John Edwards jumps in

John Edwards has thrown his hat into the ring. I don't see Edwards' running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 as anything but a good thing.

I think he's probably a long shot to win the nomination, but he's got youth, charm, charisma and some campaign experience in his corner. Plus, he's not constrained by having Senatorial responsibilities while simultaneously running a campaign.

But, not being in the Senate also makes it tougher for him, too. He doesn't really have a platform to speak from, other than the fact that he's running for president. So what helps him also hurts him.

And, like Barack Obama, he also does not have very much experience, which hurts his presidential credentials.

However, I'm certainly willing to consider Edwards, learn more about him and to keep an open mind about his candidacy in '08. It was probably smart of him to announce now before the new year, when all of the party heavyweights will be announcing, notably Hillary Clinton and Obama.

The field continues to get more and more interesting, and crowded. Next month will be the cattle call though, on both sides of the aisle. There's no doubt that '07 will be a fun year (for me, at least) to follow politics.