So far I would vote for Obama in the Primaries but if Clinton won the primary I would vote for Tommy Thomson a republican in the finals

trouble, Wales, usa

Inheritance Tax is overwhelmingly the most unfair tax. My wife and I have one house, one car and make do with one overseas trip a year and all our life we have been frugal and careful with our money. But we have four married 'children' and ten grandchildren and would LOVE to be able to help all ten on to the housing ladder. Left to ourselves we could do this, with what we have saved, but with Inheritance Tax, the Chancellor will gleefully make sure we can't; he wants a big whack of this money. I would vote for any Party which would exclude one's main residence from this ghastly tax.

D C Jenkin, Petersfield, UK

What hurt the democrats most in the last election was nobody knew who John Kerry was before the primarys. By throwing their hat in the ring early, it gives them a chance to be in the public eye longer, so when/if they do get the nomination, people won't say "this guy is rich because of ketchup? wtf." Also, with regards to Clinton and Obama, it lets the thought of having a woman/black president sink in for a while, and maybe earn some acceptance in the fragile minds of the bewildered herd. I think it's a good approach, but it just gets us excited to have a new face in the whitehouse, only to realize that we still have to wait another year and a half. Like going through a christmas catalog in June.

Jeffery, Billings, Montana

Well, Vilsack is already out of it. I thought he would be one of the dark horses who emerged later in the year. Although I am uncommitted at this early stage, I say keep an eye on John Edwards and Sam Brownback. They could easily take the lead of their respective parties if the front runners stumble. And don't leave out Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson or Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel.

David Shipp, Nevada, MO

This is the earliest we ever had a run for president, and they are so many to choose from. This is the biggest example of such bad job been done in the Bush administration. sen.McClain does not seem to be able to realize the people is fed up with the Bush administration.
Never before have we had such a high profile of a vice president, and they not a single soul out there willing to come up with a draft Cheney for president that in it self tell what kind administration this has been.
What ever the future turns out to be will be a major improvement

shenanigan, mcminnville, usa/tn

Great piece! - as a Brit living in Florida (in fact Palm Beach county - where the fiasco over butterfly ballots and 'hanging chads' took place) - I needed a reality check to remind me how ridiculous US politics appear to the rest of the world. As if the USA has not already damaged itself enough with the Iraq war - the very people who feel they have 'The Answer' to solve the Iraq issue, are showing how petty, and probably unqualified they are to run for President of the United States. If they are so focused on pettyness - they don't have a hope in hell of applying some common sense to the important issues such as healthcare, global warming and the war.

I think Mr Baker IS exaggerating - Mitt Romney is firmly against abortion!

Jane, Boca Raton, Florida

Bill Richardson is currently a governor of New Mexico - NOT a former governor. Please correct it.

Zak Farah, San Jose, California

US Presidential elections are nothing short of any Reality show, with"Big Brother" watching the contenders , drooling,showing fisticuffs and groveling in this muck race for their final destination to the "White House". More than 600 odd days left, (which is more than a year long time), yet the count down has started and the things are getting hot and stuffy. That's the game of American Politics, as good as it be , like a full flush round of Backgammon , very dicey and dodgy like touch-and-go !! The campaign for Prez. elections is likely to commence from Fall/Autumn, and all those contenders who are dicky and frail(sic) shall give a walk-over to their robust rivals. May not be all a Gentlemen's game, where lot of gerrymandering , arm-twisting and tongue-wagging will be witnessed . And a feast of time for ghost-writers and fund-raisers to spin their verbal yarns and virtuosity in writing long-winded,rabble-rousing election speeches . Just keep awake, watch Clinton's and Obama's spat !!

Sandy, New Delhi, India

You're right. Early leaders crater more often than not and from where I sit now, that's a good thing. It's time for some real grown-ups to get a chance at being President. After two petulant adolecents, a cypher, an ideolog, (though Reagan did have his uses) and a well meaning bumbler, we may be ready for (and God knows we need) someone who is qualified.

Hmmm. Could we reincarnate Ike?

Jim Walton, Washington, DC

I'm sad to say that I don't think we will ever break free of the two headed one dragon election system here in the U.S.A.

Michael Dooley, Lakewood, Ohio, U.S.A.

Mr. Baker has concisely made an unsaid point here. All this wondering who will be the Democratic nominee is very right. Yet, what is telling is that no one much cares who the Republican nominee will be. With the incredibly incompetent people currently in power, only a totally unelectable Democratic candidate would foil the Democratic bid for the Presidency. Still, knowing their tendancy to do just that, it sure makes for a lot of tension and uncertainity if you live here in the U.S. Of course the Rebublicans could always just steal the election. That seemed to work pretty well for them once before.

Steve Mareno, San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

Step forward, President Michael Bloomberg, not Donald Trump!!! Great article except for that.

Mike, Ausitn,

Mr. Baker is almost 100% correct, save his ending. The third party fellow won't be The Donald, but rather New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. God help us all.

Jeff Myhre, New York City, USA

The article, as I read it, says Vilsack was the governor of Iowa.

Is Ralph in need of glasses, or was the article surreptitiously changed following his comment, but without acknowledgment?

It would be a bit naughty, that.

JR, London,

I think I am right in saying that the next President of the United States is the 44th. I don’t know whether this number has any resonance in the game of Bingo but I believe it does in the game of politics. We should therefore be especially wide-awake to enjoy the show, as it wont come around for another 176 years and then as a factor of 2 - assuming that anyone has managed to survive climate change, Al Quaeda, Tsunamis, and so forth. I hope the timesonline will provide comprehensive, instructive, and, perhaps, entertaining coverage.

Henry Percy, London, UK

A beautifully bitchy critique. Small point, though: Vilsack was governor of Iowa, not Idaho. Think corn (oops, maize across the pond), not potatoes.

Ralph, Somers, Connecticut

looks like it's time for Howard Dean, et al, to hold a serious come-to-Jesus meeting in a smoke-filled back room.

Rick, Salt Lake City, USA

It worries me how often you make little slip ups. Can it please be noted that Bill Richardson is the CURRENT Governor of New Mexico, while Tom Vilsack is actually the former Governor of IOWA.

The rest appears to be ok ;)

Actually, I wonder if the 3rd party could start to be influential, or whether the 2 parties will prevent it by simply point out the effect they have (Perot handed Clinton the Presidency, while Nader certainly cost Gore - and the rest of the world as a result). There was a campaign being launched a year ago called Unity '08, which would "overcome partisan divisions". We'll see...

Jonathan, Sydney, Australia

Mrs. Clinton will be the Democratic Party presidential candidate and Rudy Giuliani will be the Republican Party candidate.

Don't permit Mr. Baker to fool you.

Robert Dare, Clinton, Missoui, USA

Nice commentary, but Vilsack is the former governor of Iowa, not Idaho... anyway, not too bad, considering you are from the other side of the pond! You are correct, governors like Richardson and Vilsack always have an easier time getting elected president. The Senate is a death trap, although they keep trying to be president. The last one elected from the Senate to the Presidency was JFK. Ex-governors: Carter (Georgia), Reagan, (California), Clinton (Arkansas) and Bush (Texas) . Right now, Guiliani the ex-mayor from New York City is leading the Republican pack. He was the can-do guy after 9/11. This too, may change.

Tony Francis, Wichita, KS/USA

I say, Gerald Baker -

Tom Vilsack was the Governor of Iowa, not Idaho. If you are going to write for the Manchester Times, ya gotta get your names & places straight.

Don Withers, Ames Iowa,