In the months since Gore's announcement, Democratic hopefuls have been coming out of the woodwork, vying for media exposure and name recognition while distancing themselves from the President by attacking his economic and foreign policies, with most of the criticism focusing on the effects of Bush's tax cuts on a shaky economy and his determination to eliminate Saddam Hussein. Here is a brief overview of the current contenders.

Of the six official candidates, Joseph Lieberman, Connecticut Senator and former Vice Presidential nominee, appears to be leading the pack. Lieberman is not only the most well known of the candidates, due to his stint as Gore's running mate in the 2000 election, he is also the most experienced in campaigning for a national office. Lieberman is considered a centrist Democrat with a diverse legislative resume including promoting the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and voting to preserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling. He is currently serving his third term in the Senate.

Another well-known candidate is Representative Dick Gephardt of Missouri. He has been in Congress for nearly 30 years and gained national attention as the Majority Leader while the Democrats were in control of the House. Gephardt, like most of the Democratic contenders, is in favor of repealing Bush's tax cuts and promotes using the revenues to improve health care. However, his lengthy legislative experience does nothing to counter act the general opinion that he lacks the excitement to attract a national following.

Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts has also been gaining recognition in recent months by denouncing Bush's foreign policy. Kerry is a Vietnam veteran who has been in the Senate for four terms. He is considered one of the more liberal candidates as well as one of the wealthiest, due to his wife's substantial fortune, which would give him a distinct advantage over the other candidates, should he decide to use that money to finance his campaign.

Yet another Democrat who has thrown his hat into the ring, despite the fact that he has never held a public office, is civil rights activist and head of the National Action Network, Al Sharpton. Sharpton, along with Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, are the least well known of the candidates and considered long shots for the Democratic nomination at this point. Senator Edwards is a one term Senator, who lacks any significant legislative experience, and Governor Dean is a little known former governor and doctor whose major campaign issue is health care.

With Al Gore's decision not to seek the Democratic nomination the race was left wide open, and the contest will only become more competitive as the primaries approach. However, as the Democrats endeavor to reinstate one of their own into the White House in 2004, they will undoubtedly attack President Bush on his foreign and economic policies if those situations have not yet improved, but first, they must survive the internal struggle of selecting a candidate to represent their party.