Now maybe there's a perfectly innocent alternate explanation, like Clark voters actually have jobs and don't vote until they get home from work. Perhaps the Feingold people are the real diehards at this blog, the ones who are checking it every hour and who pounce on the poll, and the Clark people come along in more dispersed fashion as the day goes by. (Or maybe there's no organized GOTV at all... just one especially devoted guy who has all day free to keep deleting his cookies and re-voting.)

At any rate, I agree with the core of what you're saying... Clark's a good candidate, and even if there's some sort of organized on-line GOTV effort behind this, every one of those Clark votes is from a legitimate Clark voter who legitimately wants him to win, so there's no harm in it.

You posited that by ranking candidates below your 1st choice, you were actually harming your first choice.  I fail to see how IRV results in that, and your "example" about despicable candidates did nothing to clarify what you were saying.

Furthermore, I fail to see how your proposal of multiple run-offs is any preferable to IRV either in terms of producing a result that accurately reflects the mood of the electorate, or in terms of efficiency (look at the boondoggle that NYC almost faced over the Democratic mayoral primary).

If you care to explain what you meant, I'm happy to hear it and consider it.

Feingold offered us a lot of leadership on campaign finance reform, allowing US to have more say in politics than corporations or labor unions.

He doesn't go on TV that much, i've only seen him on Meet The Press once (concerning the Withdrawal) and on C-SPAN.

My question is: Just who WOULD you want as your nominee?

Not Courageous Enough?  Doesn't speak out?

1. Russ was the lone vote in the Senate against the USA PATRIOT Act.
   
2. Russ voted against the Iraq War Resolution, and he has now proposed a target date to withdraw troops from Iraq.
   
3. Russ was the only Democrat in the Senate to vote against the Clinton crime bill -- primarily because of his staunch opposition to the death penalty.  Russ has courageously spoken out against the death penalty.
   
4. Russ firmly belives that heath care is a right, not a privilege.  He has advocated universal health care for ALL Americans.
   
5. Russ has been a leader in campaign finance reform, and risked his Senate seat by doing so. In his 1998 re-election campaign, he abided by the rules of the McCain-Feingold bill even though it was not the law of the land.

Let's use Wikipedia for a good roundup:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_2008

