George Will may be crazy like a fox.
I recently heard him giving advice to, of all people, Senator Obama. He was urging him to run for President now rather than later.

The reasoning he gave went like this: Obama has the stage now. His is the fresh face. And he’s out there front-and-center LOOKING as if he’s going to run. If, after all the hype, he decides to sit out this race, get more experience at the Senate level etc., he may get the reputation of a tease and arouse the ire of the voters.

This all SOUNDS reasonable, doesn’t it? And, George Will is nothing if not a reasoned, seasoned debater. But, let’s look at the facts on the ground.

First, it’s unlikely a GOP candidate stands a snowball’s chance of being elected in 2008. The country is more likely to elect a lawn ornament that declares itself a Democrat.

Second, the electorate has nothing if not a short memory. In 4 or 8 years, the bad taste in its mouth may have dissipated enough to make the election of a Republican a possibility. And a run by someone with the charisma of an Obama then might make it more difficult for a viable Republican candidate to win.

So, doesn’t it make sense, from the Republican point of view, to put Obama in the White House now when they can't win anyway? Then, when Obama can’t run again, the Republicans can be poised to take back the White House.

Being pretty blue myself, I think a run by Obama now might be a waste of a good candidate better held back for later—when we may need him more. That’s my thinking as a Democrat.

My thinking as an American is this: let’s get the person with the most experience into the job now. The country is going to need a major overhaul here at home AND overseas in 2008 and the years immediately following.
My guess is that Clinton is our best bet there. I believe she's got the experience we need to make the all-out effort to get the recovery underway.
And, a First Gentleman whom everyone likes and who has already served as President could certainly help with the clean-up effort this country faces in the short term. I imagine we'll need all hands on deck for the foreseeable future. And, lets face it, they made a good team. If he could do as much as he did in the face of Kenneth Starr and a hostile Congress, imagine what she could do without those shackles around her ankles.
And, if the GOP tried to pull that again--I'll bet the American people might have something to say about it. We just might put more Dem's into Congress. THAT should shut em up in a hurry.

After Clinton has held office for 8 years, THEN the Democrats can produce Obama who will have 8 more years of seasoning under his belt and will still be available to run against an opponent who could actually have a chance of winning-- if not faced with such a formidable opponent.

Just my take on things as they stand. And on George Will's giving 'advice' to an extremely attractive Democratic candidate. . . .