Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

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If you voted in a Democratic Primary in 2016 who would you vote for?

Hillary Clinton
7
19%
Bernie Sanders
16
44%
Martin O'Malley
1
3%
Lincoln Chafee
1
3%
Jim Webb
3
8%
Joe Biden
8
22%
Other; Specify
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 36

Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby PaleRider » Thu Apr 03, 2014 1:32 am

So, as I gather many of you have caught wind, Hillary R Clinton is the presumptive front runner for the nomination and many assume she would be a strong candidate and would dominate the field as early polling suggests. However I would like to (predictably) disagree. If she decides to run (which I both want her to run and not) she's going to have a lot of baggage to deal with and little of it positive. First, by her marriage to good ole Billy Boy that's going to bring back the scandals and drama of the Clinton years in the White House. Whitewater, Lewinsky, the mass midnight pardons Bill gave in 2001, all of it will come back and while the new generation of voters never had to go through with the Clinton drama (I for one was too concerned about getting kicked out of daycare when I was 4 in 1999) you can bet primary opponents and Republicans will bring it up and it will have an effect.
Second, she lacks a lot of good baggage. Yes she was Secretary of State and a Senator from New York and First Lady and she gave a great speech at the Women's Conference in Beijing back in 1995(?) and she traveled a lot. And that's great but does that make you qualified to be President? I mean what has she done for this country other than exist and suck up the national spotlight? Her singular accomplishment as First Lady is that her health care push was so misguided that for the first time in 40 years Republicans had a majority in the US House of Representatives and both houses of Congress (Republicans having a Senate majority from 1980-1986). She did nothing when she was a Senator from my home state, but New York is sufficiently blue these days to house dithering Democrats like her (see Chuck Schumer). And as Sec of State she traveled a lot but that's it. No notable diplomatic initiatives, no daring peace schemes. As much as I think John Kerry is a ditz (and I thank God every day Bush beat him in 2004) he's got balls. He's been globe trotting the world and at least doing something productive, or trying to at least.
Finally, the progressive left might not accept her. Her husband Bill still has the centrist label and brand and this clashes with the leftward drift of the Democratic Party. Also, many progressive leftists are envious of the Tea Party's success of winning enough elections to have power in Washington and actually try and make their agenda work. Plus Clinton is old. She'll be 70 when 2016 rolls around and if John McCain was too old in 2008 to run wouldn't Hillary be?

Thus this opens up the door to alternatives. Who could be a viable Democratic nominee in the post Obama era? Maybe Martin O'Malley of Maryland? or Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts? Other floated potential candidates are Senator Kirsten Gellibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Vice President Biden. So PT, is Clinton the nominee to carry the Democrats to victory in 2016? Or will her candidacy go down in defeat? Should there be another nominee?
Last edited by PaleRider on Sat Jun 27, 2015 6:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby Afrocentric » Thu Apr 03, 2014 10:01 pm

As somebody who lives in MD, I can tell you that Martin O'Malley isn't presidential material. He's nothing more than your prototypical Progressive Democrat who thinks it's okay to raise taxes, raise the minimum wage and give illegals free college. Plus, after his gaffe on CNN two years ago during the election, his star has somewhat faded. Honestly, I think he's focused on taking over Barbara Mikulski's seat once she retires. He's a nice guy, don't get me wrong, but like Mittens, he has no business stepping foot near 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Dems best chance is to either nominate Hillary or if they want to broaden the base and appeal to the Indys and business crowd, go after Mark Warner (Senator from Virginia). The only way I'll vote for a Dem this time around is if Warner is on the ballot or if Christie isn't nominated.
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Re: Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby PaleRider » Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:57 pm

Afrocentric wrote:As somebody who lives in MD, I can tell you that Martin O'Malley isn't presidential material. He's nothing more than your prototypical Progressive Democrat who thinks it's okay to raise taxes, raise the minimum wage and give illegals free college. Plus, after his gaffe on CNN two years ago during the election, his star has somewhat faded. Honestly, I think he's focused on taking over Barbara Mikulski's seat once she retires. He's a nice guy, don't get me wrong, but like Mittens, he has no business stepping foot near 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

I agree he is an overly progressive leftist but I keep seeing his name tossed around WaPo and POLITICO as a potential candidate and he might make wedge progressive issues painful for a possible Hillary candidacy to deal with.

The Dems best chance is to either nominate Hillary or if they want to broaden the base and appeal to the Indys and business crowd, go after Mark Warner (Senator from Virginia). The only way I'll vote for a Dem this time around is if Warner is on the ballot or if Christie isn't nominated.

