What's the rationale for democrats running in 2016?

[craigmatic]

Obama has sucked all the air out of the room for potential democrats in 2016. They probably won't talk about healthcare. The draw-downs in Iraq and Afghanistan were probably premature. The economy is doing better. What is there to run on?

[djean111]

1. Increasing social security, infrastructure creating jobs, re-working the post office

to do banking, do something about those fucking "trade" agreements if possible, do something about inequality, do something about reining in Wall Street......there's lots of stuff, methinks!

[craigmatic]

5. Not with the field that we have so far. Hillary and Webb are probably pro-free trade and

pro Wall Street. Those issues don't attract the kind of attention that we saw in 2008 and 2012- healthcare, ending wars, saving the economy, etc. If this turns into another election about nothing we will lose.

[misterhighwasted]

6. I fear that by 2016 the things you mentioned will have been taken apart by the GOP to the

extent that there won't be a way to save any of them.
GOP will be working fast after Jan 1. They know there are only two yrs to accomplish the raping & pillaging of all the past generations so proudly & loyally built & worked for.
The GOP New World Capitalist Order is damn near complete.
We don't get it back once the GOP is finished with it all.
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[RBInMaine]

14. Don't growl. VOTE. And CAMPAIGN. And take people with you.

[merrily]

9. Even if they wanted to do all that, they can't.

[NYC_SKP]

2. Expanding Medicare, Infrastructure, Jobs, Equity. They'll talk about it if we chose the right leader

And it ain't Hillary.

If you want change, get behind a peoples' person like Warren or Kucinich or Sanders.

[merrily]

12. I sure hope more Democrats jump into the fray.

Besides, nothing good is going to get done as long as the rules of either House require super majorities. And, that is how the cons like it.

[RBInMaine]

15. Warren isn't running and anyone who thinks Kucinich or Sanders can win is not on this planet.

[NYC_SKP]

20. Oh, bother! Whether or not they can win is not going to determine how I vote.

Primaries are for voting your conscience, not for picking the one with the most celebrity.

[AndyTiedye]

21. Promises No President Can Keep

Expanding Medicare, Infrastructure, Jobs, Equity

Someone running for President can make such promises, but no President can possibly keep them. The GOP only has to say "NO" and then we'll get slaughtered in the mid-terms (again) for being unable to deliver all that.

[NYC_SKP]

22. It's not about making promises, it's about enlightening and educating the people.

Like him or not, Ross Perot was on the right track.

Instead of rhetoric and promises, he just used data and graphs and charts.

And he did pretty darn well running under a third party banner.

We see data here all the time that we never see in the media.

Like this data:

[Xipe Totec]

3. Well, You can't win if you don't run. I think that's the rationale. nt

[craigmatic]

10. True but you have to have issues to run on just look at Ted Kennedy in 1980 when they asked

him why he was running and he couldn't come up with an answer. I'm wondering what Hillary's rationale will be. I think we can win but I'm wondering what the issues and message will be.

[Xipe Totec]

11. That's not a rationale, that's a platform. nt

[arcane1]

4. Disagree. At minimum, run on "don't let republicans make it worse"

But I hope there is a solid anti-war contingent too! The draw-downs were not "premature" they were a decade LATE.

[merrily]

13. With the sixty vote rule, Democrats ought to be able to check Republicans, even if Dems are in

the minority. If Republicans can thwart Dems when Republicans are in the minority, Dems should be able to do that same. If they want to.

[napi21]

7. Supporting the expansion of unions, drastically reducing gov't spying on AM. citizens, etc.

all Dem candidates need to run on traditional Democratic issues that strongly support the middle class and stop the "total support for the wealthy!" How about changing the tax code to remove special treatment of passive income and tax all income at the same rate! There are LOTS of issues for Dems to run on AND WIN! That sure would demonstrate the diff. between all the insane Pub issues.

[merrily]

8. I am sure some DUer can copy and paste a list of accomplishments for them, if they wish.

Whoever came up with this year's strategy of "I'm not Obama" should be tarred and feathered, IMO.

[RBInMaine]

16. What's the rationale for asking such a ridiculous question? Please.

[craigmatic]

23. Because in modern times only the first bush was able to win a third term in the white house for his

party. Let's not kid ourselves this is going to be tougher than people think.

[grahamhgreen]

17. War! We can do more and bigger war! And more tax cuts for the wealthiest!!!

[blkmusclmachine]

18. Wait for it. 2 more years of one-way "bi-partisanship" will destroy our brand, with a huge aid &

abet by the Corporate Media.

We KNOW Hillary will run to Obama's right. And lose.

We NEED someone to run to his left.

[BruceW]

19. Short platform, with key = MNCs not paying taxes

Obama has sucked all the air out of the room for potential democrats in 2016. They probably won't talk about healthcare. The draw-downs in Iraq and Afghanistan were probably premature. The economy is doing better. What is there to run on?

Platform could be 3 points:

• Economy: we got a mess (Lehman Brothers, Fanny Mae, etc), we solved it

• Foreign: we got a mess (Iraq), we ugly Americans give way to the locals

• Fairness: we acted (ObamaCare), we will carry on (MNCs not paying taxes)


The cutting edge should be MNCs not paying taxes

[Cosmocat]

24. People can poo poo this, but it is an absolutely legitimate point

We are all justifiably aghast over the bullshit the republicans spew, with the "liberal" media gleefully promoting it.

BUT, the democratic party is at an all time low right now.

There is no basic platform, not core policy agenda.

Not only are democrats absolutely spineless and unwilling to dare to even say a single word to counter the republican bullshit, which is bad enough, but the party has no uniform policy agenda that can be promoted.

Again, people just don't get how big of a problem this is.