Taking the political-speak of D.C. to a whole new level, presidential candidates of both parties can't seem to bring themselves to actually say they're running. For the last few months Americans have got a hodge-podge of half declarations: Candidates are unofficially thinking about it, or they are forming exploratory committees in advance of an official announcement at a later date, or they are conducting "listening tours." (What the hell IS that, anyway?)
Bottom line...they're running.
Yesterday the New York Times put together a graphic listing the major candidates and where they are in the "process" of announcing their candidacies.
I'll make it easy. Here are the major candidates of both parties, to date:
Democrats:
Sen. Joe Biden (Delaware)
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (New York)
Sen. Christopher Dodd (Connecticut)
Sen. Barack Obama (Illinois)
Former Sen. John Edwards (North Carolina)
Gov. Bill Richardson (New Mexico)
Former Gov. Tom Vilsack (Iowa)
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio)
Republicans:
Sen. Sam Brownback (Kansas)
Sen. John McCain (Arizona)
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (New York City)
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Arkansas)
Former Gov. Mitt Romney (Massachusetts)
Former Gov. Jim Gilmore (Virginia)
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson (Wisconsin)
Rep. Duncan Hunter (California)
Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colorado)