I don't like Senator Warner. He's been a lackluster member and has yet to offer something for the Commonwealth. I don't expect him to be Majority Leader or a high ranking committee chair but he just sits up on Capitol Hill collecting dust while voting with along party lines 97% of the time. He gave us the failure that is PPACA, Dodd-Frank Act, and if hes such a "moderate" where was he trying to find a compromise regarding the government shut down? Or over the debt ceiling debate or in the budget negotiations. These are all areas where he could have made an impact and done something productive but he just sat back and lobbed the same old tired criticisms from the Democratic high ground.
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Re: Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby Zongxian » Fri Apr 04, 2014 3:42 pm

Afrocentric wrote:As somebody who lives in MD, I can tell you that Martin O'Malley isn't presidential material. He's nothing more than your prototypical Progressive Democrat who thinks it's okay to raise taxes, raise the minimum wage and give illegals free college. Plus, after his gaffe on CNN two years ago during the election, his star has somewhat faded. Honestly, I think he's focused on taking over Barbara Mikulski's seat once she retires. He's a nice guy, don't get me wrong, but like Mittens, he has no business stepping foot near 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Dems best chance is to either nominate Hillary or if they want to broaden the base and appeal to the Indys and business crowd, go after Mark Warner (Senator from Virginia). The only way I'll vote for a Dem this time around is if Warner is on the ballot or if Christie isn't nominated.


As another Marylander, I've come here just to post my expression of disgust about Martin O'Malley. In a general sense I'm a leftist; I even agree with some of the things Afro is attacking in the above statement...

But I strongly dislike O'Malley. I cringed the moment his name showed up among potential contenders how ever long ago. He's a shit governor and he's a political opportunist. And like most politicians that come out of Baltimore, he's borders on corruption (granted I use the term broadly; just my own opinion). Fortunately, with Clinton's domination of the polls (and in her absence, Biden), O'Malley is nowhere to be found. I'd bet the little support he does get is from poll respondents in the Mid-Atlantic, and that's it.

O'Malley will not be on the presidential ticket, not as president or vice president.

----
As a registered Democrat, I have no idea who I'd vote for in the primaries. Back in 2008, I supported Clinton; since then, I've moved farther left and I've become increasingly discontent with both parties. Bernie Sanders is apparently thinking about running. He wouldn't win, but I'd vote for him (though I don't think he'd be running in the Democratic primary; more likely an independent or Green-endorsed).
And if Clinton really does run, I don't know how many will attempt to oppose her. Choices may end up being limited..
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Re: Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby Siggon Kristov » Fri Apr 04, 2014 3:49 pm

My favourite Dem is Dennis Kucinich, but he doesn't seem that popular, and I don't think he's running. On the list, I think Elizabeth Warren is the Dem I like the most.
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Re: Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby soysauce » Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:26 pm

I really don't care who wins the election, not my country so not my problem really.

However I'm hoping that whoever gets in has a much more passive foreign policy than Obama or Bush. If there's one thing we can do without in the rest of the world it's Bush's insensitive and irrational interventions or Obama's destructive indecisiveness. Why cant we just go back to American neutrality and withdrawal? We liked you guys back then...
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Re: Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby Amazeroth » Fri Apr 04, 2014 7:15 pm

soysauce wrote:I really don't care who wins the election, not my country so not my problem really.

However I'm hoping that whoever gets in has a much more passive foreign policy than Obama or Bush. If there's one thing we can do without in the rest of the world it's Bush's insensitive and irrational interventions or Obama's destructive indecisiveness. Why cant we just go back to American neutrality and withdrawal? We liked you guys back then...


If you're honest, you really liked America back then because it still was your little brother, and the UK the top dog.
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Re: Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby soysauce » Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:36 pm

Amazeroth wrote:
soysauce wrote:I really don't care who wins the election, not my country so not my problem really.

However I'm hoping that whoever gets in has a much more passive foreign policy than Obama or Bush. If there's one thing we can do without in the rest of the world it's Bush's insensitive and irrational interventions or Obama's destructive indecisiveness. Why cant we just go back to American neutrality and withdrawal? We liked you guys back then...


If you're honest, you really liked America back then because it still was your little brother, and the UK the top dog.

I'm a Scottish 'separatist' so I'm not inclined to blindly support Britain either,

But no, I'm not a fan of the indecisive bastard who arm the FSA just enough to keep the war going but not enough for them to win or the idiot that piled into Iraq and buggered things up.
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Re: Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby Amazeroth » Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:43 pm

soysauce wrote:
Amazeroth wrote:
soysauce wrote:I really don't care who wins the election, not my country so not my problem really.

However I'm hoping that whoever gets in has a much more passive foreign policy than Obama or Bush. If there's one thing we can do without in the rest of the world it's Bush's insensitive and irrational interventions or Obama's destructive indecisiveness. Why cant we just go back to American neutrality and withdrawal? We liked you guys back then...


If you're honest, you really liked America back then because it still was your little brother, and the UK the top dog.

I'm a Scottish 'separatist' so I'm not inclined to blindly support Britain either,

But no, I'm not a fan of the indecisive bastard who arm the FSA just enough to keep the war going but not enough for them to win or the idiot that piled into Iraq and buggered things up.


I know, but which America would you have liked, other than the one it was back when it wasn't world power nr.1?

Btw, I don't disagree with your evaluation of the last two presidents' foreign policy.
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Re: Democratic 2016 Presidential Field

Postby soysauce » Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:54 pm

Probably Bill Clinton, he knew what he wanted (His bucktoothed intern) and peacefully went about getting it. He had power but he had restraint and was decisive, he new when to and when not to use it.
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