There it is. That is my prediction for who will be on the ballot next year. I was just reading the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey and it seems to support my hypothesis. Hillary Clinton has the clout, and Fred Thompson has the momentum, and he's not even in the race yet (well, "officially" anyway). As for who will win, I believe that is totally up in the air. The survey clearly indicates that the Democrats have the upper hand in the next election, but Fred Thompson has one Huge Thing going for him: people do not hate him. Ten percent of those surveyed had a negative reaction to Fred Thompson. Compare that with Hillary's 42% negative reaction and John Edwards' 26%. Hillary Clinton is just more polarizing than Fred Thompson. Of course, polarizing could be a good thing for Clinton, and I'm sure as the process continues people will find more reasons to dislike Fred Thompson.

So, Clinton/Thompson and the election will be a lot closer than Pres. Bush's current approval ratings suggest. That's my take, anyway.

--Chris