Sen. Evan Bayh Wisely Drops Out of 2008 Race

Sen Evan Bayh. (D-IN), considered a centrist, darkhorse candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, dropped out of the race today, wisely recognizing that the odds were against him. Said Sen. Bayh:

"At the end of the day, I concluded that due to circumstances beyond our control the odds were longer than I felt I could responsibly pursue.

This path — and these long odds — would have required me to be essentially absent from the Senate for the next year instead of working to help the people of my state and the nation."

Despite announcing 2 weeks ago that he was forming a 2008 exploratory committee, it became crystal-clear to Sen. Bayh in New Hampshire last weekend that his candidacy lacks the requisite buzz. While Obama attracted thousands of purring supporters and dominated national headlines, Bayh couldn't fill a room, and elicited little mention in the press.

A former Governor of Indiana, the soft-spoken Bayh is serving his second term in the U.S.Senate, where he's earned a low-key profile as a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. He was considered a possible running mate for Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election.

Bayh is a leading Congressional member of the Democratic Leadership Council, known for its controversial, conservative Democratic positions.

The Iraq War Effect on 2008 Democrat Hopefuls
Sen. Bayh is the second Democrat to drop out of the 2008 presidential race in recent months. On October 12, 2006, former Virginia Governor Mark Warner removed his name from contention, citing family reasons.

Both Bayh and Warner were long-time supporters of the Iraq War, a factor that's proving to be a stumbling block to 2008 electability for Democrats.

Senator Bayh voted YES in 2002 to send U.S. troops to Iraq, as did other 2008 Democratic hopefuls Senators Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and former Senator John Edwards. Only Edwards publicly apologized for his vote, calling it a "mistake."

Sen. Barack Obama is the sole serious 2008 Democratic contender who publicly opposed the Iraq War in 2002.

Related Reading
The Iraq War Vote in 2002: Who Voted No?
New York Times, Dec 16, 2006: Senator Bayh Drops Out of 2008 Presidential Field
Washington Post, Nov 13, 2005: The Right Way in Iraq, by John Edwards