Elections Democratic Road to 2016 Primary Thread

[ShoelessRye]

Didn't he try to solicit a massage therapist awhile back?

Forgot about that!

 

[nefti]

Bernie needs to realize that the democratic establishment won't let himrun for president unless he destroys Hillary. He needs to go for the jugular constantlh, he needs to put Hillary down.

 

[Lead]

The Utter Genius of Hillary

 

[Gandhi]

Biden should wait on the sidelines unless hilary implodes

 

[Lead]

Slipping Away: Joe Biden wants to be President but knows he can't win

It was noon, three days before the 2008 Iowa caucuses, and Joe Biden was finally drawing a crowd. At the Rac**** River Brewing Co. in Des Moines, the senator spoke to more than 500 people, a gathering still remembered by Democrats as a rollicking affair, and one that sparked a last-ditch, mass email from his team insisting the wind was at Biden's back.

"Our crowds are growing by leaps and bounds," wrote Larry Rasky, Biden's then-communications director. "Our rivals will face much larger hurdles with regard to viability tomorrow, as they struggle to garner 15 percent in any one Iowa precinct."

 

[Diamond Jim]

Biden should wait on the sidelines unless hilary implodes

I think he waits till she testifies. If it goes well, Biden should sit out. If she bombs, and IMO she won't, than that gives him the entry he needs.

 

[ShoelessRye]

If O'Malley was smart he'd come out and say that he would support and continue on any Iran/Five+1 nuclear agreement Pres Obama signs. Separate himself from Hillary and paint her as the war hawk she is, paint her as itching for war - highlight her vote on Iraq war and now her silence on Iran and even the GOP stunt of sending letter to Iran saying any agreement has no teeth.

 

[Lead]

Two Polls out from after 1st Debate. One showing Bernie gaining ground and the other with Hillary gaining ground.

Monmouth
Clinton 48
Sanders 21
Biden 17
Web 1
O'Malley 0
Chafee 0

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/10/18/democrats.pdf

CNN/ORC
Clinton 45
Sanders 29
Biden 18
Webb 1
O'Malley 0
Chafee 0

http://www.monmouth.edu/assets/0/32212254770/32212254991/32212254992/32212254994/32212254995/30064771087/4f03d197-5cae-42a6-b47a-0c1a4aeb7b6f.pdf


I really expect O'Malley to drop out soon. He's broke and has no reason to stay around. Webb is likely more stubborn and Chafee is hard to understand.

 

[Lead]

Hillary Clinton Planning to Meet Reporters on Tuesday

Hillary Clinton will take questions from reporters on Tuesday, as she tries to push back and ultimately move on from scrutiny of her use of a private e-mail address during her time as secretary of state.

Clinton

 

[Diamond Jim]

Two Polls out from after 1st Debate. One showing Bernie gaining ground and the other with Hillary gaining ground.

Monmouth
Clinton 48
Sanders 21
Biden 17
Web 1
O'Malley 0
Chafee 0

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/10/18/democrats.pdf

CNN/ORC
Clinton 45
Sanders 29
Biden 18
Webb 1
O'Malley 0
Chafee 0

http://www.monmouth.edu/assets/0/32212254770/32212254991/32212254992/32212254994/32212254995/30064771087/4f03d197-5cae-42a6-b47a-0c1a4aeb7b6f.pdf


I really expect O'Malley to drop out soon. He's broke and has no reason to stay around. Webb is likely more stubborn and Chafee is hard to understand.

Webb's campaign is floating the idea of running as an independent.

 

[Lead]

Hillary Clinton's Long, Cautious Record on Women's Rights

The early reviews of Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state were not so unlike the "texts from Hillary" portrait of her as a superhero in sunglasses, dishing out more good lines than Downton Abbey's Dowager Countess.

"She is, it seems, everywhere at once,'' declared Newsweek in 2011, "crossing time zones and defying jet lag." That same year, Google's Eric E. Schmidt called her

 

[Lead]

Webb's campaign is floating the idea of running as an independent.

Wonder if that actually could matter considering he is in Virginia which is a toss up/slightly blue state at this point. Doubt it would though.

 

[Denter]

If O'Malley was smart he'd come out and say that he would support and continue on any Iran/Five+1 nuclear agreement Pres Obama signs. Separate himself from Hillary and paint her as the war hawk she is, paint her as itching for war - highlight her vote on Iraq war and now her silence on Iran and even the GOP stunt of sending letter to Iran saying any agreement has no teeth.

