TO BE SURE: If Hillary Clinton wants to give it another shot in 2020, I’m all in. She has all of my respect and gratitude for her lifetime of service, and I’ve always believed that she would be an excellent president. She has more guts and courage than anyone I’ve ever seen and a hell of a lot more patience than I would believe possible. She has deserved her spot as Most Admired Woman in the World year after year after year. She has handled three decades of Republican smear, slander, and death threats with aplomb. She has total grasp of all of the major issues and has assembled policies that are progressive yet practical, liberal but actually do-able. She is every bit presidential material.
Joe Biden, I love you, but no. No offense, but you’ll be 78.
Bernard Sanders? No. You’ll be 78, too. Besides, go away. You’re the anti-Democrat.
I knew I was getting old, but Barack Obama was the first American president who was younger than I. That’s an eye-opener. And now I’m fairly sure that I don’t want another president who is OLDER. I like the idea of looking to the future. The next generation needs to stand up.
The Democratic bench is deep in talent, although not many have that instant national name recognition (Anthony Wiener, not withstanding).
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren may be a favorite to take the 2020 nomination. As excellent as she is on the economy, income inequality, reining in Wall Street, and protecting the social safety nets, her focus has been on domestic policy. She’ll have to study up on foreign affairs, too, but please avoid a disastrous trip abroad to gain foreign chops (see: Mitt Romney).
New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand has become an excellent, no-nonsense senator. Can she translate that to the national stage?
California Representative Adam Schiff is making a name for himself.
California’s Senator Kamala Harris is a rising star.
Connecticut’s Senator Chris Murphy is front and center. Bonus: the NRA would throw a hissy fit.
Joe Kennedy, III? Not yet, but keep up the good work, put together a body of work. And stay out of trouble!
I never had a problem picturing Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office. Of the 20-or-so candidates who ran in 2015/2016, she was the only one that I thought belonged in the Oval. She just fit.
I can see all of these people there, too, given a bit of growth.
I also don’t think any one of them would have a problem overcoming that devastating Trump campaign strategy of assigning schoolyard nicknames (Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco). Pocohantas didn’t seem to have a real problem with it.
No, I need a hero to make her/his bones in the next couple of years. Someone to stand up and help rid the White House and Congress of this den of Russia-enabling traitors, of these gutless GOP weasels who are willing to inflict Trump on America, so long as they can use him to further their own antiAmerican agenda.
I need Paul Ryan OUT in 2018. Watch that race. I think it’s nearly impossible, given Ryan’s district demographics, but the past year and his work on “healthcare” and programs for the poor may prove to be his downfall.
It’s unfortunate, but McConnell’s term doesn’t expire until 2020 and Kentucky isn’t showing any signs of waking up to his treasonous history. (Let the U.S. economy go down the toilet, so long as he stopped Obama from getting anything done. Economic treason, in my book. He continually turned his back on struggling Americans – including his own constituents, just to spite the first Black U.S. president. That’s evil.)
The very best thing the Democrats can do between now and the next presidential election is to take back one chamber of Congress in the 2018 midterms. Either one would put a stop to the Republican attempt to ruin a perfectly good country.
Fivethirtyeight makes the case that Democrats should not look to regain the Senate in 2018, perhaps even losing more seats (although incumbents are ridiculously hard to get voted out).. But the possibility of taking back the House looks better, especially since so many GOP Congresspeople are trying very, very hard to lose their jobs.
So all Democrats should vote early and vote often in 2017, 2018 2019, 2020, and beyond. We vote, we put a stop to the nonsense.
Who is your favorite Democratic prospect for the nomination in 2020? It’s early yet, but not to early to start. Let me know.