New York State Attorney General Eliot Sptizer (L)
and Illinois State Senator Barack Obama (R) walk
to the Convention.

In many ways, I see this as the perfect Democratic Presidential ticket for 2012, or even 2020 (they'll both only be about 60 then). Obama, who will soon be the first ever African-American man to serve as a Democrat in the United States Senate, will deliver the keynote address for the Democratic National Convention tonight, clearly a signal that John Kerry and other Democrats see him as a future nominee. I won't completely restate his highly impressive biography, but suffice to say that he has one of the best resumes the party has seen in years. What is more, he is a very clear and articulate speaker who does well not only in urban areas where Democrats usually flourish, but also in the suburbs and rural areas.

Spitzer is another up-and-comer in the party. As Attorney General, he has actively pursued corporate malfeasance at a time when the Bush Administration and the SEC has been wary to act. Although his detractors would say that he is just a show-boat, trying to grab the headlines by indicting big names, I don't think this is an attack that holds much water. When most Americans hear the Republicans say that he is too active in fighting corporate fraud, there is no way they will fault him. What is more, with Chuck Schumer eyeing the New York statehouse for after Pataki's retirement, Spitzer could be a shoo-in for the Senate seat (otherwise, he's a lock for Governor).

I won't hazard a guess as to when these two will be on a ticket together, as there are many extenuating circumstances (i.e. if John Kerry wins, if he wins reelection, if Edwards is later nominated, etc.); additionally, I won't even try to speculate as to who will head the ticket and who will be the VP nominee. However, I truly believe that the future of the party is in these two men, and their generation of leaders (along with Jennifer Granholm, Harold Ford, etc.) will ensure that the Democrats are dominant in future years.

2004 might prove to be a great year for the Democrats with a John Kerry win and a Democratic Congress, but as Frank Sinatra sang, "the best is yet to come!"