We are still a little under a year away from the first ballot being cast in the 2016 presidential election, but the race to the White House pretty much started when Barack Obama captured his second term in office.
Election season is something I always look forward to, especially when it comes to the presidential years. I love seeing the process play out ”“ even though it is mostly about which candidate has the most money.
One thing that has disturbed me thus far in the presidential campaign is the fact that Hillary Clinton has ”“ once again ”“ been crowned the Democratic candidate.
Now, we have seen this before. I remember back in 2007 when Clinton was supposedly a shoo-in to win the nomination, but then a first-term senator from Illinois stormed onto the national stage and won the nomination.
The Democratic field in 2008 had several serious contenders with Joe Biden, John Edwards, Clinton and Obama all battling for the nomination.
Heading into 2016, it seems like some of the potential Democratic contenders are going to sit this one out ”“ not willing to battle the Clinton machine.
I get it. Why would you want to piss off arguably the biggest power couple in the world, who also have the backing of a ton of big wigs in the party?
However, it’s just not fair to the Democrats across the country that deserve a real battle for the nomination ”“ not a coronation.
On the other side, the Republicans look to be headed towards a long, hard-fought battle to their nomination with names like Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee and about 30 others expressing interest in running.
Democrats deserve ”“ and need ”“ the same thing.
If Clinton is basically handed the democratic nomination, it could provide whichever battle-tested Republican that emerges from the field an upper-hand in the general election.
There have been two Democrats who have already formed exploratory committees and seem to be destined to run ”“ former Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia and former Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland.
Webb seems like the type of candidate that could legitimately challenge Clinton. He is a former Marine, who was awarded the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He served in the Reagan Administration as Secretary of the Navy and served one term in the Senate from 2006 to 2012.
The former Senator is a guy that won’t shy away from a fight, and that is exactly what the Democratic Party needs for 2016.
The question is: Who else besides Webb and O’Malley will jump into the 2016 fray?
There is a chance that Vice President Joe Biden decides to run, but unfortunately for him, the American voters have seen ”“ and heard ”“ an awful lot from him during his run as VP. I think he will pass on another run at the presidency, but you never know.
The far-left wing of the party is clamoring for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to run, but she has already said she will not run against Clinton.
Liberals would also love to see Vermont’s Independent Senator, Bernie Sanders, jump into the race, but I’m guessing the 73-year-old will pass.
So, who does that leave to run for the democratic nomination?
There could be some surprise names thrown into the ring, like former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill ”“ and some other lesser-known folks who probably won’t be invited to the debates.
There is a good chance that when all is said and done, Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for president. If that happens, it better be because she proved during the primary that she was the best person for the job ”“ and not because she had the best connections and the most money.
The American voters deserve a hard-fought battle for the presidency.
— Pat McDonald is the sports editor of the Journal Tribune. An avid follower of media and politics, he has worked in the newspaper industry for close to 15 years.
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