Okay, Warren's not running. Bernie might be.

[KamaAina]

mopinko has another suggestion: Robert Reich.

Discuss.

[yeoman6987]

1. I hope he does

Not only does he have great beliefs on the issues, but it would take away the BS age issue from Hillary which is exceptional!

[PAProgressive28]

2. Bernie is almost 100% running

The only way I don't see him jumping in is Warren running or a serious re-consideration.

If you want to join whatever Bernie 2016 movement may exist to this point come check us out on Reddit at r/SandersForPresident

[marlakay]

14. I hope he stays in....

Long enough to force Hillary to move left...as far as she will go!

[JoeyT]

21. As if what they say in the primaries has any bearing on what they do once they win. n/t

[marlakay]

45. True but what else do we do? Give up? n/t

[Nay]

55. No, but we should at least stop thinking that forcing a candidate to act

and talk like a progressive in the primaries will actually result in a progressive taking office. The main problem with, say, forcing Hillary to fake-talk like a progressive in the primaries is that the run-of-the-mill voters who only half pay attention to politics every 4 years may get the erroneous idea that she IS interested in helping them when she truly has never shown much interest in doing so.

I hope Hillary presents herself as she has presented herself over the last 20 years. That way, Bernie Sanders can stand out as a true progressive and we can go on from there, having a clear choice of what we want, without the muddying of the waters with every candidate pretending he gives a damn about being progressive.

[wyldwolf]

19. He's 'almost 100% running' and you direct us to ... Reddit?

[VanillaRhapsody]

3. I must say

[KamaAina]

4. What's so funny?

I think he'd make a great candidate.

[VanillaRhapsody]

5. If Dennis Kucinich is a non-starter

What does that say about an actual Socialists chances? That is whats so funny.....besides he is also unqualified to be supported at DU.

[KamaAina]

8. Robert Reich is a socialist?

He's served in three administrations, one of them Republican (Ford). I'm pretty sure there's never been an "actual Socialist" in any administration.

[VanillaRhapsody]

11. I thought this was about Bernie Sanders?

[KamaAina]

27. No, mainly about Reich.

mopinko floated his name on FB, so I thought I'd run it up the flagpole here and see if anybody saluted.

[VanillaRhapsody]

33. when did reich decide to run?

[KamaAina]

38. He hasn't.

mopinko floated the name, and I found the idea intriguing enough to strat this thread.

[VanillaRhapsody]

42. intriguing is not the word I would use...

[mopinko]

10. care to back that up?

news to me. sure it is to others.
inquiring minds want to know.

[VanillaRhapsody]

12. back up what? That Dennis Kucinich is a non-starter?

Oh Puh leeze!

[mopinko]

16. no, that reich is a socialist.

[VanillaRhapsody]

34. i was never talking about reich...

And who gives a rat about him besides you....he has less a chance than the very longshot Sanders has....

[VanillaRhapsody]

6. oh and please provide data that shows

More than a snowballs chance in hell. Where are the polls that show him beating any not to mention ALL republican comers?

[mopinko]

17. since he isnt a candidate yet,

i dont think the "data", which is to say- proof of his name recognition, is out there.
but, you cant discuss this person unless you think he can win?
nobody is telling you to vote for him. the thread is about whether he should run.

[VanillaRhapsody]

35. nor is he a Democrat....

So still another non starter...who among republicans does he poll higher?

[djean111]

51. mopinko, any thread that floats a Dem candidate besides Hillary will be pounced upon with gusto!

In this case, you floated Reich's name, and Kucinich was attacked, for some reason, but you get the idea.
Has the making of a good drinking game.
And doesn't do Hillary any favors.

[VanillaRhapsody]

52. first of all Bernie is not a Dem.....

