Free-for-All 2008: Why the Downturn?

From the way the chatter over the 2008 election has gone over the summer, you would think the election had been called off. Hillary Clinton is down to just 1,320, her lowest level since the poll began, and she's never been out of the top Democratic spot. A few politicians are prospering: McCain ticked back up after a weak August, Frist, Jeb Bush, and Condi saw modest gains probably unrelated to the election. On the Democratic side, only Mark Warner and Barack Obama saw gains, but they burgeoned indeed. Warner's numbers come from an excellent showing in a recent poll of Virginians, and his unashamed campaigning across the country. Obama has also been to Iowa and calls for a presidential run in 2008. With more and more Democrats realizing that the empress has no clothes, either Obama or Warner could become the DLC-wing candidate in 2008.

The monthly prediction...
Sep '06: McCain & Giuliani over Clinton & Warner
Aug '06: McCain & Giuliani over Clinton & Warner
Jul '06: Clinton & Warner over Allen & Romney
Jun '06: Clinton & Warner over Allen & Romney
May '06: Clinton & Warner over Allen & Romney
Apr '06: Clinton & Warner over Allen & Romney
Mar '06: Clinton & Warner over Allen & Rice
Feb '06: Clinton & Warner over Allen & Rice

Rank	Candidate	Chatter	Rank Change
R.1	Sen. John McCain	1,570	0
R.2	Gov. Mitt Romney	849	0
R.3	Sen. George Allen	562	+3
R.4	Sen. Bill Frist	557	-1
R.5	Rudy Giuliani	489	0
R.6	Secy. Condoleezza Rice	384	+3
R.7	Gov. George Pataki	231	-3
R.8	Gov. Mike Huckabee	202	-1
R.9	Gov. Jeb Bush	200	+2
R.10	Newt Gingrich	175	-3
R.11	Sen. Chuck Hagel	126	-1
R.12	Sen. Sam Brownback	68	0
R.13	Rep. Tom Tancredo	21	0
...............	...............................................	.......................	...............
D.1	Sen. Hillary Clinton	1,320	0
D.2	Sen. John Kerry	953	0
D.3	Al Gore	697	0
D.4	Sen. John Edwards	626	0
D.5	Gov. Mark Warner	599	+6
D.6	Sen. Barack Obama	588	+7
D.7	Howard Dean	496	-1
D.8 (tie)	Gov. Bill Richardson	371	0
D.8 (tie)	Sen. Evan Bayh	371	+1
D.10	Sen. Joseph Biden	368	+2
D.11	Sen. Russ Feingold	273	-1
D.12	Sen. Harry Reid	271	-7
D.13	Gov. Tom Vilsack	195	-8
D.14	Wesley Clark	47	0
D.15	Tom Daschle	22	0

Notes: The Chatter Rankings are created by searching each candidate's name plus "2008" in the Google News database. Tom Tancredo and Tom Daschle will be purged if they continue to perform at abysmal levels for another month. Tested but not qualifying: Sen. Chris Dodd.

See the Chatter Rankings from August, July, June, May, April, March, February, December, August, July, June, and May.