# 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:** 17
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/321 "2015-04-29T17:41:06Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > And whose taxes are you going to raise for THAT? Prison reform is one of those soundbites that everybody approves of, but no one over a 25% tax bracket wants his money going towards. Those are the “stick 'em in a hole and let 'em kill each other” crowd. [This form](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=754594) of prison reform would be cheaper than what we do now. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/322 "2015-04-29T18:05:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The phrase “crimes against the state” is not generally understood to mean the kind of “victimless crimes” you are talking about, it means treason, insurrection and sedition. Of course a free society should tolerate sedition, the [Smith Act Trials](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_Act_trials_of_Communist_Party_leaders) were a national disgrace, but no government can tolerate treason or insurrection. In practice, when was the last time we even were willing to pursue such charges? We didn’t even charge JOhn Walker Lindh with treason. I accept the concept, so long as the treason in question does direct harm to actual Americans, such as giving nuclear secrets to Iran. But in general, crimes without actual identifiable victims should not result in jail time. To use the example of tax cheats, the IRS already has tools to collect money owed and those tools can be very punitive without jailing people. Jail should be reserved for dangerous criminals only. ---
**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:** [April 29, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/323 "2015-04-29T19:29:46Z")
It’s looking more likely that Bernie Sanders is going to enter the race for the Democratic nom. Will this force Hillary to campaign to the left? ---
**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:** [May 5, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/324 "2015-05-05T02:03:39Z")
Well, she might edge that way a bit, at least. Let’s not get sidetracked on criminal justice reform in this thread, please. Here’s a funny, opinionated overview in _The Atlantic_ on both major party’s lineups so far: [The 2016 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet - The Atlantic](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/05/the-state-of-the-2016-presidential-race-a-cheat-sheet/384828/?fb_ref=Default) ---
**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:** [May 5, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/325 "2015-05-05T02:28:17Z")
MJO on _Meet the Press_ about Baltimore’s problems and urban policy generally: [- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TIKYi5JWWM) ---
**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:** [May 13, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/326 "2015-05-13T01:57:57Z")
How long since Hillary last took a question from the press? _The Washington Post_ has started keeping track: [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/05/12/heres-a-clock-that-counts-the-minutes-since-hillary-clinton-answered-a-press-question/?postshare=1431431447459709](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/05/12/heres-a-clock-that-counts-the-minutes-since-hillary-clinton-answered-a-press-question/?postshare=1431431447459709) ---
**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:** [May 21, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/327 "2015-05-21T19:10:25Z")
How Sanders is hurting O’Malley: [http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/242768-bernie-sanders-threatens-to-crowd-out-martin-omalley](http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/242768-bernie-sanders-threatens-to-crowd-out-martin-omalley) ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/328 "2015-05-21T20:49:52Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > How long since Hillary last took a question from the press? _The Washington Post_ has started keeping track: [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/05/12/heres-a-clock-that-counts-the-minutes-since-hillary-clinton-answered-a-press-question/?postshare=1431431447459709](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/05/12/heres-a-clock-that-counts-the-minutes-since-hillary-clinton-answered-a-press-question/?postshare=1431431447459709) She did finally take questions, and her non-answers were so transparent I just don’t see how she’s supposed to scare any Republican candidate. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/329 "2015-05-21T20:56:56Z")
Maybe she doesn’t, but the poll numbers should. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2015, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/330 "2015-05-21T22:09:53Z")
All politicians give non-answers, especially this early in the process. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/331 "2015-05-21T23:50:28Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > She did finally take questions, and her non-answers were so transparent I just don’t see how she’s supposed to scare any Republican candidate. Easy. They know she doesn’t have to say much of anything to beat them. She can (and, as it happens, should) win just on the strength of being Not Jeb/Not Walker/Not Cruz/etc. Any Pub can get a lot of votes just on the strength of being Not Hillary, but not nearly enough votes to beat her. ---
