# If Clinton stays out, who is likely to be the nominee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 13, 2014, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100 "2014-12-13T08:33:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/41 "2014-12-15T19:20:15Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Are you my younger self with a time machine? Four or five years ago, I used to use “Franken/Grayson 2016!” as a sig line in blogspace. > > While I’m less sure about Grayson than I used to be, I still think Al Franken would be a hell of a good candidate. Why not him, indeed? More importantly, he would be a hell of a good president. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/42 "2014-12-15T19:22:31Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Sounds like little more than some liberal’s wet dream. Rahm’s an attack dog, with about the same level of likeability. A wet dream of[fucking retards](http://dissentingjustice.blogspot.com/2010/02/fucking-retards-why-didnt-rahm-emanuel.html), maybe. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/43 "2014-12-15T21:16:30Z")
Sure, like progressives are going to jump ship when faced with a moderate and vote for Ted Cruz instead. It was that all or nothing attitude that helped elect flaming liberals like Clinton and Obama. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/44 "2014-12-15T22:21:17Z")
Franken’s this generation’s Paul Wellstone - now that would have been an interesting nominee. Minnesota’s other senator Amy Klobuchar is smart, hardworking, and personable. Not sure if she’s expressed any interest in the job though. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/45 "2014-12-15T22:33:48Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > … flaming liberals like Clinton and Obama. heh ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/46 "2014-12-16T01:08:29Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Not to mention it would be hard for Dems to rally around a Nixon presidential campaign. Unless he’s tanned, rested and ready?? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/47 "2014-12-16T02:36:55Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Unless he’s tanned, rested and ready?? 😃 Give his head a shiny new robot body and I’d consider it. I’ve yet to be convinced that he was really any worse than the Republicans that came after him (Ford excepted). ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/48 "2014-12-16T04:02:50Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Or a middle name like Hussein! > > I remember Andrew Cuomo’s name being bandied about a few years ago. How’s he been doing? No way Sandra Lee can be First Lady. Imagine the drunken parties. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/49 "2014-12-16T04:28:36Z")
Franken would be very intriguing. We’re overdue for our first Jewish President. Cuomo seems to still be in the mix to me. He’s damaged, much like Christie, but not down and out, and it’s hard to argue he hasn’t accomplished things as governor of New York. He may have alienated much of the left, but who cares about them anyway?🙂 Staying home is a nice threat, but the reason center right voters are the most sought after voters is because they will switch their vote if displeased enough, which is worth twice as much as a voter who just threatens to stay home. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/50 "2014-12-16T06:29:33Z")
[We already know how a Franken presidency would turn out](http://t.alibris.com/Why-Not-Me-Al-Franken/book/7216191?matches=18), because he told us. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/51 "2014-12-16T06:32:38Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Rahm’s an attack dog, with about the same level of likeability. It worked for Spiro Agnew. ETA: Or come to think of it, maybe it didn’t… ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/52 "2014-12-16T07:03:55Z")
Emmanuel is a plausible VP nominee. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/53 "2014-12-16T11:42:17Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Emmanuel is a plausible VP nominee. Liberals and progressives know that Emmanuel despises them, he’s generally regarded as kind of an asshole … just who is Emmanuel supposed to ATTRACT to the voting booth? I can’t think of any DEMOCRATIC constituency that would find him an attractive candidate. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/54 "2014-12-16T12:00:38Z")
That depends on how you define the role of VP. Democrats have usually used them for pure political attraction, Republicans have often used them for their ability to contribute to administration decision-making. Emmanuel and Dick Cheney have a lot in common temperament-wise, but also experience-wise. If you have a Liz Warren as the nominee, then the progressives are already taken care of. Emmanuel would then be someone who could handle a lot of the stuff Warren isn’t familiar with or is uninterested in, like national security policy. That’s not to say Emmanuel is a likely choice, just a plausible choice. Plus I forgot to mention that politically, if you need to nail down the Jewish vote, which could be necessary if the current President does something really stupid in regards to Israel(the press secretary refused to rule out sanctions due to Israel’s settlements), then you might need Emmanuel to keep the Jewish vote, along with the jewish donors, from defecting. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/55 "2014-12-16T12:53:44Z")
If he wasn’t such a douche, it would be awesome if Ben Stein ran as Franken’s VP nominee. That would be a monster ticket! ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/56 "2014-12-16T13:19:23Z")
You really want a creatard on the ticket? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/57 "2014-12-16T13:26:04Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > You really want a creatard on the ticket? No, I just think bumper stickers that said Franken/Stein would be cool. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/58 "2014-12-16T16:34:39Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > That depends on how you define the role of VP. Democrats have usually used them for pure political attraction, Republicans have often used them for their ability to contribute to administration decision-making. Quayle? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/59 "2014-12-16T16:38:50Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Franken would be very intriguing. We’re overdue for our first Jewish President. I do wonder what his policy would be on Israel. If only Nixon could go to China, perhaps only a JPOTUS could negotiate a two-state or a one-state solution. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100/60 "2014-12-16T16:41:50Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Quayle? He was a long time ago; undoubtedly the poster is thinking about Sarah Palin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-clinton-stays-out-who-is-likely-to-be-the-nominee/707100.md?page=4)