Even though the first primaries are nine months away, the race for the Democratic nomination for president is heating up, sporting the largest field of candidates in more than 25 years with nine vying for the spot.

After Al Gore gallantly rode off into the political sunset, the race blew wide open, and it seems as though almost anyone with a Democratic Party membership card suddenly has a shot at the nomination.

While a diverse field of candidates makes for an exciting election, it also means bad news for the Democrats, who are lacking a good, solid ringer for the first time in years. For instance, a new Pew Research Center poll showed that only 32 percent of Americans could name even one of the Democratic candidates.

In fact, until I started researching, I was woefully behind as well. Did anyone else know Carol Moseley Braun was running? And who’s Dennis Kucinich?

It’s inevitable that the herd will thin out after the first or second primary when the four longshots Moseley Braun, Kucinich, Al Sharpton and Bob Graham drop out. But even then, five candidates will remain, each with a reasonable chance of winning: U.S. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), John Edwards (D-N.C.) and Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Former House Minority Leader and U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt. Things should get real interesting when these five candidates face off against one another in the coming months.

But really, the fighting is only part of the fun of the presidential race; my favorite part is playing bookie and trying to pick a winner early on. So let’s look at each of them, one by one:

Dean was the first Democrat to announce his candidacy and has advertised himself as a polar opposite to President Bush. Dean’s platform is quite ambitious, laden with social programs and big ideas for the future of the Democratic Party. Steadfastly opposed to the war in Iraq, he obviously advocates some serious changes in U.S. foreign policy.

Dean’s left-leaning tendencies have also earned him the Hollywood elite’s ears and wallets, as he recently pulled in about $2 million in a California fund-raiser. Being from Vermont, Dean is a hardcore liberal who presents himself as a serious alternative to President Bush, making him a solid candidate overall.

When people remember who he is, Joe Lieberman will probably end up being the most recognizable of all the candidates. Lieberman held the distinction of being the first Jewish candidate for vice president when he ran with Al Gore, and while he didn’t exactly wow the crowds in 2000, Lieberman is still a major contender. Overall, the Connecticut senator is a man of great integrity, but his lackluster performance in 2000 suggests he hasn’t got much of a shot this time around.

John Edwards is another favorite. Advertising himself as a self-made millionaire lawyer (which is true), Edwards claims to be the champion of the ‘regular people.’ Edwards’ only flaw is his youth and inexperience, as he is currently in his first Senate term. Edwards also has encountered some fundraising issues and recently got himself into a Department of Justice investigation over campaign donations. The embarrassment has hurt both his reputation and finances, as he has begun returning money in hopes of avoiding any more problems. Overall, Edwards is what you’d call a rookie prospect and should probably spend a little more time in the farm system before he makes the jump to the big leagues.

Former Rep. Dick Gephardt said it himself: ‘I’m not the flashiest candidate around.’ From 1994 to 2002, Gephardt was the House minority leader and in 1988 unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination, which probably makes him one of the most experienced and well-connected people in the race. Gephardt earned a lot of notoriety (though not all positive) earlier in the year when he personally drafted the resolution that gave President Bush the authority to attack Iraq.

Gephardt has an excellent chance of winning the nomination, but only if he can differentiate himself from President Bush, as his opponents will undoubtedly attack some of his conservative tendencies. So far, things are looking pretty good, as Gephardt recently announced a bold, $240 billion health care plan as part of his election campaign; the money would be used to cover the 41 million Americans currently without health insurance.

I said it last semester and I’ll say it again: Kerry is the best chance the Democrats have at beating President George W. Bush. And I’m not just saying that because Kerry’s from my home state … really. A decorated Vietnam veteran, Kerry is now in his fourth Senate term, making him well-qualified. He brings poise and dignity to the Democratic field and would mop the floor with Bush in the debates, should he get the chance.

But Kerry does have his faults, especially his rather ineffectual stance on Iraq and U.S. foreign policy. After voting to give Bush the authority to invade Iraq in October, Kerry has apparently changed his mind and is now bashing Bush’s unilateral policies, recently stating that the United States needs a real ‘regime change.’

While I favor Kerry, the truth is it’s anyone’s game, and the race is so tight that there’s a good chance a clear leader won’t emerge until the Democratic National Convention concludes. But no matter who wins the nomination, you can guarantee the winner will be in for the fight of his life against the well-entrenched Bush, who is currently boasting an approval rating over 70 percent going into his final year. But then again, so did his dad, and we all know how that turned out.

OK, maybe I have no clue what’s going to happen. But I can promise that the 2004 Presidential election will be one of the most exciting ones in our lifetime, so let’s try to pay attention.