With the coming election, it is important to begin to investigate the political atmosphere.

Already, with only an extremely small portion of the population voting, we have seen multiple candidates drop out. On the democrats’ side: Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, and finally Kucinich; on the republicans’: Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson.

So with those candidates that remain, let’s look at some details… the good, the bad, and the UGLY.Beginning with the democrats… in the order of their delegate count

Hillary Clinton (230 delegates):

The good: She is the lead when it comes to fundraising (more than 100 million). She has incredible experience and would be able to come into office and take control on day one. Her cabinet would be filled with the country’s most experienced and educated people. Bill.

The bad: She is seen as bringing back the past, to a degree. Some believe that she isn’t real. She is perceived by some as not likable.

The ugly: The media has taken quite a pro-Obama stance, hurting her politically. Bill.

Barack Obama (152 delegates):

The good: He is charismatic and is seen as a force for change. Caroline Kennedy even endorses him. He is winning over the majority of the young voters, along with the majority of black voters in many states. The media is supporting him in every way possible, it seems.

The bad: He has a tendency to say things that end up hurting him in the end, when he spoke of Ronald Reagan being a great president and criticized the democratic party, for example.

The ugly: He has no experience. He has only been in the senate for 2 years. He does not have the connections necessary to be president. His foreign policy experience is as extensive as mine (none). It is doubtful that he could become president and immediately get to work. His cabinet appointments may all be as inexperienced, a potential crisis.

John Edwards (61 delegates):

The good: He is fairly charismatic and is perceived by some to look like a president. He has some experience and has clear plans on what he would like to accomplish as president. His stance on ending poverty and taking on corporate America is seen by many as appealing.

The bad: He is no longer closely involved in the political world. The connections he has may not be numerous or helpful. He used to be what some would call an “ambulance chaser.”

The ugly: He lost his own state in the primaries. He is almost out of money.

Mike Gravel (0 delegates):

The good: He is so unknown that he has avoided all media scrutiny.

The bad: He has no delegates and has received less than 5000 votes so far.

The ugly: He is so unknown that nobody has any idea of who he is or what he stands for. He has absolutely no money.

And now on to the Republicans….

Mitt Romney (73 Delegates):

The good: He is pretty darn wealthy. He is willing to put forward his personal wealth for his campaign. He has experience with economic matters, which is helping him greatly right now. He has a large delegate lead over the other candidates. He looks like a president.

The bad: He is Mormon, and many people will not vote for a Mormon. His delegate lead has not translated into a perceived lead for the campaign itself.

The ugly: He is perceived as being sleazy by many. He represents wealth.

John McCain (38 delegates):

The good: He is an all around American, a war hero, too! There is a great deal of respect for him amongst the political world. He has not launched a nasty campaign, which has helped the perception of his as a person and candidate. He is fairly genuine.

The bad: Many republicans are angry with him over immigration policies he has supported. His voting record often hurts him.

The ugly: He is old. Really old: 72 years old… that will hurt his electability.

Mike Huckabee (29 delegates):

The good: He has a way with the radical right and all evangelical Christians. He hasn’t had a very ugly campaign, which has helped him to a degree.

The bad: He is isolating a great deal of the republican party with his stance on certain issues. He is calling for alterations of the Constitution?! He has been known to support tax increases. Iowa was a one-time win and he is now running out of money.

The ugly: He is a preacher, which will seriously hurt his electability.

Ron Paul (6 delegates):

The good: He has a way with young voters that aren’t supporting Obama. His stance on drugs and taxes attracts many voters.

The bad: He isn’t that well-known and isn’t doing well so far. He is almost out of money and doesn’t have a base of support to draw from. He has few political allies.

The ugly: His stance on drugs and taxes isolates many voters. He could never be elected.

Rudy Guiliani: (2 delegates):

The good: How he handled 9/11.

The bad: His third marriage, employment of an illegal immigrant in his home, lack of moral strength, stance on abortion, lack of money.

The ugly: He placed all bets on Florida, spent all his time and money there, and is now in a distant fourth place in the polls.

Coming soon: Politics 101: How to Understand the Primary Election Process.

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