Senator Evan Bayh Not Running for President

It's over a year before the first primary in 2008 and another potential candidate has decided he's not running. Here's the story from Adam Nagourney of The New York Times:

Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, who just two weeks ago took the first steps toward a White House bid in 2008, announced Saturday that he was quitting the race. He said he had concluded that his hopes of winning were too remote to make it worth continuing.

Mr. Bayh’s abrupt withdrawal, which stunned many Democrats, came less than a week after he saw his visit to New Hampshire overshadowed by the crush of attention surrounding a trip there the same day by Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

Evan Bayh is relatively young and may have another shot or two in coming years. I have a problem though. Senator Bayh withdrew so early that I have no idea if it's a good thing, or a bad thing, or a pity he didn't have the votes, and so on, because I have very little idea who he is. I hope the Democrats thinking about running stay in and get their voices heard. It's not that difficult anymore. We need a debate in this country and we need people who are going to do more than just carefully triangulate their positions. Right now, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are getting the spotlight but both triangulate far more than necessary; that's not the way to victory in 2008 and I hope for the sake of both these fine candidates that they stop it. And no one should assume that liberals or moderates have a better chance than the next guy. If the potential candidates believe in what they have to say, let's hear them. And let's have no more dropouts until a debate or two.

Let me make a prediction. In 2008, the winner will be the person who does not triangulate.