If you could pick people to be in the Democratic Presidential primary, who would you pick?

[peacebird]

Sheldon Whitehouse
Bernie Sanders
Elizabeth Warren
Joe Biden
Martin O'Malley
Hillary Clinton
Jim Webb
Russ Feingold
Al Franken
Alan Grayson
Mark Udall
Jon Stewart

There are those who say we have no depth in the party bench for Presidency, I think they are wrong. I know I am missing good people. Who else would you add to the list?

[Maedhros]

1. Russ Feingold? [n/t]

[peacebird]

3. My bad! Thank you!

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Feingold?

Actually, there are rumblings that he's thinking of running for his old seat in the Senate.

[peacebird]

5. Just added him thanks! Oh and thank you for the post about o'malley - good to get some info on him

[Jackpine Radical]

8. You may be interested in this O'Malley thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12774491

[peacebird]

11. Good to know, thank you! I suddenly started hearing his name and knew nothing about him

[Jackpine Radical]

16. Me neither, before about yesterday

when I saw the first backgrounders starting to appear on him on DU. Then Riversedge's find just blew me away.

[hrmjustin]

4. Sherrod Brown and John Kerry.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

6. Add Barbara Lee and both Castros to that list.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Raul?

I don't think he can run.

[Xyzse]

13. California Castros

Joaquin Castro who was highly lauded for his speech during the Romney fiasco.
Julian Castro is his twin.

[libdem4life]

22. Too young, but Julian should be the VP pick, regardless of the D Presidential candidate.

Joaquin is a HR from Texas. Julian has been the wildly popular Mayor of San Antonio and is now HUD Director. Mom Rosie has incredible Real Left Liberal credentials.

[Xyzse]

27. He's 40. Requirement for Presidency is 35.

Not saying I would promote him for primaries, just responding to the post above me.

I wouldn't mind him trying though. I do not have a first choice yet, as Clinton is currently the one I would have as last in my list that I would go for.

[libdem4life]

30. I know, still they need national experience. I think that's why Obama brought Julian to DC. He's

a bit short on credentials and that with his young age, compared to the others, makes the VP spot ideal, IMO. If Hillary were to pick him as VP, and there is a great photo of the 2 of them somewhere, she'd be almost assured of winning the Presidency.

The Hispanic voter, especially young Hispanics, is a huge demographic looking for a candidate that looks like them, knows their struggles first-hand, would clinch the messy Immigration debacle, and speaks their language, also.

[Xyzse]

31. True, well, I felt the same way about Obama when he ran.

He was actually my last choice to win the primaries, but he beat Clinton then. The two of them were at the bottom of my list, and I was so unhappy then.

In retrospect he has done quite a bit more than I expected him to accomplish. Not saying that I am completely happy, but he is still lightyears ahead of what I could have expected from a Republican presidency.

So in regards to the Castros, you're right, but I wouldn't put it past them.

[libdem4life]

33. I could sure get excited about the Dark Horse theory with Julian, and certainly Obama showed the way

yet even though for a short time, he had gotten elected as a Senator from an influential state. Not a huge Hillary fan, but Clinton/Castro would be another matter.

[Xyzse]

35. Yeah, I think we're in agreement then.

[libdem4life]

36. Indeed.

[Revanchist]

49. JFK was 43 when he sworn into office

But he already had 20 years of experience in Congress

[libdem4life]

51. and he came from wealth and privilege. Who can forget those debates? I think they

were the first ever on television, IIRC.

[HappyMe]

7. Feingold, O'Malley, Sanders, Warren, and Franken.

[Xyzse]

14. Would second Franken.

[hifiguy]

17. I'd toss Franken's hat in the ring, too.

i'm very pleased with my Senator.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Susan Sarandon, Joan Baez, Tom Hayden, Bill Moyers, Jill Stein.

But, I'll settle for Bernie Sanders.

