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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

The Hill: Niall Stanage: Five Figures On The Left Who Could Challenge Hillary Clinton



Source:The Hill

With all due respect to Hillary Clinton, but assuming she actually does run for president, which I don't think is a safe assumption, she is going to need a strong challenge from the Left even the Far-Left if she is going to run a strong effective campaign that not only wins her the Democratic nomination for president, but unites the party behind her as well. And not seen purely as an establishment figure, or the best available option that Hubert Humphrey was in 1968 trying to lead a very divided party.

And I say assuming that Hillary Clinton runs for president and it isn't a safe assumption yet because it is not clear whether she actually wants the job other than having something else to put on her resume or complete her resume. Because she hasn't given anyone at least publicly much if any reason why she wants to be president and what she would do as president. Other than her resume and hoping to be the first female President of the United States. Which might be enough for the feminists in the party and the hard-core Hillary supporters, but not enough for her to win the actual nomination.

She is going to need a Center-Left liberal New Democrat that can challenge her from her own wing of the party to push her for those voters and maker her earn them. And that is where Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland comes in. Or former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold could push her for those voters as well. And is someone who appeals to the hardcore Left of the party and even Far-Left. She is going to need to be pushed by the Far-Left of the party as well because she is going to need those voters to be elected president and that is where Senator Bernie Sanders can obviously push her. The only self-described Socialist in Congress.

And Hillary is going to need the FDR/LBJ New Deal/Great Society Progressives behind her as well for the summer and fall of 2016 if she is going to be elected president. And of course that is where Senate Elizabeth Warren comes in, but it is not clear if Senator Warren even wants to be president or even run for president. And perhaps she does not want to divide the party when there's a strong chance of electing the first female President of the United States. Besides Senator Warren seems to like being in Congress right now and perhaps has her own goals there.

Presidential nominations aren't given to people. They have to be earned especially by people who don't like making their politics and records clear and have somewhat of a thin resume where it is hard to define their politics and accomplishments. Hillary Clinton has only been in the public eye as a candidate or public official since late 1999 and has held public office for twelve years during this year. And doesn't have a very long record of private sector experience either. So if she wants to be president, she is going to have to earn that and prove to Democrats she not only wants the job and this is where she stands on all of the key issues. But why she is the best candidate for the job.

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John F. Kennedy Liberal Democrat

John F. Kennedy Liberal Democrat
Source: U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy in 1960