# The 2016 Democratic Candidates **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 20, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400 "2015-01-20T18:50:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/221 "2015-03-25T15:24:59Z")
Then why is Clinton the only candidate that seems to be under consideration, despite holding views that a lot of the base doesn’t agree with? And why, despite candidates with strong liberal records, are activists clamoring for Liz Warren to get in? Why not just get behind O’Malley? Oh yeah, because O’Malley isn’t a big name. Warren and Clinton are. It’s all about the sizzle, not the steak. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/222 "2015-03-25T15:50:26Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Then why is Clinton the only candidate that seems to be under consideration, despite holding views that a lot of the base doesn’t agree with? And why, despite candidates with strong liberal records, are activists clamoring for Liz Warren to get in? Why not just get behind O’Malley? > > Oh yeah, because O’Malley isn’t a big name. Warren and Clinton are. It’s all about the sizzle, not the steak. Uh, maybe because there are 20 months until election day? Maybe because O’Malley hasn’t even announced that he’s running? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/223 "2015-03-25T15:51:04Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Then why is Clinton the only candidate that seems to be under consideration Check the date. Compare to the election date. > [@](#): > > And why, despite candidates with strong liberal records, are activists clamoring for Liz Warren to get in? Why wouldn’t they? > [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > Uh, maybe because there are 20 months until election day? Maybe because O’Malley hasn’t even announced that he’s running? Neither has anyone else in the party, including Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/224 "2015-03-25T16:29:12Z")
Yeah, but we still know who plans to run and who doesn’t. Warren doesn’t plan to run and she is neither the only liberal on earth or the most qualified one. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/225 "2015-03-30T03:38:31Z")
The NY Times reports on the Bill factor: > **[To Avert Repeat of 2008, Clinton Team Hopes to Keep Bill at His Best...](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/us/politics/to-avert-repeat-of-2008-clinton-team-hopes-to-keep-bill-at-his-best.html?_r=0)** > > Hillary Rodham Clinton’s advisers are trying to harness her husband’s gifts and rein in his impulses to avoid a repeat of her 2008 presidential campaign, when he was often a frustrated and unpredictable presence. Since many people here don’t remember what Bill did to her campaign last time around, this article is a good reminder. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/226 "2015-04-08T13:57:48Z")
Just how hard should O’Malley hit Hillary?: [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/03/30/just-how-negative-is-martin-omalley-willing-to-go-on-hillary-clinton/](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/03/30/just-how-negative-is-martin-omalley-willing-to-go-on-hillary-clinton/) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/227 "2015-04-08T14:32:08Z")
Not very, given the likelihood of her being the nominee and the certainty of her being a major figure in the party for the rest of her life. If O’Malley thinks he has a shot at the ticket himself, he needs to remember that practically nobody outside Maryland or wonk circles has ever heard of him, and even those who are don’t have a clear picture. That means promoting himself and his ideas and accomplishments, not trying to tear down an icon. The Republicans haven’t been able to do that despite a couple of decades of serious effort, and he won’t be able to either. But somebody with widespread genuine support nationally, created by genuinely showing himself to be progressive Presidential timber, could get him on the ticket, conceivably even the top slot if something happens, or at least in a top administration post. A negative campaign by a near unknown hardly ever works, though. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/228 "2015-04-08T14:59:45Z")
Life sure isn’t fair. Clinton went hammer and tongs at Obama, but she’ll get treated with kid gloves. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/229 "2015-04-08T15:43:13Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Life sure isn’t fair. Clinton went hammer and tongs at Obama, but she’ll get treated with kid gloves. I don’t see how that is possible. Even when she was only the FLOTUS, [smearing her was a RW cottage industry.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_by_or_about_Hillary_Rodham_Clinton#Anti-Clinton) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/230 "2015-04-08T15:48:26Z")
Treated with kid gloves by O’Malley. Since she’s the prohibitive frontrunner, any Democrat who wants a career needs to take it easy until they get the credibility to kneecap her the way Obama eventually did. if O’Malley harms Clinton without presenting a credible alternative, he’ll never work in that town again, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/231 "2015-04-08T15:53:01Z")
I can only imagine that you’ve gotten past the point where you can actually still taste the bullshit as it streams out of your mouth. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/232 "2015-04-08T16:23:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Since she’s the prohibitive frontrunner . . . I think you meant “presumptive.” ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/233 "2015-04-08T16:25:52Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I can only imagine that you’ve gotten past the point where you can actually still taste the bullshit as it streams out of your mouth. Wrong forum. Make an argument or go back to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/234 "2015-04-08T17:18:45Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I can only imagine that you’ve gotten past the point where you can actually still taste the bullshit as it streams out of your mouth. Warning issued. That’s way too much, jayjay. Cut it out. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/235 "2015-04-08T20:03:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Treated with kid gloves by O’Malley. Since she’s the prohibitive frontrunner, any Democrat who wants a career needs to take it easy until they get the credibility to kneecap her the way Obama eventually did. if O’Malley harms Clinton without presenting a credible alternative, he’ll never work in that town again, so to speak. There’s a middle ground. We’ll see if O’Malley or any other Democrats are able to take it. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/236 "2015-04-08T21:01:04Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Wrong forum. Make an argument or go back to sleep. This does not merit a Warning, but it is still inappropriate. Knock it off. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/237 "2015-04-09T17:32:15Z")
[Lincoln Chafee](http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-09/lincoln-chafee-considering-presidential-bid), former Rhode Island Senator and Governor and former Republican, thinks he wants to be Hillary’s running mate. Just putting it out there, because you may never hear of him again. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/238 "2015-04-09T18:07:22Z")
I always liked Lincoln Chafee. I hope he’s invited to the debates – he’s a serious and independent-minded politician. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/239 "2015-04-09T19:15:13Z")
Anybody who says, more than a year before the nominee is going to be picking a running mate, that he wants to _be_ that running mate, is very unlikely to get the job. It’s considered bad form to want the Vice Presidency that much. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/240 "2015-04-09T19:22:28Z")
That’s why they pretend to run for President instead (as Chafee is said to be considering but c’mon now), or simply make a lot of speeches and do a lot of party groundwork. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400.md?page=13)