**Author:** ![Riv1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Riv1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riv1)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/332 "2015-05-22T22:10:27Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I don’t think it was terrible. It wasn’t as good as Obama’s, but Obama’s really was shockingly good. And even so, Clinton got it together later and made a run. > > I’m not a Clinton fan, but I think she can and would win the nomination, can and would win the election, and would make a decent to good president. > > She seems to suck up all the oxygen in the room when it comes to the Dem race. It’s hard to imagine one of the slew of no-names getting anywhere against her (of course, people probably said that in 2007-8, but I think she’s wilier now than she was then), and it makes me wonder who is going to decide to go up against her since at least some potential candidates might think they will look foolish. > > I want her to be challenged at least a little. I don’t want it to be a meat grinder, and I don’t want her to have to tack with the wind, but I don’t think it’s healthy to have the nomination process be a coronation. Obama’s campaign “shockingly good”? Remember Rev Wright? The little bitch surfaced the same week Clinton came up with the incredibly stupid statement “duh they were SHOOTING at me and Chelsea as we ran from the plane to the stage” but Wright’s presence was even able to dwarf Hillary’s arrogant lying. Remember that it was revealed that Obama and the Missus and the family spent 20 yrs of Sundays sitting there listening to the raving maniac spew out his anti white, anti American garbage from the pulpit and basically insulting half of Obama’s racial heritage ie the people of his mother but instead of walking out… Funny but how long would candidate Hillary let’s say Rodham have lasted if it were revealed she was going to the church with daughter Chelsea and husband Mr Rodham to hear an anti black bigot reverend blame all of America and the world’s problems on the black race? You would have seen Sen Hillary Rodham sink into minus zero before you finish reading this sentence. What happened to Jeremiah Wright? Is he still holding his sermons? How come we never see Sunday footage of the Obamas in church? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/333 "2015-05-22T22:20:29Z")
> [@Riv1](#): > > What happened to Jeremiah Wright? Is he still holding his sermons? How come we never see Sunday footage of the Obamas in church? Because no one cares but you, lone wolf. Aroo. ---
**Author:** ![Riv1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Riv1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riv1)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/334 "2015-05-22T22:27:44Z")
Strange no-one cares because I sure don’t want a President who has a spiritual leader who tells him that white folks or black folks or women or men or Jews or Catholics are the cause of all the trouble in the world or that God Damn the country my President is presiding over. That means that you would be ok with electing a KKK leader President in 2016? Or maybe a Taliban leader? Just asking. You can ignore this post if you like if you can’t answer it. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2015, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/335 "2015-05-22T22:34:46Z")
That’s mighty Wright of you. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/336 "2015-05-22T22:36:34Z")
> [@Riv1](#): > > That means that you would be ok with electing a KKK leader President in 2016? Or maybe a Taliban leader? Seems like you need “The 2016 KKK Candidates” thread, and “The 2016 Taliban Candidates” thread. We can pick up this fascinating discussion there! ---
**Author:** ![Riv1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Riv1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riv1)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/337 "2015-05-22T22:41:00Z")
Always saves face to end it with a joke when you know the other guy was right.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/338 "2015-05-22T22:47:47Z")
> [@Riv1](#): > > Always saves face to end it with a joke when you know the other guy was right.🙂 Religious leaders say stupid things because religion is stupid. I think you’ll find that what Wright actually said was cherry-picked to find the most incendiary tidbits. In other words you’re being cynically manipulated by RW media that distorts information and gives undefended polemics as supposed news. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/339 "2015-05-22T22:51:01Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Religious leaders say stupid things because religion is stupid. I think you’ll find that what Wright actually said was cherry-picked to find the most incendiary tidbits. > > In other words you’re being cynically manipulated by RW media that distorts information and gives undefended polemics as supposed news. I’m sad for you. You just… lemme check… yep, you just voted for the Taliban and the KKK. All at once, because you are super efficiently evil. ---
**Author:** ![Riv1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Riv1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riv1)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/340 "2015-05-22T22:55:45Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I’m sad for you. You just… lemme check… yep, you just voted for the Taliban and the KKK. All at once, because you are super efficiently evil. Uh yeah. Ok. Have a nice day now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400.md?page=18)