Cosby in '08? It's time for Democrats to think beyond the usual suspects.

• Position: List of suitable presidential candidates, Democratic Party

The ink on those Ohio provisional ballots was not yet dry before the inevitable speculation began about Democratic presidential candidates for 2008. Battered, tired, and frustrated by yet another close-enough-to-taste loss, Democrats dreamed of a leader who could respire them. They surveyed their ranks, scratched their heads, and tossed out the names of possibilities: Hillary Clinton. John Edwards. Evan Bayh. That's about where the conversation ended.

Nothing hurts Democrats more than their own aversion to risk. If they are to confront a Republican Party now eyeing a constitutional amendment to make their favorite Austrian-born-movie-beefcake-turned-GOP governor eligible for the White House, Democrats must start thinking audaciously.

Instead of bellyaching about the supposedly shallow 2008 bench, why not consider the following list of people, who probably no one including those on the list--have yet pictured duking it out in New Hampshire? Some of them may have a real chance of winning the nomination, while others are longshots who nonetheless represent the type of candidate who might make a run for the White I louse. Some are larger-than-life personalities; some have been wildly successful in business; some are already household names; and some are all of the above. Most importantly--with apologies to the governor of Iowa--each can make a more exciting candidate than Tom Vilsack.

Tom Brokaw

Bio: Former NBC "Nightly News" anchor; author of The Greatest Generation.

Case for Candidacy: You know him, you trust him, and you are already tired of Brian Williams. Until recently America's most-watched news anchor, Brokaw was a respected interpreter of world events for 21 years. His "Fleecing of America" segment about government corruption and waste highlighted the native South Dakotan's populist insistence that Washington work for the people. Mad Brokaw's bestselling book made him a spokesman for a bygone era of national pride and political harmony.

Surprising Edge: He's interviewed more foreign leaders than most candidates can name.

Possible Disqualifier: South Dakota Democrats might be cursed (See McGovern, G.).

Odds of surviving Iowa Caucus: 2:1

Lance Armstrong

Big: Professional bicyclist, six-time Tour de France winner; cancer survivor.

Case for Candidacy: The man got Americans to sit in front of their televisions to watch a three-week-long bike race. In France. Armstrong's pro-choice, a major advocate of stem-cell research, and an inspiration to...