So, like, who’re you voting for in, er, 2008?

Ordinarily I find speculation about whom to support in a presidential election that’s still three years away deeply annoying. It’s like walking past a store that put up its Christmas decorations in September—it’s high-pressure, it’s premature. You’re being pushed to make an early purchase. “There’s plenty of time,â€� you want to scream at the shop windows, “why are you asking me to think about this now?â€�

Same goes for speculation about potential presidential nominees three years before an election—ordinarily. But this is no ordinary time. It seems almost unbelievable when you say it out loud or see it in print, but here it is: Geroge W. Bush is going to be president for three more years and three more months. Holy shit. That idjit is going to be president until January 20, 2009! Bearing that in mind, speculation about who’s going to run on the Dem ticket in 2008 isn’t premature at all. It is, in point of fact, the only way we can keep a grip on our sanity as we endure three more years and three more months of the Bush kakistocracy. It reminds us that one day this will end, one day that man won’t be president. And while loudly fantasizing about whom to replace Bush with in November 2008 may not hurry the end of the Bush administration, it may hurry Bush into lame-duck status, reducing his ability to advance his sinister agenda.

Ahem. So, let’s speculate…

According to USA Today, Gore is thinking about jumping in.

Gore friends see his recent political and business moves as proof he’s preparing to run. Allies say that in speeches, Gore has found his voice to address domestic and world issues. And in raising money for his Current TV network, which targets the critical youth market, Big Al has built an issue base and donor network that’s competitive with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton ‘s.

I’m a romantic, so backing Gore appeals to me. It’s hard to imagine the existential hell in which Gore has existed since Bush stole the election, and consequently I feel almost obligated to support him. This was his, it was stolen from him, and we can make it right. Beyond the cosmic justice of a Gore presidency, there’s this to consider: Clinton/Gore came in and cleaned up the fiscal mess created by Reagan/Bush and Bush/Quayle. Who better to clean up the fiscal, social, and political messes made by Bush/Cheney than Gore/Obama? But is this a choice we want to make for squishy, romantic reasons? Shouldn’t we use our heads, not our hearts?

We used our heads last time—remember? We wound up backing Kerry because he was a vet, so electable, not like that Howard Dean maniac. Well, that was a mistake. For the record: I’m feeling no obligation to support John Kerry this time out—and, yes, he’s thinking about running. I agree with every word of this post at DailyKos about Kerry. The man had his shot and he used it to blow both his feet off. When the Swift Boat liars came after him, Kerry demonstrated to the voters that he couldn’t defend himself, much less the country. Fuck Kerry.

There are others, of course. Hillary, Wesley Clark, Russ Feingold… who you for?