Ron Brownstein acknowledges that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is the clear frontrunner for Democrats in 2008. But he makes an important observation: "The most significant development in the Democratic presidential race this year was that one potential candidate to Clinton's left and one to her right each took a step past the others in their bracket."
On the left: "The potential candidate who improved his situation the most was Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold... over the last year, Feingold has not only raised his visibility but done so by attaching himself to a specific agenda with a clear Democratic constituency."
On the right: "This year's winner was outgoing Virginia Gov. Mark Warner. As Warner begins traveling the country, he is laying claim to a clear brand: the red state savior. Warner presents himself as the candidate whose message of fiscal discipline and social moderation can win back some of the culturally conservative states where Bush romped twice."