One of the most common negatives I hear about Hillary Clinton is how she would be a drag on the rest of the Democratic ticket - she has no coattails. It’s one that I happen to agree with, even though I believe she would still win.

In theory, Rudy Giuliani is the strongest Republican candidate. In theory, Fred Thompson has the most support of conservatives. In theory, John McCain has bipartisan appeal.

In a vacuum, any of these candidates would give Clinton or any of our candidates a tough fight. If Clinton is as unpopular as some think, she would drag us down enough to put our majority in jeopardy. But we are not operating in a vacuum.

69% of Americans - 93% of Democrats, 70% of independents, and even 38% of Republicans, disapprove of the war in Iraq. The vast majority of those Americans favor withdrawing American forces from Iraq - a position shared by almost all of the Democratic candidates and none of the legitimate Republicans.

Theoretically, Rudy Giuliani, a pro-choice Republican from New York, is their strongest candidate - I’d argue at this point the only one who could win in the current climate. But, again, there’s no predicting the religious right’s reaction to a pro-choice nominee, assuming that Giuliani can win the nomination. They may stay home. There’s no predicting the impact of the first female nominee, or the first African-American nominee, or the need to end this era of incompetence once and for all, on turnout in 2008.

So, what’s my point? A strategy of fear, the “electability” argument, isn’t going to work. The eventual Democratic nominee will win on their own merits.

And, just in case you’re still uneasy about our prospects in 2008, just remember that the “savior” of the Republican Party, Fred Thompson, is rumored to have only raised $3 million.