Life on the campaign trail can indeed be lonely for a presidential candidate struggling to gain traction.

The photo above captures Republican Sam Brownback speaking to a sparse audience at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., Tuesday. To be fair, there were at least 11 more people on the right side of the room, not pictured here.

Still, this can't bode well for the Brownback campaign. What does the Republican senator from Kansas need to do to capture the voters' interest? Or is it a hopeless case? Leave your comments below.

Last Updated: Sept. 24

'Tis the season for politicos to put down their money, gamble their reputations and future ambitions and pick a horse in the wide field of 2008 presidential entries.

Over the past two months, some big names formally endorsed candidates. We'll start keeping track here. Check out the links for more blog-buzz on the pick-ups:

Democrats
Hillary Clinton: Tom Vilsack; Rep. James McGovern (Mass.); Gov. Jon S. Corzine; LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Ark. Gov. Mike Beebe; Former Gen. Wesley Clark; Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.)
John Edwards: Sen. David Obey (Wisc.)
Barack Obama: Gov. Rod Blagojevich (Ill.); Gov Tim Kaine (Va.); Jesse Jackson

Republicans
Rudy Giuliani: Steve Forbes; Ex-FBI Director Louis Freeh
Mike Huckabee: Gov. Mike Rounds (S.D.)
John McCain: Gov. Mitch Daniels (Ind.); Gov. Jon Huntsman (Utah); Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
Mitt Romney: Orrin Hatch, Bob Beauprez

Note: for the most part we are currently not listing all the endorsements of congressional members from a candidates' home state, since these are mostly shored up. Check out The Hill for more details.

Personally, I'm a bit skeptical that high-profile endorsements sway voters. If they do, what type of endorsement is the most influential: A politician? Newspaper? An interest group like NOW siding with Hillary? A celebrity, like Oprah backing Barack?

Weigh in with comments below on how much you think endorsements matter.

It's a tried-and-true litmus test for deciding who to vote into the Oval Office: Who would you most want to have a beer with?

Don't dismiss the importance of such a presidential qualification. Hey, it worked for President Bush over both his '00 and '04 opponents, Al Gore and John Kerry.

So, who's in the lead in the 2008 "best buddy" primary? A new Quinnipiac poll asks Americans which candidate they would most like to chat with at a Memorial Day picnic this weekend. Rudy Giuliani wins out over his Republican rivals with 37 percent of respondents choosing him. John McCain comes in second with 27 percent, followed by the not-yet-running Fred Thompson at 16 percent and Mitt Romney at 6 percent.

On the Democratic side, Barack Obama is crowned Mr. Popularity by 33 percent. Hillary Clinton polls at 24 percent, the not-yet-running Gore at 16 percent and John Edwards rounds out the field with 16 percent.

You can check out the full polling data. Here's Quinnipiac's take in their release:

"Americans want a president with whom they feel comfortable," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "At this point, they envision Mayor Giuliani and Sen. Obama as either the most interesting, most approachable or perhaps the ones about which the most people are curious - or just the best guys to hang out with."

So, what do you think? Does the likability -- or more specifically, the hang-outability -- of a candidate influence your vote? As always, we want to hear from you so leave your comments below.

Political insiders place Chris Dodd in the second tier of Democratic presidential hopefuls. But in his new TV commercial, the Connecticut senator says it's the front-runners that are following his lead.

Dodd's new spot calls out Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama by name, saying that both had come around to support an Iraq funding amendment co-sponsored by Chris Dodd. Take a look:



AP reports that the spot will run in New Hampshire and Iowa, costing the Dodd camp about $120,000 in television time.

Mitt Romney also has a new TV spot out today. The gist of it? If the former governor of Massachusetts can wield his brand of "conservative principles" there, he must be able to do so anywhere. Give it a watch below, and get more details from AP:

Democrat Dennis Kucinich of Ohio is making another run at the White House, once again focusing on the issue of Iraq. We've invited all of the candidates to deliver a tailored video appeal to all of you, our AOL users, and he is the first to do so. So, take a watch:

Almost all of the candidates are uploading video of their speeches, issue positions and campaign ads to our "Watch the Candidates" feature. Check it out here.

The Romney campaign is dipping into its $12-million war chest to air a new campaign ad. The commercial focuses on the former Massachusetts governor's plan to expand the U.S. military by 100,000 troops and increase defense spending. Get more from the AP on Mitt's ad strategy:

Romney began his wave of national advertising on April 25, airing commercials on national cable networks at a cost of some $2 million. Most of them will run on Fox News, a strategic effort by the Romney camp to reach conservative voters.

Romney also renewed an ad campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire. The new spot will air before both the local and national audiences.

