# 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:** 3
**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:** [January 22, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/41 "2015-01-22T20:49:59Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Obama and Bill may have hated each other at some point, but Bill was such a help in 2012 (and Obama was so complimentary) that I think they’ve long put that behind them. In the last few years, they’ve been nothing but complimentary of each other. Yes. The _Game Change_ sequel, _Double Down_, about the 2012 campaign, makes much the same point. Bubba and Barack are on much better terms now than they were in 2008. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/42 "2015-01-23T00:57:15Z")
There’s no reason for animosity now and neither seem like the type to hold grudges. But what happens when Hillary’s next opponent starts to get competitive and Bill thinks it’s unfair? ---
**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:** [January 23, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/43 "2015-01-23T01:54:32Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > There’s no reason for animosity now and neither seem like the type to hold grudges. > > But what happens when Hillary’s next opponent starts to get competitive and Bill thinks it’s unfair? Obviously they _Vince Foster_ the opponent. Or more likely, they argue against him or her. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/44 "2015-01-23T03:18:08Z")
Which worked so well against Obama. The most skilled politician of our time nearly had a public meltdown and even got accused of maybe being a racist in the process. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/45 "2015-01-23T03:33:06Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Which worked so well against Obama. The most skilled politician of our time nearly had a public meltdown and even got accused of maybe being a racist in the process. Which had what enduring effect again? Assuming that I accept your hyperbolic description, of course. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/46 "2015-01-23T03:40:55Z")
No enduring effect. But will the situation repeat in 2016? What happens if Hillary is threatened by some upstart again? Does Bill handle it well, or does he go off the rails again? Not that I think he went off the rails either, that was just the perception. I think his criticisms of Obama were 100% accurate. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/47 "2015-01-23T03:45:37Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > **Jim Webb** has lots of military experience, and that is a big plus. Wait… when have Republicans actually gone in favor of veterans? To my recollection they celebrate chickenhawks and attempt to ruin actual warfighters (see Swiftboating). ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/48 "2015-01-23T03:50:36Z")
Since when do Democrats need Republicans to win elections? Jim Webb is a good prospect because of his ability to attract a lot of conservative leaning independents and nonideological blue collar voters. What Republicans think about all that is irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/49 "2015-01-23T04:15:41Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You know, _things_. Things is things. As I understand it, they chop up the big things and compress them into little things. And things is things. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/50 "2015-01-23T04:21:02Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > But what happens when Hillary’s next opponent starts to get competitive and Bill thinks it’s unfair? Then Bill Clinton will campaign hard for Hillary. What do you think will happen? And why is this supposed to be a big deal? Politicians in the same party compete for a nomination. This is nothing new. And when one of them wins the nomination, they all kiss and make up. Do you think Santorum was delighted when Romney beat him for the nomination in 2012? But he turned around and campaigned for Romney. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/51 "2015-01-23T04:46:31Z")
I think you’re missing the point. Bill Clinton was a big problem for Hillary in 2008. It’s fair to ask if this will happen again in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/52 "2015-01-23T07:48:32Z")
Here’s an interesting tidbit about how Clinton will differentiate herself from Obama: > [@](#): > > I had coffee recently with an adviser to both Bill and Hillary Clinton. Halfway through an animated conversation about the 2016 presidential campaign, he grabbed my napkin and sketched out how Clinton might contrast herself to Obama. He wrote: > > ``` > Consensus builder > Loner > > Plodder > Celebrity > > Listener > Lecturer > > Doer > Talker > > ``` > **[Here's How Hillary Clinton Will Distance Herself From Barack Obama](https://www.nationaljournal.com/s/33143/)** > > She may have tipped her hand in a post-State of the Union tweet. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2015, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/53 "2015-01-23T12:27:12Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I think you’re missing the point. Bill Clinton was a big problem for Hillary in 2008. It’s fair to ask if this will happen again in 2016. He was a mixed bag for Hillary in '08. Without him, she would have had no chance whatsoever. With him, she got some great day-to-day political campaigning, along with some boneheaded stuff. At worst, he’ll be a mixed bag again. At best, he’ll be Bill Clinton. It largely depends on the primary competition. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2015, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/54 "2015-01-23T12:48:13Z")
Bill is the most popular political figure in the US, he can’t help but be an asset. If Obama could explain his accomplishments half as well as Clinton, they’d be making a new face on Mt Rushmore for him. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/55 "2015-01-23T15:56:58Z")
It’s really hard to call Bill a liability for Hillary, given that nobody would ever have even heard of her if it weren’t for him. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/56 "2015-01-23T16:09:58Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Bill Clinton was a big problem for Hillary in 2008. What do you base that on? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/57 "2015-01-23T17:49:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > What do you base that on? Where he bases all his beliefs on: stone tablets discovered on the 3rd moon of Mars ---
**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:** [January 23, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/58 "2015-01-23T17:59:28Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > He was a mixed bag for Hillary in '08. Without him, she would have had no chance whatsoever. With him, she got some great day-to-day political campaigning, along with some boneheaded stuff. At worst, he’ll be a mixed bag again. At best, he’ll be Bill Clinton. It largely depends on the primary competition. Yep. He did definitely raise some hackles with some of his commentary. There’s a reason he got pushback on some of the things he said. That said? That was a long time ago, politically, he and Obama seem to have made up, and it was a molehill mountain even at the time. Could Bill be a net negative? Sure, if he goes way off message or starts contradicting things that Hillary is saying, he could lead people to wonder just who is running. They need to make sure they are coordinated. He can’t be like a normal “spouse of the person running” because he’s too big a name for that, so they need to make sure his role stays within certain bounds. Certainly, some people would prefer if Hillary were just a stand in for Bill as the real power, but that’s definitely not an image they ever want to cement in anyone’s head. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/59 "2015-01-23T19:01:49Z")
Hillary is the obvious favorite but I’ve never been one who has been fond of giving the nomination to someone because it is their turn. I admit she would probably be able to defeat the obvious opponents but it is still really early in the process. There are a number of qualified options but the name recognition issue will hinder most of them. I wish Jerry Brown were 10 or so years younger. And I don’t see Cuomo being a serious contender after yesterday’s events in Albany. Shutting down the Moreland commission is likely to end up biting him in the ass. Preet Bharara doesn’t sound like he cares much who this investigation takes down. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400/60 "2015-01-24T00:28:06Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Where he bases all his beliefs on: stone tablets discovered on the 3rd moon of Mars Perhaps there should be required reading before entering certain threads. Perhaps you should read at least some of the thread before saying stupid things. Bill’s hurting of Hillary’s campaign is not only well documented in Game Change, but isn’t exactly based on secret documents or something. It all happened right in the public eye. Were you sleeping? Perhaps you were 6 years old then and don’t remember? In any case, it was mentioned by another poster upthread just a bit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2016-democratic-candidates/710400.md?page=4)