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Democratic Candidates for POTUS, 2016 edition


I can't believe more Dems aren't jumping in. We're 16 months away from an election that half of Americans won't even bother voting in, and the inevitable(TM)* front runner has unfavorables outnumbering her favorables (46-43). What are they afraid of, her invincible charisma? Likability? Electoral track record? Credibility? Have they met Candidate Clinton?

Not-Clinton won last time, with shall we say, a sparse resume for the office he sought. Why isn't Biden running on the media's characterization of the Obama economy?

*YMMV
 
So do CNBC and the NYT.

"Justice Dept official says "referral" related to Hillary Clinton's email is NOT for a criminal investigation - contradicting earlier reports"
 
Does she strike you as unbeatable?

Whether more Dems should jump in and whether she's unbeatable are separate questions. I don't think she's unbeatable but I also am totally unsurprised that her only real challenger is Bernie, who is not even a Democrat.

To win a primary, you need support from the party establishment. Hillary's cornered that today, and she didn't do that in 2008. Even before winning Iowa, Obama was endorsed by Ted Kennedy and at least a handful of other Senators. Hillary has the endorsement of 35 of 46 D Senators and I don't think anyone else has even 1. She's had 7 years to firm up intra-party support in a way she didn't for 2008. And she's doing that by inviting people to work with her and incorporating at least some of the concerns of all the factions of the party. Her speech about quarterly capitalism yesterday is a good example. CEOs don't really love the constant short-termism and pressure, and lefties like Stiglitz and his crew at the Roosevelt Institute absolutely hate it because it's devastating for workers. And here's she's out with super wonky detail that unites economic progressives and wealthier social liberals. HRC might not be an inspiring politician but she's good at building coalitions throughout Democratic-aligned interest groups. There's no real base in the party for anyone besides a committed social democrat to scoop up. So we're in a situation where she all her opponents within the Democratic Party (i.e. not counting Bernie) are hopeless dead-enders with no electoral future.
 
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Whether more Dems should jump in and whether she's unbeatable are separate questions. I don't think she's unbeatable but I also am totally unsurprised that her only real challenger is Bernie, who is not even a Democrat.

To win a primary, you need support from the party establishment. Hillary's cornered that today, and she didn't do that in 2008. Even before winning Iowa, Obama was endorsed by Ted Kennedy and at least a handful of other Senators. Hillary has the endorsement of 35 of 46 D Senators and I don't think anyone else has even 1. She's had 7 years to firm up intra-party support in a way she didn't for 2008. And she's doing that by inviting people to work with her and incorporating at least some of the concerns of all the factions of the party. Her speech about quarterly capitalism yesterday is a good example. CEOs don't really love the constant short-termism and pressure, and lefties like Stiglitz and his crew at the Roosevelt Institute absolutely hate it because it's devastating for workers. And here's she's out with super wonky detail that unites economic progressives and wealthier social liberals. HRC might not be an inspiring politician but she's good at building coalitions throughout Democratic-aligned interest groups. There's no real base in the party for anyone besides a committed social democrat to scoop up. So we're in a situation where she all her opponents within the Democratic Party (i.e. not counting Bernie) are hopeless dead-enders with no electoral future.

Good summary, thanks.

She's still never won a difficult election in her adult life, but I am willing to entertain the idea that 2016 might also fall into that category. Still, it's unfathomable to me that during the sunniest of sunny days (the proto-candidacy that involves insincere promises, raising money and not stepping in it), she still draws such high negatives.
 
I don't think 2016 will be a difficult election. In the time Hillary has been working hard to get the nomination, Republicans have been making themselves less appealing overall. Plenty of people who don't like Hillary will vote for her because the Republican Party is worse.
 
She is the ultimate "hold your nose and vote". How often do those type of candidates win the Presidency? H.W. Bush might have been one but his favorables were infinitely better than hers. I can't think of anyone else in my life time. Nixon?
 
At least for me, most elections have been won by a hold your nose candidate, lesser of two evils and all that.
 
Maybe for you (and I would agree) but for the electorate as a whole you have to inspire people to vote for you. Obama definitely did it...W did it...Clinton did it....Reagan did it....Carter did it (once). In my life time (and perhaps in everyone's life time) there has never been a candidate that has generated less enthusiasm than Hillary and won the Presidency.
 
Hillary will generate more enthusiasm when she's running against Jeb, Trump, Rubio or whoever.
 
I don't think 2016 will be a difficult election. In the time Hillary has been working hard to get the nomination, Republicans have been making themselves less appealing overall. Plenty of people who don't like Hillary will vote for her because the Republican Party is worse.

Dems have trouble making good arguments that stick.
 
There has never been an election providing a better reason to vote third party. If Gary Johnson is the libertarian candidate again, it will be the proudest libertarian party vote I'll ever have cast.
 
She is the ultimate "hold your nose and vote". How often do those type of candidates win the Presidency? H.W. Bush might have been one but his favorables were infinitely better than hers. I can't think of anyone else in my life time. Nixon?

The moment Palin went on the McCain ticket, Obama (2008) if it hadn't already qualified for this category.
 
She is the ultimate "hold your nose and vote". How often do those type of candidates win the Presidency? H.W. Bush might have been one but his favorables were infinitely better than hers. I can't think of anyone else in my life time. Nixon?

Tuffalo, this is what I'm saying. The only thing standing between a prospective Dem challenger and the Presidency is...Hillary Clinton's personality. Biden is out of his mind not to run.
 
Maybe for you (and I would agree) but for the electorate as a whole you have to inspire people to vote for you. Obama definitely did it...W did it...Clinton did it....Reagan did it....Carter did it (once). In my life time (and perhaps in everyone's life time) there has never been a candidate that has generated less enthusiasm than Hillary and won the Presidency.

Who wants to tell him?
 
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