Bayh bows out

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I must admit, I'm somewhat surprised:

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) announced today that he will forgo a run for president in 2008, citing the "long odds" he would face as a candidate who is not well-known nationally.

In a statement released early today, Bayh said, "After talking with family and friends over the past several days, I have decided that this is not the year for me to run for president and I will not be a candidate for the presidency in 2008."

The main reason for Bayh's decision was a belief that his chances of winning the Democratic nomination in a field likely to include such political heavyweights as Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.)were not high enough to justify the commitment of time and manpower over the next two years.

His reasoning is sound. So is his sensitivity to political reality. With Clinton and Biden running from the center, Edwards and Obama running from the center-left, more or less, and Kerry and possibly Gore running from the left, as well as with Richardson, Vilsack, and Clark in the race, there wouldn't have been much room for Bayh -- just as there wouldn't have been much room for Warner, who bowed out a couple of months ago.

For more, see Pamela Leavey at The Democratic Daily.