Your Ideal Candidate: Can you think of any potential names with no serious liabilities?

[Armstead]

Looking at this primary raises an interesting question. I was trying to think of Democrats with national standing who would have no potential serious liabilities or baggage that could be exploited?

So as a hypothetical exercise, who would be your ideal candidate in real life?

I don't mean a perfect person. That doesn't exist. But someone who is generally well-regarded and has sharp political skills, who has a clear set of values and principles that reflect what Democratic liberalism stands for (in the best sense), who hasn't made any major boneheaded mistakes or instances of bad judgement or past quotes and does not have any dubious associations or backers?

Again, not someone perfect. Nor someone everyone in the country would agree with. But someone whose public image and skeletons are minor and managable.

John Edwards comes close. But I think he was undone by perceptions of inconsistencies, and the fact that he seemed too youthful, good looking and slick for some people.

As my icon indicates, for me Bernie Sanders could be one of those IMO. He's not in the running because he's not technically a Democrat. And his own label as a Democratic Socialist might scare people. But he's a meat-and-potatoes progresive and has shown himself to be able to relate to conservatives with his version of pragmatic honest progressivism. He could stand to have an injection of a sense of humor.

Al Gore is one one obvious possibility. His old image -- and some of the things he's said with his new looseness -- could be trotted out or twisted by the GOP. The question is whether he could set his stuffiness aside and relate to average voters.

Russ Feingold is one. He is a pragmatic bit principled progressive, and as far as I know is squeaky clean and practices what he preaches in terms of honest politics. His liabilities include being kind of boring and uncharismatic. He's Jewish -- but hopefully the country has moved past that barrier. He's been divorced, but so was Ronald Reagan.

Do you have any thoughts, names etc.? Again I realize it's hypothetical, but maybe a diversion from the frustrations of the current situation in the primaries.

[SoFlaJet]

1. Jesus perhaps

?

[Armstead]

10. Naw....Remember Mary Magdeline? And those shady Apostles?

[SoFlaJet]

12. and that chasing the lobbyists (money changers)

out of the Temple will garner him a lot of well-heeled enemies for sure

[Armstead]

16. A communist!

[Hart2008]

15. Right the secrtet marriage bit would kill him. They'd call him a "womanizer". n/t

[goodinuf]

14. He would have to cut his hair, loose the beard and stop wearing funny clothes

[Enrique]

2. I can think of (all three)

[Armstead]

5. Oh Jeeze -- How could I have forgotten Lee?

The CIA Beam must have clouded my mind for a moment.

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. I love Al Gore, but I think we tend to think of him as invincible when

there are many people who wouldn't vote for him based on the 2000 election. It left a bad taste in the mouth of many independent voters. My favorite politician ever, Howard Dean, would have the same problem (although I hope to see him run again) even though neither one of them has any real baggage to speak of...only media manipulated BS.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Eleanor Roosevelt. Darn, she's dead. nt

[flor de jasmim]

6. She was really special - no First Lady since has matched her

[Captain Hilts]

13. Here you go...

Even ER needed a cheat sheet to vote....

[Jamastiene]

7. Gore...end of story. n/t

[goldcanyonaz]

8. There's a hermit who lives down the street, but she refuses to leave her home.

[Rowdyboy]

9. If he was as smart, tough and progressive as his dad I'd say Evan Bayh....

but he's not and he never will be.

[Armstead]

11. Or his Dad himself...He;s still alive and kicking