[mopinko]

54. i'm personally quite fond of hillary.

the neo-con stink that people spray doesnt bother me. she didnt pass nafta. tho i wish she had voted the other way on the iwr, and is hawkish, that, i think just a feint. she has to look tough in order to win. and she is too smart to shoot herself in the foot for a lost cause.
but i also know her to be a quite a competent peace maker and diplomat. it was bush's war, not hillary's.

i just want a good primary. a full and fair airing of the democratic platform. and i will work as hard as i can for the winner. so, my other than hill thoughts are with those that would bring a cogent debate, and not just a big bag of talking points.

re dennis, all short guys are alike dont ya know. and that was aaaalll that was wrong with dennis as a candidate. just being short.
right right.

[brooklynite]

7. Explain how he wins a national election

A lot of people grab for someone who agrees with them philosophically; getting elected and governing effectively call for other skills.

[mopinko]

9. i think his take on issues is straightforward and understandable.

he did make mention that he might run if it was gonna be only hillary.

only trouble i see is he is too short.

[VanillaRhapsody]

13. That may be so....but it doesn't mean you win elections....

Show me ANY poll that says he can beat ALL Republicans!

[mopinko]

40. there is no poll.

unless it is his own, and he has chosen not to share it. so your criticism is moot. maybe you can pay for one.
and again, show me how he is a socialist. not that that is a bad thing. it might just ring with a big part of the base.
i am all ears.

[VanillaRhapsody]

41. there is for Hillary Clinton

She beats all their asses. Until you all can produce someone who can do better...(esp a non Democratic Socialist...). I am backing the champ!

[elleng]

15. He ran unsuccessfully for Mass governor.

There was a five-way battle for the Democratic nomination for governor, contested among Massachusetts State Treasurer Shannon O'Brien, President of the Massachusetts Senate Thomas Birmingham, former Democratic National Committee and American Israel Public Affairs Committee chair Steven Grossman, former United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, and former nominee for lieutenant governor Warren Tolman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_gubernatorial_election,_2002

As much as I agree with him on policy, I don't think he'd be a great candidate. Charisma is necessary. I like him a lot, but don't think he'd be the best choice.

[KamaAina]

24. And he lost to Shannon O'Brien

who in turn lost to a repuke. In Mass. Ouch.

[elleng]

26. Right, she lost to rmoney! In MASS!

OUCH!

[KamaAina]

28. That's right, it was Mittwit.

I thought it might have been one of their other repukes , like Jane "None Too" Swift.

[MADem]

30. He spent MILLIONS to get that job, to use as a launching pad for the Presidency.

His ads were on constantly, he out-spent six ways to Sunday and lied out his ass.

He promised JOBS. He said he was a businessman who knew how to bring JOBS to western MA. People didn't know him then like they do now.

He lied. People who wanted JOBS believed him.

He brought NO jobs. In fact, many people left the state in search of ... JOBS.

And he didn't do the job he was elected to do. He left that to his incompetent 2nd banana--who did a HORRIBLE job, and lost to Deval Patrick. That's why he was a one term governor, aside from using the position to launch himself to national fame, he couldn't get re-elected on a bet--his constituents in MA thought he stunk on ice.

The joke was if you needed a MA state cop you had to go to NH, because Mittsy spent most of his time there and had a huge and bloated "protection" detail of flabby, fleshy staties to keep him safe from the unwashed masses.

[Corey_Baker08]

18. What If He Becomes The Ralph Nader & Takes Enough Democrat Votes Away, WE LOSE!

[KamaAina]

25. He would presumably run as a Dem

in the primaries.

[VanillaRhapsody]

36. uh no he wont....

And even if he did.....he cannot beat our bench..

[mopinko]

39. that is what his stated intentions were.

to prevent a hillary coronation, and force a primary discussion.

[wyldwolf]

20. you know what's so funny about this thread so far?

The OP is about Sanders (mostly.) Sanders was called a socialist (which he is) and now people are demanding proof that REICH is a socialist. Bizarro.

[KamaAina]

23. The OP was mainly about Reich.

I assumed the socialist jibe was aimed at him.

