Democrats who fear a Hillary run for the White House can hang their burdened heads even lower on this gray day — her path to nomination just got a whole lot wider.

After spending a pleasant weekend with his family, former Virginia governor Mark Warner has decided not to run for president in 2008. Though he was only polling in single digits, Warner was heralded as the great-southern-centrist-white hope among Democrats looking for a not-Hillary who could connect with those elusive "folks" who enjoy "NASCAR" and "Wal-Mart."

Warner, a co-founder of Nextel, was also embraced by some tech-savvy liberals. At the end of August, he was the first politician to govern in a virtual world, leading a "town-hall meeting" in Second Life, a 3D online fantasy world. Bloggers who find this act to be the equivalent of King's "I Have a Dream" speech can still purchase "Warner for President" bumper stickers and Mark Warner ringer Ts at Demstore.com. Pour some out.

Warner Won't Run For Presidency in '08 [WP]