# How about Eric Holder? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 23, 2018, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396 "2018-02-23T06:17:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/1 "2018-02-23T06:17:33Z")
Given his baggage it sounds like a stupid idea, but CBS is going to be giving him a nice donation with a show based on his life called Main Justice. Or at least, his version of that story. > **[Eric Holder joins the anti-Trump resistance — and mulls a presidential...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/eric-holder-joins-anti-trump-resistance-mulls-presidential-campaign-110025091.html)** > > “Now is the time to be heard,” former Attorney General Eric Holder said in an exclusive interview with Yahoo News. It is a story a few months old, but I believe this is the first time we’ve talked about the idea of Eric Holder for President. As far as I’m concerned, he politicized his non political job. That behavior should not be rewarded with a promotion. I expect he’ll fail hard anyway, given that he’s never run for anything before. Not that I mind electing a career civil servant, but his experience is limited to legal matters. There’s no foreign policy, no government management, no domestic policy. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/2 "2018-02-23T06:30:04Z")
I can remember a LOT of really nasty talk about Holder from Republicans during his tenure as AG, most of it of the same nature that we’d see later from Trump’s supporters and some of it undoubtedly motivated by the same racism that Obama had to put up with. In particular, I remember his name being associated a lot with the “Fast and Furious” scandal that became a major Republican talking point. What all of this amounts to, is a lot of negative baggage, without much evidence that he’d be a strong candidate to bring out votes other than from the African-American demographic. Baggage is really, really bad. The Democrats need someone with the minimum possible. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/3 "2018-02-23T06:40:27Z")
Meh. I want the democrats to start picking people for leadership positions who are as ruthlessly efficient as Mitch McConnell. Obama’s leadership style of ‘give a pretty speech and beg for friendship’ was a failure in the age of plutocrats, white nationalists and republican zealots. In order for things to be accomplished, a lot of people (namely plutocrats and white nationalists) are going to get enraged. And we should welcome their rage, and ruthlessly push an agenda that fills them with rage. We need cold blooded leadership in the white house, as senate majority leader and as speaker if the dems win in 2020. I don’t know if Holder strikes me as someone who has that capacity or ability. I honestly can’t think of anyone on the democrat side who is ruthlessly efficient the way republicans are. Sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/4 "2018-02-23T07:06:30Z")
The most important thing is that they win the election. Everything else, they can get to after that. If personnel needs to be shuffled around to achieve maximum ruthlessness and efficiency, so be it. That can happen once they win. The ability of the candidate to be a successful candidate is paramount, as far as I am concerned. Everything else he might or might not be capable of achieving, is subordinate to that. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/5 "2018-02-23T07:23:37Z")
Didn’t Trump winning prove that baggage doesn’t really matter? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/6 "2018-02-23T07:27:34Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Didn’t Trump winning prove that baggage doesn’t really matter? Only to those who have no scruples whatsoever. In other words, Trump’s base. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/7 "2018-02-23T08:27:11Z")
He’d never win, he has no personality, charisma, looks like a giant dork, and he has the stupid mustache. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/8 "2018-02-23T10:23:41Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Didn’t Trump winning prove that baggage doesn’t really matter? Well sure, if your opponent has serious baggage as well. I doubt Trump could have beaten Biden or Sanders. One thing I didn’t realize was that Holder is kinda old. I’d always assumed he was Obama’s age. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/9 "2018-02-23T11:16:00Z")
H-old-er. It’s right there in his name, he’s born that way. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/10 "2018-02-23T11:20:39Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Didn’t Trump winning prove that baggage doesn’t really matter? No, it only proved that even the most outrageous of candidates can beat Hillary Clinton. And in all likelihood Eric Holder and Oprah Winfrey too. The Democrats need a consensus candidate not some outlier. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/11 "2018-02-23T11:25:14Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > As far as I’m concerned, he politicized his non political job. That behavior should not be rewarded with a promotion. I can’t see how I would get excited about his electoral ambitions, but I disagree with this. I truly see him no differently than your typical AG. Except, the Republican faux-scandal machine was cranked up to 11 on him, for reasons we can all speculate on. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2018, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/12 "2018-02-23T11:44:18Z")
Much as I’m enjoying the latest edition of “It’s the Democrats’ fault Trump won”: on the subject of Eric Holder, even if we discount a significant percentage of his “baggage” as manufactured bullshit, the description “He’d never win, he has no personality, charisma, looks like a giant dork, and he has the stupid mustache” still applies. I’ve never heard anyone at any point suggest that Holder ought to run for president, or that they like him at all. I mean, I’m sure he’s a nice guy but if he thinks “a certain familiarity as the first African-American attorney general” is the thing that will sweep him into power he is quite, quite deluded. But his own CBS show? Meh. Don’t care. There are far worse things on television. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/13 "2018-02-23T13:35:52Z")
