Are there four more seats at this table?

There are rumors to varying degrees that the 2008 presidential candidate pool may swell by as much as four in the coming weeks and months: Newt Gingrich, Fred Thompson, Al Gore and Michael Bloomberg. One Democrat, two moderate Republicans and Gingrich, a has-been who I like to think of as a "never will be."

My first thought about more candidates is that this isn't a bad thing. There is so much at stake in the 2008 election, the more candidates we have to choose from, the better.

I don't know all that much about Thompson, other than his infamous red truck that he used during his campaigns for the Senate. (It was later revealed that he would drive his red truck from campaign stop to campaign stop, but after each stop, he would drive his truck just outside of town, and get into a much nicer vehicle. An aide would drive the red truck almost the entire way to the next campaign appearance. Thompson would then switch back into the red truck and drive into the next town. Real genuine guy, that Thompson. I guess that's why he fit right in as a U.S. Senator.)

I honestly hope that Gingrich gets into the race. After the damage he did to our political system in the 1990s, I'd love to see him get his tail end kicked in the primaries, or heaven forbid, if he received the nomination.

It's no secret I hope Gore gets into the race, but the longer time goes on, the longer the odds are that he gets into the race. I hate it that this is a reason, but money and fundraising has got to be a consideration (and an impediment to his getting into the race later on) for a Gore candidacy.

Quite frankly, I really hope that Bloomberg enters the race. I'm of two schools of thought on Bloomberg. I like it that he would be beholden to no one, because he would not have to worry about fundraising. He has more money than he knows what to do with, so he could just deposit a check for $500 million in a campaign account, and away he goes.

But, there could also be a perception, which would have some merit, that Bloomberg would be "buying" the presidency.

Bloomberg seems to be seriously flirting with the idea of running, but he's tough to read. He recently even complimented Gore and the idea of a Gore candidacy (above).

From a recent New York Times article:

"I hope Al Gore enters the race; I think it would be good for the country," the mayor said.

Mr. Bloomberg this week moved to establish his chops as an environmental mayor by proposing congestion pricing for those who drive into Manhattan. While many have speculated about the Mayor himself running for president, could he be open to directing some of his fortune, and political clout, to Al Gore?

Bloomberg has better environmental credentials than any Republican candidate, and maybe even some of the Democrats.

However, I want Bloomberg to run for two principle reasons: 1. I want a credible threat to the two main political parties, and 2. Bloomberg is a moderate - he's not afraid to make tough choices. Although he's a Republican, he's a moderate who doesn't subscribe to Republican dogma on many issues, including taxes and the environment.

I wouldn't mind seeing all four of these guys enter the race - the more the merrier.

Photo by Chip East/Reuters