The feeling I get from the left-of-center types on this board and IRL is that they want a breath of fresh air and a challenge from the left of Hillary.

 

[Gandhi]

I think he waits till she testifies. If it goes well, Biden should sit out. If she bombs, and IMO she won't, than that gives him the entry he needs.

I agree

 

[Possum Jenkins]

yeah, cause it's hillary's run, right. god i wish her effort fails and warren steps in.

At the same time, I don't know how Warren fares with "mainstream" voters.

She's huge among very liberal people and among the politically aware and just about every person in this group likes her over Hillary. But obviously those are small in number when compared to the majority of voters.

The majority looks at her like this: She missed her chance in 2008 so now it's her shot. She's Bill's wife and we like Bill so she's great. Plus, the Republicans are absolutely bat-shit insane as per the usual.

Warren is way too unknown.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

Two Polls out from after 1st Debate. One showing Bernie gaining ground and the other with Hillary gaining ground.

Monmouth
Clinton 48
Sanders 21
Biden 17
Web 1
O'Malley 0
Chafee 0

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/10/18/democrats.pdf

CNN/ORC
Clinton 45
Sanders 29
Biden 18
Webb 1
O'Malley 0
Chafee 0

http://www.monmouth.edu/assets/0/32212254770/32212254991/32212254992/32212254994/32212254995/30064771087/4f03d197-5cae-42a6-b47a-0c1a4aeb7b6f.pdf


I really expect O'Malley to drop out soon. He's broke and has no reason to stay around. Webb is likely more stubborn and Chafee is hard to understand.

I think he's running for an administration position ot book/lobbyist deal.

 

[Lead]

At the same time, I don't know how Warren fares with "mainstream" voters.

She's huge among very liberal people and among the politically aware and just about every person in this group likes her over Hillary. But obviously those are small in number when compared to the majority of voters.

The majority looks at her like this: She missed her chance in 2008 so now it's her shot. She's Bill's wife and we like Bill so she's great. Plus, the Republicans are absolutely bat-shit insane as per the usual.

Warren is way too unknown.

Warren is the equivalent to Rand Paul in the GOP for electability. Liberals like her a lot but fail to see how independents would perceive here.

Fun hypothetical. Which would you rather have?
Bush v. Clinton or Warren v. Paul?

 

[Quipling]

Wonder if that actually could matter considering he is in Virginia which is a toss up/slightly blue state at this point. Doubt it would though.

Webb would have to be popular in virginia for that to matter. Personal experience suggests he isn't.

I think he's running for an administration position ot book/lobbyist deal.

Rumor is that chafee has a book coming out soon.

 

[Videer]

I am sitting on the fence about Hillary, she does appear cold and ruthless as fuck in a Nixonian way which could either be great or end in a disaster.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Jim Webb dropping out.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

So the Secretary of State can't squeeze 2 email accounts onto one phone? Its amazing that a professional liar surrounded by professional liars couldn't have come up with something better than that.

She made a fool of herself today and she's going down.

 

[Lead]

Webb would have to be popular in virginia for that to matter. Personal experience suggests he isn't.

That's anecdotal though. He was a Senator there so it's very hard to say he wasn't somewhat popular. It wouldn't surprise me either if Virginia had a group that wanted third party. I could be wrong but I think this is the state that had a weird vote in the Dem primary in 2012 for Obama and some no name guy.

EDIT- wasn't Virginia in 2012. Can't figure out where it was.

 

[Lead]

Hillary Clinton: I used private email account for 'convenience'

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign began on terms set by her adversaries – with a defensive Clinton telling reporters she won’t release half of the emails sent from a controversial private email account set up while she was Secretary of State.
Clinton, playing defense with the poise and clarity of a mid-campaign politician, said her decision to send departmental emails through a private email server at her suburban New York house as a matter of “convenience,” and regretted not keeping parallel government and private accounts.

A video of the statement is included in the link above.

Hillary Clinton Fails to Address Security Concerns About Her 'Homebrew' Email System

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday offered a vociferous defense of her use of a private email account, but failed to answer a number of lingering questions regarding the security of her correspondence during her tenure as secretary of State, while rebutting a request to turn over her personal computer server.

"I saw it as a matter of convenience," Clinton said at a press conference following a United Nations event in New York, adding, "Now, looking back, I think it might have been smarter to have those two [emails] from the very beginning."

But Clinton said she would not hand over the home-managed server registered to a family address in Chappaqua, N.Y., dismissing suggestions that such a move would go far to quell skepticism about her current level of transparency.

