In 2007, Democrats confront three essential questions about their 2008 presidential chances:

“Is Barack Obama for real?

Not in the sense of whether he is the template for the leader that Americans might be looking for, but in a more bread-and-butter sense. Can he raise the millions necessary to compete with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s potentially record-breaking coffers? If he decides to run, how does he handle that inevitable first rough patch? Can he adequately answer the lack-of-experience question when people start taking second, third and fourth looks?

“Will Clinton be weighed down by her name?

This is a serious and credible question that potentially undercuts Clinton’s formidable persona and experience. Campaigns after long presidencies tend to be New Direction elections. Will voters want to continue what would be nearly a quarter-century unbroken span of Bushes and Clintons in the White House? (Especially with Jeb Bush looming for 2012 and beyond.) Unless Al Gore runs, Clinton will be the closest tie to any recent administration.

“Will Gore go?

Should Al Gore decide to run, he’d immediately enter as a top-of-the-heap contender. The anger Democrats had for him after losing the 2000 election has been transformed into affinity over his extensive work on global warming and in relief of the Bush administration’s problems in Iraq. He would have the same “yesterday’s news” problems Sen. Clinton may confront, but this is where his muffed 2000 election strategy of distancing himself from a popular president might actually help him.

Two serious potential contenders – former Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia and Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana – each decided this year not to run after test-driving a campaign.

Other credible candidates are stirring. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., each has foreign policy expertise. Ex-Sen. John Edwards has remained active and leads in some early Iowa polls. John Kerry, the 2004 nominee, may run again. Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, who has a compelling personal story and a favorable home address for the Iowa caucuses, is building a campaign around energy independence. Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark and the anti-war candidate Dennis Kucinich may reprise ‘04 runs. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., is throwing his hat in.

As noted in a previous column, pollster Frank Luntz convened focus groups last spring and summer in Iowa and New Hampshire to test the emerging Democrat and Republican fields. He showed speeches and interviews of leading contenders but did so before Obama got serious about running, so the Illinois senator was not in the mix.

Here’s what Luntz had to say about Democrats:

“Clinton: She “starts with such high expectations,” Luntz said. “Democrats expect her to be smart, and she delivers. They expect her to be tough, and she delivers.” But she also comes across as “highly partisan, overly negative – and often bitter.”

“Kerry: He “has a lot to live down” because “there is no public outcry for a second candidacy.” But “he also knows the importance of a plan” and is able to deliver a message “in bite-sized morsels (voters) are looking for.”

“Edwards: “Let’s face it, John Edwards is a good-looking guy and people are drawn to him because of it,” Luntz concluded, saying audiences “appreciated his passion, and his charisma serves him well.” But he can be “too slick,” Luntz found, and “despite his boyish charm and the Southern accent, (focus group) participants complained that he comes across too much like a lawyer.”

“Biden: “He was the only candidate to address faith and not score badly,” Luntz said. Biden had the best delivery speaking off the cuff. But in formal speeches, he comes across as preachy and professorial, and delivers “with the same enthusiasm as if he were reading a conference report on wax buildup,” Luntz said.

“Richardson: “When he is on, he is really on,” Luntz said. “He connects with audiences.” But he can be unfocused at times, and may have trouble translating his New Mexico gubernatorial record to the national stage.

“Vilsack: Luntz was harshest on the governor, saying New Hampshire focus groups were turned off by Vilsack’s focus on religion and spirituality, while “his home state doesn’t take him seriously” as a presidential contender. Positives: Vilsack’s appeal for fiscal responsibility hit home, especially in Iowa.