CarolC's advocacy in another thread persuaded me to read up a bit on Kucinich who, all things being equal, would get my vote if I had one. But all things are not equal. I read elsewhere that Bush has accumulated an election war-chest of around $170 million. (Can that be right? It seems grotesque that so much could be blown on mere electioneering.)

So surely the relevant question has to be: which Dem candidate has a chance of getting to the White House? Here I'm afraid I have to go with Michael Moore: in a head to head with Bush and all his dollars, only Clark would stand a chance - and then not much of one. Only Clark would have enough street cred to go for the way Bush has wrapped himself in the flag, with no risk of being labelled unpatriotic.

Hillary would of course have the best chance of all. The fact that she's standing back is fair indication that she realises even she would probably lose, but that she will have a clear run after another four years of Bush cronyism.