Hillary Clinton, Taking Questions About Her Email, Says She 'Opted for Convenience'

Hillary Clinton gave the public more than a tweet about her email controversy on Tuesday. She gave them an explanation.

"When I got to work as secretary of state, I opted for convenience to use my personal email account, which was allowed by the State Department, because I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two," she said, referring to the use of one mobile phone to check her email. "Looking back, it would have been better if I'd simply used a second email account and carried a second phone, but at the time, this didn't seem like an issue."

Hillary Clinton Says Her Use of Private E-Mail Was Legal

Hillary Clinton defended the legality of her use of a private e-mail account and server while she served as secretary of state, saying Tuesday that she had done so out of a desire for convenience but should have used a government account for work purposes.

Eight days after the New York Times reported that Clinton had possibly violated protocol by foregoing government-issued e-mail, Clinton called a hastily organized news conference outside the United Nations, after delivering a speech on global women's issues.

 

[Quipling]

That's anecdotal though. He was a Senator there so it's very hard to say he wasn't somewhat popular. It wouldn't surprise me either if Virginia had a group that wanted third party. I could be wrong but I think this is the state that had a weird vote in the Dem primary in 2012 for Obama and some no name guy.

EDIT- wasn't Virginia in 2012. Can't figure out where it was.

I did live in virginia up until a couple of months ago, and I dont remember webb being very popular. I could be wrong, though. Might be confusing him with gilmore, who definitely left office unpopular.

 

[Lead]

Bernie Sanders: GOP 'itching' for war with Iran

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday slammed Senate Republicans for their open letter to Iranian leaders, accusing them of seeking out a war with the country.
Speaking with a group of reporters following his speech at the International Association of Fire Fighters presidential forum in Washington, the Vermont senator said the 47 Republican senators warning Iran of a deal on its nuclear program are trying to

 

[Lead]

I did live in virginia up until a couple of months ago, and I dont remember webb being very popular. I could be wrong, though. Might be confusing him with gilmore, who definitely left office unpopular.

That's what I mean by anecdotal, personal experience. It's entirely possible you were around a selective group that didn't representive the voting bloc in Virginia. It's hard to base much information off that. For example, I'm in Pittsburgh. Most people in the city have voted for Obama. If I drove two hours any direction into the rural area (where I grew up), I would hear from a lot of people who voted for McCain and Romney who don't like Obama. My surroundings don't necessarily form strong evidence.

Virginia has a similar makeup where you have the rural red areas but the DC suburban blue area growing each year and moving the state from red to toss up to possibly blue in coming years.

 

[Lead]

When a Presidential Nominating Contest Isn

 

[Lead]

Biden not running for president

Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday ended months of breathless will-he-or-won't-he speculation about a potential presidential run, saying he's concluded that he's simply "out of time" to mount a real and winnable campaign.
The announcement, in the Rose Garden, with Biden flanked by President Barack Obama and his wife, Jill, means the vice president is foregoing what would have been a third run and likely the last chance to fulfill a lifelong quest to the highest office in the nation. In characteristic Biden fashion, he spoke plainly and emotionally of the enduring pain of the May death his son, Beau, of brain cancer, and the unpredictable timetable of the grieving process that doesn't respect filing deadlines or debates or primaries.

What Joe Biden's Exit Means For Hillary Clinton

Many people close to Hillary Clinton didn't think that Vice President Joe Biden was going to decide to run for president–or at least hoped he wouldn't. Still, the moment Wednesday when he announced that he wouldn't be getting into the race was a victory for a campaign that's felt its momentum gaining in recent days.
Biden's entry into the Democratic field would have shifted dynamics, creating new challenges–and adding new costs–for the Clinton campaign. Instead, the Democratic front-runner's team can stay the course it set months ago, with no other establishment opponents only one major opponent in the primary, Bernie Sanders. The Vermont senator has strength with certain constituencies but is struggling to build support among African Americans and Hispanics.

 

[ShoelessRye]

So the Secretary of State can't squeeze 2 email accounts onto one phone? Its amazing that a professional liar surrounded by professional liars couldn't have come up with something better than that.

She made a fool of herself today and she's going down.

I don;t think it's that bad. Fact of the matter is that it was legal to do it at the time, only since changed by Pres Obama (I assume by XO), and given it was legal - opting for convenience is a fine enough excuse (then again I ain't a Repub). Sure one can say "how hard is it to use two different email accounts/phones - but how many times have we seen supposedly smart folks tweet something publicly when they meant to DM it? Or you have one email account open and email from it, thinking you had your official gov account in use or vice versa.

