# Democrats who may run if Hillary is indicted or drops out **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 26, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592 "2015-11-26T00:55:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/21 "2015-11-27T15:32:43Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > To anyone over 65, “Socialist” is a very dirty word, and the elderly are a big part of the reliable Democratic base. Maybe not in the Northeastern blue states, but in a purple place like Colorado or Virginia, it would be a killer among the not insignificant number of retired military who vote for Dems. > > Maybe in 20 years. Funny thing, too – the military – any military – is an extremely socialist organization. Everyone in it is housed and fed and doctored by the State, lives at the command of the State, and is ready to die for the State. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/22 "2015-11-27T15:48:32Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It’s about setting the narrative. It’s worth noting that the question being pushed is “Will Hillary be indicted?” They’re not asking "Did Hillary break any laws? or “Did Hillary do anything wrong?” Discussing if she’ll be indicted is pushing the idea that it’s a given that she broke the law and we’ve already moved past that to the issue of whether she’ll be charged or not. I want to know who the Republicans will run if the current set of candidates all get turned into pillars of salt by God. I mean, it could happen. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/23 "2015-11-27T16:17:58Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Funny thing, too – the military – any military – is an extremely socialist organization. Everyone in it is housed and fed and doctored by the State, lives at the command of the State, and is ready to die for the State. Cognitive dissonance is socialist. Decent patriotic Americans don’t have it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/24 "2015-11-27T17:22:22Z")
And when your Mother’s March Against Cognitive Dissonance volunteer comes to your door, remember to give, and give generously! ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/25 "2015-11-27T17:59:29Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > To anyone over 65, “Socialist” is a very dirty word, and the elderly are a big part of the reliable Democratic base. Maybe not in the Northeastern blue states, but in a purple place like Colorado or Virginia, it would be a killer among the not insignificant number of retired military who vote for Dems. > > Maybe in 20 years. You may think that but looking for polling (usual cautions and grains of salt about polls right now) on it it does not seem to be so true. Limited recent polling to be sure. But [lookee here](http://s3.amazonaws.com/media.wbur.org/wordpress/1/files/2015/10/Crosstabs-2015-10-WBUR-NH-Dems-2-FULL.pdf) … mid October poll in NH of likely Dem primary voters. Go to page 31. Of the over 60 year old group only 32% had a very or somewhat negative view of socialism, compared to 44% who were very or somewhat positive of it. And by 61 to 20% the age group would be fine with a “Democratic Socialist President of the United States”. (Less if the phrase used is just “socialist” and not all that different than how the 18 to 29s answered.) Remember that at this point in the cycle many were uncomfortable with “Mormon” … he’d need to address it head on, no question. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/26 "2015-11-27T18:19:59Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > mid October poll in NH of likely Dem primary voters. Likely Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire are about as representative of the general electorate as I am. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/27 "2015-11-27T22:46:23Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I want to know who the Republicans will run if the current set of candidates all get turned into pillars of salt by God. Although Mitt Romney made a pretty comprehensive denial of any intention of running, he didn’t explicitly rule out running if the other candidates were actually turned into pillars of salt. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/28 "2015-11-27T22:50:20Z")
Be a\* lot\* of good news for the Draft Romney movement! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/29 "2015-11-28T00:05:47Z")
Oh, I’m pretty sure Romney would run if begged. I can totally see the Republicans casting aside the flock of potential losers, and going with a PROVEN loser. ---
**Author:** ![desertmonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@desertmonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desertmonk)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/30 "2015-11-28T11:46:43Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Oh, I’m pretty sure Romney would run if begged. I can totally see the Republicans casting aside the flock of potential losers, and going with a PROVEN loser. Hell, if Hillary drops dead Romney will run in her place, just think how many Republican leaning voters he’d pick up! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/31 "2015-11-29T20:11:22Z")
The party has put all their eggs in the Clinton basket. If she is brought down by scandal, then the party just writes off 2016. It’s really as simple as that. The time when Clinton could have dropped out and let alternatives into the race was months ago. Now it’s Clinton or bust. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/32 "2015-11-29T21:44:18Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > If she is brought down by scandal, then the party just writes off 2016. It’s really as simple as that. And it’s all you have left to hope for, too. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/33 "2015-11-29T21:48:31Z")
Well, that and the HOuse, the senate, 36 state governors, 30-odd state legislatures… It’s not like losing the Presidency costs us much. Just means we’ll expand our dominance elsewhere for another four years and take another crack in 2020. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/34 "2015-11-29T21:57:53Z")
I’m tempted to start doing a Howard Dean here: We won Massachusetts! We won Illinois! We won Wisconsin! Ohio! Florida! Maine! What is it, two more and we get to propose amendments to the Constitution? We can make the Presidency equivalent to Canada’s Governor General if we want. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/35 "2015-11-29T22:28:53Z")
We’re gonna hafta listen to this - escalating - until next election, you guys realize. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/36 "2015-11-30T15:33:17Z")
> [@GloryDays](#): > > If Hillary Rodham Clinton is indicted by the FBI Does the list get any different if Clinton is instead abducted by space aliens or melted by a surprise rainfall or revealed to be ineligible because she was actually born after 1981? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/37 "2015-11-30T15:41:39Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > You may think that but looking for polling (usual cautions and grains of salt about polls right now) on it it does not seem to be so true. Limited recent polling to be sure. > > But [lookee here](http://s3.amazonaws.com/media.wbur.org/wordpress/1/files/2015/10/Crosstabs-2015-10-WBUR-NH-Dems-2-FULL.pdf) … mid October poll in NH of likely Dem primary voters. Go to page 31. Of the over 60 year old group only 32% had a very or somewhat negative view of socialism, compared to 44% who were very or somewhat positive of it. And by 61 to 20% the age group would be fine with a “Democratic Socialist President of the United States”. (Less if the phrase used is just “socialist” and not all that different than how the 18 to 29s answered.) I am reminded of a story about (IIRC\*) Frederick Pohl of his Army days, describing how one of the officers warned him to be wary of professors and journalists because “they’re all socialists”. The lesson he saw in this warning was that the best-educated people and the best-informed people agreed that socialism was a good idea. \*It may have been William Tenn ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/38 "2015-11-30T23:51:53Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The party has put all their eggs in the Clinton basket. If she is brought down by scandal, then the party just writes off 2016. It’s really as simple as that. The time when Clinton could have dropped out and let alternatives into the race was months ago. Now it’s Clinton or bust. They can choose John Kerry, Al Gore, or Cory Booker as a Clinton alternative. However, you may be right: It’s Clinton or bust. Kerry almost won Ohio in 2004 against Bush II and he does have the experience that may be needed to win the 2016 presidency. [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/us/politics/big-name-plan-bs-for-democrats-concerned-about-hillary-clinton.html?\_r=0](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/us/politics/big-name-plan-bs-for-democrats-concerned-about-hillary-clinton.html?_r=0) ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/39 "2015-12-02T03:56:46Z")
However, he’s 77 years old, and he would be the oldest president ever. > **[The Best Second Choice](https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/lara-brown/2015/08/21/jerry-brown-is-the-democrats-best-choice-to-replace-clinton)** > > Forget Sanders and Biden, the Democrats' best 2016 backup is California Gov. Jerry Brown. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592/40 "2015-12-03T02:50:54Z")
Clinton getting an indictment recommended against her is not as farfectched as it might seem. The head of the FBI is a hardass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-who-may-run-if-hillary-is-indicted-or-drops-out/738592.md?page=3)