Rachel Maddow asked him point blank if he was planning on running for president: [https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/02/07/eric\_holder\_my\_kids\_would\_make\_a\_better\_president\_than\_donald\_trump.html](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/02/07/eric_holder_my_kids_would_make_a_better_president_than_donald_trump.html) > [@](#): > > “Are you going to think seriously about running this year, sir?” she asked. > > “Well, I’m focusing on the NRDC with regard to redistricting, I’m focusing my efforts there. And I will make a decision at the end of this year what I want to do with regard to a higher office,” Holder responded. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/14 "2018-02-23T16:14:43Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > No, it only proved that even the most outrageous of candidates can beat Hillary Clinton. And in all likelihood Eric Holder and Oprah Winfrey too. The Democrats need a consensus candidate not some outlier. I want someone experienced in politics in 2020. Someone who has served as senator or governor and gotten things done. We need leadership in the mold of LBJ and FDR. Holder is experienced as a judge and prosecutor, but I don’t see how that translates into experience as a politician. I also found this on Holder’s wikipedia page. This won’t sit well with liberals. Seeing how liberals now make up about half of democratic voters and primary voters, alienating them isn’t a winning strategy. > **[Eric Holder | Return to private practice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Holder#Return_to_private_practice)** > > In July 2015, Holder rejoined Covington & Burling, the law firm at which he worked before becoming attorney general. The law firm's clients have included many of the large banks Holder declined to prosecute for their alleged role in the financial crisis. Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone opined about the move, "I think this is probably the single biggest example of the revolving door that we've ever had." > In early 2016, Holder was hired by the MTN Group, a South Africa-based telecommunications compan... > [@](#): > > In July 2015, Holder rejoined Covington & Burling, the law firm at which he worked before becoming Attorney General. The law firm’s clients have included many of the large banks Holder declined to prosecute for their alleged role in the financial crisis. Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone opined about the move, “I think this is probably the single biggest example of the revolving door that we’ve ever had.” ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/15 "2018-02-23T16:23:01Z")
Funny this thread popped up today. I was reading the Wiki page on the [2020 Dem primary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_presidential_primaries,_2020), and was blown away to see Holder listed under the heading of “Individuals who have publicaly expressed interest,” along with the likes of Biden, Castro, Garcetti, Hickenlooper and Bernie. I had no idea he was considering such a run. My initial reaction: I don’t like the damn mustache. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/16 "2018-02-23T16:23:20Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I also found this on Holder’s wikipedia page. This won’t sit well with liberals. Seeing how liberals now make up about half of democratic voters and primary voters, alienating them isn’t a winning strategy. > > [Eric Holder - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Holder#Return_to_private_practice) And here I thought the Obama administration was full of Marxists. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/17 "2018-02-23T19:16:01Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > And here I thought the Obama administration was full of Marxists. Fraid not. It was full of atheist muslims. You’ve been getting your news from [patriotbloggerUSAno1.com](http://patriotbloggerUSAno1.com). That is fake news. If you want real news go to [fightforfreedomagainstcommunism.com](http://fightforfreedomagainstcommunism.com) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/18 "2018-02-23T22:06:39Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I can’t see how I would get excited about his electoral ambitions, but I disagree with this. I truly see him no differently than your typical AG. Except, the Republican faux-scandal machine was cranked up to 11 on him, for reasons we can all speculate on. I’d say the fact that he wants to run for President when no AG since RFK has wanted to speaks volumes about how he saw his role. Much like RFK he saw his job as protecting the President. I believe the Republican criticism of Holder was fair. Republicans went after Janet Reno too, but mainly for incompetence, not corruption. Reno was aggressive in investigating her boss, which annoyed the Clintons to no end. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/19 "2018-02-24T00:07:31Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Meh. > > I want the democrats to start picking people for leadership positions who are as ruthlessly efficient as Mitch McConnell. Obama’s leadership style of ‘give a pretty speech and beg for friendship’ was a failure in the age of plutocrats, white nationalists and republican zealots. In order for things to be accomplished, a lot of people (namely plutocrats and white nationalists) are going to get enraged. \*\*And we should welcome their rage, and ruthlessly push an agenda that fills them with rage. \*\* The bolded part is everything that is wrong with politics today. It is why we end up with Trump. Grow up. Slee ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2018, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396/20 "2018-02-24T05:45:04Z")
Never mind the right-winger hatred for Holder; I gather from various progressive blogs that there’s a segment of the left that despises him as furiously as H. Clinton, and would not support him. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-eric-holder/809396.md?page=2)