I wish a reporter would have taken the opportunity to ask Hillary about the 47 Senators letter to Iran, and if she'd carry out the terms of the agreement if one is reached by Pres Obama and Five+1 Countries with Iran.

 

[Quipling]

As a note, RCP polls over the past few days suggest that the CNN poll that Sanders supporters were trumpeting were a bit of an outlier. Sanders got some support, possibly as much as up to 29%, but Hillary is creeping closer to the magical 50% mark as well - the CNN poll is the only one that didnt reflect a gain for Hillary, and it was the smallest by a significant margin.

Both seem to have gained at the expense of 'undecided' and Biden.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

I don;t think it's that bad. Fact of the matter is that it was legal to do it at the time, only since changed by Pres Obama (I assume by XO), and given it was legal - opting for convenience is a fine enough excuse (then again I ain't a Repub). Sure one can say "how hard is it to use two different email accounts/phones - but how many times have we seen supposedly smart folks tweet something publicly when they meant to DM it? Or you have one email account open and email from it, thinking you had your official gov account in use or vice versa.

Then why make up such an embarrassing lie?
I agree it was legal, that is all she had to say, without answering questions regarding her private server...

How is using 2 different accounts on one phone riskier than using 1 account for all your emails? Tweeting and FB are different than email, and I would hope the Secretary of State of the US wouldn't be sending images of her sarlacc to anybody.

She lied. Either because she didn't have to, which is beyond stupid, or because she had to, which is worrisome.

I wish a reporter would have taken the opportunity to ask Hillary about the 47 Senators letter to Iran, and if she'd carry out the terms of the agreement if one is reached by Pres Obama and Five+1 Countries with Iran.

Agreed. I also wish she answered the question about accepting donations from the Saudi's after her phony, pro-women intro.

 

[RetiredWisFighter]

Idk how Bernie isn't resonating with African Americans and Hispanics given his policies are likely to help them the most

 

[ShoelessRye]

^Why is it a lie? Maybe it's so "embarassing" because it's the truth. She did it because she was too lazy to have two email accounts. I assume the two phones issue is because the official government phone has security functions that log/record every email send on it and she didn't want private emails logged.

You say she should have came up with a better lie with all the campaign spin talent she has on her team - and you're right, they could have come up with a better one. This one sucks so bad it almost has to be the truth.

She did reinterate that it wasn't the law that she had to, and thus she didn't do anything illegal or even against Sec. State policy at the time.

So it's not against any laws or rules at the time, and she did it because she was lazy/for convenience. END HER CANDIDACY!!!

 

[Tekk]

Idk how Bernie isn't resonating with African Americans and Hispanics given his policies are likely to help them the most

Not enough coverage, no name recognition.

 

[ShoelessRye]

Agreed. I also wish she answered the question about accepting donations from the Saudi's after her phony, pro-women intro.

Regarding this issue - Does any Clinton Initiative money go into Bill/Hill/Chelsea pockets? Six figures? Seven figures? Eight figures? So the Saudi's donate to the CI cause du jour and Hillary promises them "When I'm President I owe you one"? So what is Hillary getting out of that - Clinton Foundation prestige?

 

[speakhandsforme]

Idk how Bernie isn't resonating with African Americans and Hispanics given his policies are likely to help them the most

Old, white, not charismatic, little name recognition, and very little support from mainstream media sources. Plus, those demographics have considerably scarcer access to the internet, where Sanders' support is mostly coming from.

Plus, Hillary has spent two decades cultivating support in the Black Belt.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

Its a lie because she lied and its plain as day.

I get that it wasn't illegal, so why even address it? Or simply field a couple of questions with the answer: "It was legal at the time of my service", then add in all that stuff about providing her personal emails as well.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

Idk how Bernie isn't resonating with African Americans and Hispanics given his policies are likely to help them the most

The same way Republicans get white people to vote against their best interests.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

Regarding this issue - Does any Clinton Initiative money go into Bill/Hill/Chelsea pockets? Six figures? Seven figures? Eight figures? So the Saudi's donate to the CI cause du jour and Hillary promises them "When I'm President I owe you one"? So what is Hillary getting out of that - Clinton Foundation prestige?

Idk, this could just be a right wing smokescreen with regards to money for favors.
My point is, does the CF accept money from the Saudis?

Kind of like Ron Paul accepting money from stormfront-esque orgs, yeah?

 

[Gandhi]

After the debate Biden staying out is for the best.