So what do you think of Mitt Romney's new advertisement? Watch it here and then weigh in with a comment below...

The Clinton campaign can crow over key pick-ups of two governors. Maryland's Martin O'Malley announced his support Wednesday and Gov. Eliot Spitzer, from Hillary's home state of New York, is expected to do the same next Monday. So, it's time to update the endorsemepalooza list:

Democrats
Hillary Clinton: Tom Vilsack; Rep. James McGovern (Mass.); Gov. Jon S. Corzine (N.J.); Gov. Eliot Spitzer (N.Y.); Gov. Martin O'Malley (Md.)
John Edwards: Sen. David Obey (Wisc.)
Barack Obama: Gov. Rod Blagojevich (Ill.); Gov Tim Kaine (Va.); Jesse Jackson

Republicans
Rudy Giuliani: Steve Forbes
Mike Huckabee: Gov. Mike Rounds (S.D.)
John McCain: Gov. Mitch Daniels (Ind.); Gov. Jon Huntsman (Utah); Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
Mitt Romney: Orrin Hatch, Bob Beauprez

Note: for the most part we are currently not listing all the endorsements of congressional members from a candidates' home state, since these are mostly shored up. Check out The Hill for more details.

How important are endorsements? Did we miss any key ones? Weigh in with comments below...

A week after the Democrats "debated" in South Carolina, their GOP counterparts do the same. The MSNBC/Politico-sponsored event took place in the impressive space at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. And Nancy Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger were both on hand to lend further star power.

Chris Matthews took over moderator duties, though on several occasions the candidates didn't exactly answer the question he asked. Iraq was, not surprisingly, the first subject of the day, but conservative touchstones like abortion and stem-cell research were on the docket. Of course, there were a few softballs: which tax would you repeal? And should Bill Clinton be back in the White House (Give you one guess on the answers to that one.)

As for the contenders, the roll call included all 10 current candidates. For those of you keeping score at home they are (in reverse alphabetical order, just to change things up a bit): former Gov. Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin; Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado; former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts; Rep. Ron Paul of Texas; Sen. John McCain of Arizona; Rep. Duncan Hunter of California; former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas; former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City; former Gov. Jim Gilmore of Virginia; and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas

So were there any clear winners or losers? Memorable moments? Did it help you decide who to vote for? Leave your comments below.

Previously on 'The Stump':
· Latest GOP Presidential Straw Poll
· It's April 2007 and They're Already Debating
· Coalition Wants Access to Debate Video

That didn't take long. John Edwards just released a new ad targeting the veto by President Bush of the Iraq spending bill. Take a look:

The "We the People" spot features nine supporters who urge Congress to not back down. It suggests members just keep sending Bush "the same bill, again and again." The commercial is primarily a Web-based initiative, though it will air on TV in the Washington, D.C. area.

We all know that Web 2.0 interactivity and social networking sites are all the rage for the 2008 election. John Edwards is trying to take that model to the next step in his planned follow-up ads. From the AP:

The ad will also run on the Edwards' Web site as well as on YouTube, the popular online video site. Edwards wants viewers to post their own personal messages to Congress about Iraq. The campaign will then incorporate those messages into future Web ads.

Do you think it will work? Talk about the ad in the comments below...

Tonight the Democratic candidates square off -- on the same stage, face to face -- at South Carolina State University in Orangesburg, S.C. for the first time in the race. About time! I mean, there are only nine months until we have to vote.

First, the debate rules: This thing lasts 90 minutes; The question order is at the discretion of moderator Brian Williams; each candidate gets 60 second to respond (ha!); and candidates are supposed to refrain from asking direct questions of each other (huh?). So, as one of our commenters pointed out, it's more of a Q&A then debate.

In the most welcome modification to the typical debate format, the candidates skip opening statements. Nor do they go through the usual niceties of thanking everyone. "Consider yourself thanked," deadpanned Williams.

8:30PM Update: And it's over. Though it was a rather civilized affair, with few fireworks and zingers, I have to admit that was a quick 90 minutes -- as far as debates go anyway.

My Quick Thoughts:
- Brian Williams did a good job keeping things moving along, even trying to vary the types of questions. I liked the hand-raising thing on the gun question;
- Good thing little-known Mike Gravel was on hand to supply some moxie. He made the most of the few questions directed at him, going directly after his rivals with a passion rarely displayed the rest of the night;
- Hillary Clinton came across as knowledgeable and likable, willingly offering up mistakes she's made in the past. The Wal-Mart answer was good too;
- Laugh out loud moment: Joe Biden, (in)famous for his "verbosity," was asked if he was capable of a brief answer. The Delaware senator succinctly replied, "Yes."
- Why isn't anyone looking more seriously at Bill Richardson? His candid reply to the Alberto Gonzales question, among others, was refreshing;
- John Edwards took a good ten of his precious 60 seconds to pause before taking on a question about who is his moral compass. It was odd for him, but apparently smart: his choices (his Lord, wife and father) might have been predictable, but the reply as a whole was genuine and compelling.
- The only "scuffle" of the evening was between Barack Obama and Dennis Kucinich, over security and Iran. It was oddly the most memorable debate moment for both men.

