by Jerome Armstrong

CattleCall time for the DNC candidates. Rankings by MyDD, quoted commentary courtesy of Business Week, The Democrats Go Scouting For A Savior:

Tom Vilsack flirted, Kerry proposed, Vilsack ditched. Was it NJ's "second place" Hotline poll that gave Vilsack cold feet? John Kerry, who brought his VP runner-up to DC for the DNC dance as the "Anyone But Dean" candidate, found himself left standing at the alter alone, with a potential '08 Iowa opponent now in waiting.

"Howard Dean is favored by insurgents who want to clean house. If the party wants bash-Bush, man-the-barricades liberalism mixed with the latest in Internet-fueled fund-raising and organizing, it can tie its fortunes to former Vermont Governor Howard Dean." "It's time to do some risk-taking," says former party chair Steven Grossman, CEO of MassEnvelopePlus in Somerville, Mass. But the Clintonistas will only allow such a takeover "over their dead bodies," says one DNC veteran." With the dropout of Vilsack, don't look for Dean to assume the frontrunner position, or garner much publicized endorsements anytime soon. Remember last December?

"And if the party is convinced that only the Clintons can save it, the man for the job could well be former Bill and Hill consigliere Harold Ickes. Harold Ickes, a driving force in the 527 committees that proliferated in this election, is often seen as a stalking-horse for his close friend Senator Clinton. That could be a problem for those who want a party-builder."

"If Dems want to emphasize minority candidates who won big in "red" states, it could turn to ex-mayors Wellington E. Webb of Denver or Ron Kirk of Dallas." Webb, being a current Vice Chair within the DNC has some insider traction, mentions of a Dean-Webb alliance help, and there are many DNC members determined not to elect as Chair anyone within the DC establishment.

"If it seeks a hard-charging centrist who reaches out to swing voters, including the growing Latino population, it can embrace Simon B. Rosenberg, founder of the New Democrat Network.One veteran activist says Rosenberg, a fave of Demo-bloggers, starts out as "everybody's second choice" and could eventually win if no other contender catches fire. A dark horse is the relentlessly disciplined Rosenberg, who has worked for a decade to steer the party toward the center while building a new generation of tech-savvy activists." "The world has changed," says Rosenberg. "We need a new strategy to take on modern conservatives."

"If the party wants its chair to raise wads of money and build bridges to business, it has a contender in longtime telecom exec Leo J. Hindery Jr. For Democrats who long to see the DNC run more like a business, there's Hindery, an ex-Tele-Communications Inc. president and AT&T Broadband & Internet Services (T ) CEO. But some worry about Hindery's later tenure at scandal-plagued Global Crossing Ltd. (GLBC ), a company to which McAuliffe also had connections." With backing by Daschle and Kerrey, don't under-estimate the 7% Corporate Wing of the Democratic Party, they are used to running things in the DNC. Oh yea, those GX shares, remember those Terry?

"Terry McAuliffe proved that raising money isn't enough," says Democratic moneyman Andrew S. Rappaport, a general partner at August Capital Associates LP in Menlo Park, Calif. "[He] is the person who is most responsible for the predicament the Democrats are in." But let's all admit that Terry correctly spent some of that money on much needed technological advances for the DNC.

Whom would Andy Rappaport choose? Did John Edwards decline John Kerry before Kerry asked Vilsack? Or, now that Visack has busted Kerry kingmaker role, is it Edwards turn? Jeanne Shaheen, Jean Carnahan, who else might be floated? Kerry, Harry Reid and the rest of the "status quo" have played their "Stop Dean" card already. Notice how the 'smarter' Nancy Pelosi kept her cards down, while her DCCC bagman Bob Matsui did the Dean-bashing... whomever they emerge behind is going to have a tough row if it's another no-vision-runnerup-anything-but candidate.