Baghdad and imitate the Gene Kelly scene in "Singin' in the Rain," a varmint hunter, and an actor. And the actor's practically winning before he declares, because he looks the part.

I like where we're sitting.

UPDATE: Oh yeah, I forgot Tommy "You Jews can sure make money" Thompson, whose hometown newspaper has asked him to withdraw after those comments to a Jewish group. Hell of a second tier.