[karynnj]

22. Well - I think it would be a first in at least one aspect in Presidential races

He spoke of having had a date with Hillary when both were single and in college.

http://content.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,2695602210001_2153048,00.html

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

29. Draft Sherrod Brown

.

[brooklynite]

44. Doesn't want to run either...

I know the family.

[TheKentuckian]

46. Draft isn't a "want to" centric word and no one cares about your alleged contacts

I also see little reason to care about the wants of politicians anyway, they need to worry about what the people need and want. The damn tail does not wag the dog.

[brooklynite]

47. Sorry, I'll stick to the real world...

...where people run for office because they decide they want to, or don't (as "uncaring" as that might be).

By the way, care to share with us the efforts YOU've made to convince Brown, or Sanders or anyone else to do "what the people want and need"? Or is that someone else's job?

[TheKentuckian]

50. Not being rich I don't get one on one time at fundraisers and also have to do crazy shit like

work my 45 or 50 hours and maintain my home as not to have time to setting up packs and organizing election bids so all I can do is call and write making my request and my case that they do so, I am not of influence nor do I even really know people of influence at that kind of level.

What should I be doing O' Oracle?

[brooklynite]

56. Too bad nobody's invented a way to mail a letter...

...or maybe even send one electronically! Then you could encourage them to run in your own words. And wouldn't it be great if there was technology to allow you to communicate with other like-minded and organize a coordinated effort to encourage your candidate to run? Well, maybe next time...

(FWIW-know how I got private face time with Brian Schweitzer at the Convention? I sent hom an email)

[TheKentuckian]

59. Too bad no know one has invented reading comprehension, it would have made such action discernable

in the previous post.

[MADem]

31. Reich has no national following.

He failed at the governor's race (not his fault, entirely, it was a big field).

He's never held elective office. He has been a cabinet official, but it's not one of the Top Three (State, Defense, AG).

He has no fifty-state fundraising machine, and he's unlikely to get any help on that score from the state movers/shakers or any of the congressional fundraising PACS, or any of the other popular PACS. As a never elected, no ground game pundit, he's late, late, LATE outta the gate--he would have needed to start going around and shaking hands at the state level two years ago--really.

He's SHORT, very short--as in "WAY too short to qualify to serve in the military" short. Short males have a hard time winning elections. That is not a disparagement (jury take notice), that is simply a fact. They've won, occasionally, but the taller candidate usually prevails: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heights_of_presidents_and_presidential_candidates_of_the_United_States

He's burned a few bridges. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/clinton/interviews/reich.html
If he'll tell tales on his boss/friend of many decades, he'll tell tales on anyone. Some perceive him as "disloyal."

I don't think he's got any potential as a candidate. I'd see Bill Richardson running (again) before Reich (and I don't know how likely he is, either).

[davidpdx]

32. As much as I like Reich I agree with you

Plus he's a policy wonk. Although Obama is as well, Obama is a very gifted speaker which is something that is rare.

[MADem]

37. And ... Obama is tall, and he had friends in the Senate when he was first running.

He was able to put together a ground game quite quickly. He had YOUTH on his side, too--people forget how YOUNG his daughters were when he first took office.

Reich CAN give a good speech, and he can handle himself in debate (though it comes off better on the radio) but I just don't think he's got "it."

Electing a President is a "visual" process, even if we don't want to admit that...it's also superficial on some levels!!!

[Cal33]

49. I guess you are right.

[savalez]

43. Bernie? Good! Now we can be guaranteed to lose the presidency!

[bigwillq]

48. I hope both Warren and Sanders run

The more candidates, the better, imo.

Let the people decide. May the best man or woman win.

[Unvanguard]

53. Sanders won't win, I suspect he realizes that, and it wouldn't necessarily be good if he did.

If he does run, I'll probably vote for him anyway.

[craigmatic]

57. Sanders wouldn't be in a primary against Hillary so it won't matter. We need a lib dem alternative.

[KamaAina]

58. He has stated that if he ran, it would be as a Dem

in the Dem primaries. No Nader, he.