Evan Bayh, Former governor and currently a U.S. senator from Indiana. In February of 2005, Bayh renamed his political action committee the "All America PAC" and hired a new veteran staff with experience on John Kerry, Tom Daschle, and Wesley Clark's 2004 campaigns.[4] His new staff includes New Hampshire political operative Steve Bouchard, his deputy Chris Smith, longtime Democratic fundraiser Nancy Jacobson, and informal advisor Ronald Klain.
Joe Biden, U.S. senator from Delaware and 1988 Democratic primary candidate. On December 8, 2004, Biden announced to radio host Don Imus: "I'm going to proceed as if I'm going to run." Also, he told Meet the Press host Tim Russert that he "might" run. Grassroots Petition On June 19, 2005, he told Bob Schieffer on CBS's Face the Nation, that it was now his intention to seek the Presidential nomination of the Democratic Party, thus confirming his candidacy, but he also said that he would make his final decision whether to run by the end of 2005 based in part on his ability to raise sufficient funds to conduct a campaign.
Wesley Clark, retired United States Army four-star general and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Clark is travelling widely through his WesPAC political action committee [5], and is a commentator on FOX News, while grassroots campaigns for Clark have become active on the internet [6]. Clark was a 2004 Presidential candidate as well.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. senator from New York and former First Lady of the United States. While frequently asked by media interviewers about her plans for 2008, she has remained noncommital, saying she is now focusing on her upcoming re-election campaign in 2006. In spite of this, polling organizations generally include her on polls involving likely candidates. She has delivered several speeches, including one on abortion, which analysts say are intended to reach out to moderates. She has also been holding fundraising meetings, including meeting with women from Massachusetts, a key constituency of potential rival and 2004 nominee John Kerry.(a) However, these activities are consistent with the lead up to a campaign for re-election to her Senate seat in 2006. Many Republicans appear to desire Hillary Clinton's candidacy for President, presumably believing her to be a polarizing figure and thus easy to defeat. The popular parody newspaper The Onion ran a headline mocking this attitude, asking "Could Hillary Clinton Have What It Takes To Defeat The Democrats In 2008?"
Tom Daschle, Former U.S. Senator from South Dakota he has set up a new political action committee and plans a Jefferson-Jackson Day speech in the politically pivotal state of Iowa. Daschle has transferred $500,000 into the new committee, New Leadership for America PAC. Hildebrand says the committee will give money to endangered incumbents, support younger candidates looking to run for office and "provide a forum for him to continue to speak out on issues that are important." In July, Daschle said he was not planning a rematch against his successor John Thune in 2010.
John Edwards, former U.S. senator from North Carolina and 2004 Democratic vice-presidential candidate. Edwards has kept his political action committee, One America, to fund his travel and appearances across the nation.[7] On February 5, 2005, Edwards spoke at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's fundraising dinner. On August 18, 2005, Edwards traveled to Waterloo, Iowa to deliver an address to the Iowa AFL-CIO, a potential key supporter in the Iowa caucus. Officially, Edwards refuses to say whether he will run in 2008. [8]
Russ Feingold, U.S. senator from Wisconsin, announced to a meeting of the Tiger Bay Club of Volusia County, Florida, in January 2005 that he was considering a run for the nomination, and would decide after "going around the country" to campaign for fellow Democrats running for other offices [9]. On January 21, 2005, he filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to form the Progressive Patriots PAC, soon to be renamed the Progressive Patriots Fund, a "leadership committee," which will be financing his travels around the country [10]. In early March 2005, his Senate campaign registered the domain name for the Web site www.russfeingold08.com as well as the .org and .net versions [11]. In early April of 2005, Feingold announced that he would be divorcing his second wife, a move which some analysts believe could diminish his chances of winning the presidential nomination. Others, such as blogger Markos Moulitsas Zúniga (better known as "Kos"), have disagreed, pointing to successful Republican political figures with multiple divorces. [12][13] On August 17, 2005, Feingold became the first U.S. senator to publicly support a firm date for withdrawal from the Iraq war [14], suggesting December 31, 2006 as a reasonable date. Although Feingold's stance was generally criticized by other Democratic senators, including Biden and Clinton, his support in nonscientific internet polls of party activists jumped.
John Kerry, U.S. senator from Massachusetts, and defeated in the 2004 Presidential Election. On March 1, 2005, Kerry created a new PAC, Keeping America's Promise, which he plans to use to maintain national visibility and political viability. [15] Dan Payne, a Democratic strategist, told the Washington Post that "This is the kind of thing he has to do" in order to run for president in 2008 [16]. Kerry told CNN, with respect to a run in 2008, "it's crazy to be thinking about it now" but went on to say that "I'll make my judgment when the time comes and I don't care what history says." [17]Unofficial 2008 Website Kerry raised eyebrows when he made a strong statement as to how to lead in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina following Bush's addresss to the nation. [18]
Bill Richardson, governor of New Mexico, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of Energy and U.S. representative. In February 2005, the Associated Press reported that he has informed party leaders that he intends to run[19].
Mark Warner, governor of Virginia, has not stated whether or not he intends to run in 2008. According to The Washington Post, [20] he has started taking steps towards a presidential run by forming a federal political action committee called the Forward Together Committee and hiring a former top aide to Vice President Al Gore to advise him on national politics. There is also a strong Draft Mark Warner for President movement, and DemStore.com has already started printing Draft Warner campaign pins and bumper stickers. Warner is considered a moderate, and enjoys high approval numbers in red state Virginia. Warner is also able, as the Chairman of the National Governor's Association, to make trips to early primary states nationwide.

Now, here's Gore's entry (below, on "other people mentioned as possible canidates"):

Al Gore, former U.S. vice president from Tennessee, and the 2000 Democratic nominee. In early 2005, reports, including that from Chris Matthews [46] and CBS News [47], said that Gore was considering a run in 2008. Gore has said several times that he doesn't "intend" to be a candidate again, but can't rule it out. He added more fuel to the fire in late April when he joined the heated debate over the Republican's threats to dismantle the filibuster rule in the Senate. Gore gave an hour long speech lambasting the GOP on that issue while hitting hot topics such as religion, the Tom Delay scandal, Iraq, and Social Security [48]Al Gore 2008 Unofficial Website.

Gore is obviously less in that the people in the first group.  Until that changes, vote for "other".

Can you imagine the lies they'd distribute to everyone in the country by any means possible? It would make Bush's lies about McCain look like a childhood prank.

I'm also thinking that of all the Dem. candidates, the GOP WANTS Hillary to run!