So what did you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Missed it? You can watch over at MSNBC. And don't worry: The candidates will be doing this for, oh, another nine months. Plus remember, up next week: the Republicans.

See the photo above on the far right? That's the face of a man who knows what's coming next. A group of Sengalese dancers had just pulled him on stage in the White House's Rose Garden to boogie down with them. And if he does join in, the resulting video will inevitably, and all-but instantaneously, zoom across the Internet and replay in an endless loop on the cable news channels.

Nevertheless, President George W. Bush gamely forged ahead, shaking and swaying to the beat with the West African Dance Company -- and busting out a few original moves of his own. But I can't do the performance justice. So take a look for yourself:

Savor the rare moment. Lately the president has reserved all public displays of dancing to his underlings (watch "MC Rove") or to his overseas destinations (watch him dancing in Tiblisi and Brazil). And it's been a while since he tried to "shake your bon bon" stateside with Ricky Martin back in 2001.

Today's event aimed to raise awareness of Africa's malaria epidemic. It's safe to say that Mr. Bush certainly drew plenty of attention to the event. Bravo for 'Happy Feet'!

More Coverage of Viral Videos on 'The Stump':
· Big Bipartisan Coalition Wants Access to Debate Video
· McCain Is a Beach Boys Fan!
· How to Say 'Oops' in Spanish

To: All 2008 Presidential Campaign Managers
From: The Department of Standard Media Questions Since at Least 1988

RE: Time to Brief Your Candidates

Ever since George H. W. Bush lost all claim to "ordinary American" status after reports of his bewilderment over a grocery store scanner (true or not), White House hopefuls must be on the look out for those moments that will expose that they are indeed completely out of touch with the every-man.

This year it is the Giuliani campaign that takes the first hit. Yesterday, Rudy got the standard price of milk/bread/gas question. His answers weren't catastrophically off, but he didn't nail it on the head either: "A gallon of milk is probably about a $1.50, a loaf of bread about a $1.25, $1.30," he said.

Uh, not quite. From AP:

A check of the Web site for D'Agostino supermarket on Manhattan's Upper East Side showed a gallon of milk priced at $4.19 and a loaf of white bread at $2.99 to $3.39. In Montgomery, Ala., a gallon of milk goes for about $3.39 and bread is about $2.

Later Tuesday, the Giuliani campaign pointed out that the national average for bread is $1.17 per pound, as listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The government agency also lists milk as costing, on average, $1.60 per half-gallon.

Come on people, this is a no-brainer. You know these questions are coming. So, put an intern on checking the latest figures, and stick them in the weekly briefing. Otherwise, it'll be your guy (or gal) facing the embarrassing headlines next time. And let's face it: we all know they don't know the answers either.

Sincerely,

Spokesperson for Candidate Preparedness and a Little Common Sense, DOSMQ

Describing himself as a "reliable conservative," Tommy Thompson confirms that he is indeed running for president. AP reports:

Asked Sunday whether he was running for president, Thompson said, "That is correct."

Thompson, 65, has focused his strategy on Iowa, which holds the nation's first caucuses for presidential nominees. He has made weekly visits to the state and sought to make the case that it will take a candidate who can carry the Midwest to win the nomination.

Thompson is considered a dark-horse candidates in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, only polling in the single digits.

Yet he brings great experience to the race: He served as President Bush's Health and Human Services secretary during the first term, and spent 14 years as the governor of Wisconsin.

Do you think Thompson can gain momentum in the race? And is his Iowa strategy his best chance? Leave your comments below.

Once a year, the political glitterati are forced into a hotel ballroom to laugh at themselves for the entertainment of the D.C. radio and TV correspondents. I guess it's payback for the other 364 days a year that the press corp slogs through double talk and spin from these people.


So, President Bush ( watch him long for the good ol' days) and MC Rove ( watch him rap! and dance!) and Nancy Pelosi (she laughed at Bush's comparison to his mother) play along gamely, displaying their under-exercised funny bones -- even though we know they must be gritting their teeth. And dreading they still have this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner to go.

So how do you think they did: Who was the funniest? Were any jokes over the line? And are the Dick Cheney shooting jokes finally getting old?