"History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians. Now, to go and stick one at the very head of government couldn't be wise." Mark Twain

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

52. Maybe all of them would.

But, I don't party or politician. I like their stances on the issues I care about.

[Skidmore]

12. My ticket would be Whitehouse-Warren.

[peacebird]

15. Must admit I like the way you think...!

[Jackpine Radical]

19. When ya think about it, Whitehouse just seems predestined

for the…

Naaah. Couldn't be.

Anyway, hasn't he expressed strong disinterest in the idea, saying he's too lazy for the job? (Meaning, I think, that he has no intention of subjecting himself to the agony of a national campaign).

[libdem4life]

34. "The agony of a national campaign." That succinctly describes the little-disscussed realities that

refrain good, politically able, and ideologically appropriate people from even starting. Not to mention raising a billion dollars. And no one, at this point in history, is going to even get close to top office without those connections and fund-raising capabilities.

[smokey nj]

47. How cool would it be to read stories about the Whitehouse White House?

[dixiegrrrrl]

60. Great minds.....

[libdem4life]

18. See, here's what I see as a big problem. We act like these human beings, who have obligations,

families, jobs, health, should be kind of "dealt" like a pack of playing cards.

This process gobbles all of that up, twists it, skewers it and them, requires superhuman energy, huge fundraising responsibility, staff to be overseen, life to be pretty much on hold, every family angle or teeny skeleton in the family fair gain...with absolutely No Assurances of Anything but a bunch of bills and exhaustion and distance from their former life. Elizabeth Warren's family asked her Not To Run. She has said she is not running. Why Is Her Name Still On The List. She's not on the bench...she's already gone into the locker room and changed her clothes...best as I can peruse.

Hillary, OTOH, has been willing and able to withstand tons of manure... even Rush Limbaugh calling her daughter "ugly" when she was in her pre-teen years. How many parents would just say, F### it...not worth it. That's just one example of the "cookie tossing" process.

For most of us, Running for President ... like watching professional runners ... is a fun game to cheer on. For the prospective candidate, it is, at worst a family, health and career breaker and at best some years of personal power (and consistent criticism), a place in history and financial gain.

I'm still awaiting the Primary, but I must admit this process of "what if" is important in leading up to that, nonetheless.

[peacebird]

23. : ) I seriously doubt I have enough clout to force anyone into running who does not want to...!

That said, the purpose was to see who people would like to see run. I feel our bench is a lot deeper than some posters have been giving us credit for.

[libdem4life]

25. True...I just wish Julian Castro was about 4 years older. I see them as the force for Progressive/

Real Liberal Democrats. No known scandals, impeccable educations, schooled as Liberals at home, enthusiastic, upwardly mobile, personable on camera, experience in public service.

Did I mention I love these guys?

[cali]

20. we don't have any depth on the party bench

That's a mighty weak list. Sanders and Biden are in their mid-seventies. Webb is 69. Warren is 66. Clinton is 67. Feingold was voted out of office- alas. Not to mention that the only ones who will run are Clinton and maybe Sanders (unelectable), O'Malley and Webb. Webb is pretty nutty.

The democratic party really does have a weak bench this time around. No governors as prospects and it's an awfully old crew.

[libdem4life]

24. True, but the Rs have a deep wacko bench...governors and all. Their one best shot IMO, Jeb, is

marginalized with his Mexican wife, Spanish-speaking family and Immigration stand.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

44. We should have never let ourselves be put in this position but perhaps it was inevitable./NT

[TheKentuckian]

21. Feingold, Brown, Warren, Sanders, Jackson-Lee, Whitehouse, Becerra, and Lee

[KamaAina]

26. Robert Reich

[Liberalynn]

38. I like him

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

28. Al Franken, Alan Grayson...our field is massive, we are the adults, GOP are the children with

guns

[Boudica the Lyoness]

29. Jon Steward.

[HereSince1628]

32. I'd add Mark Udall to your list

I think Feingold and his Progressives United pac is moving to back Sanders

[Liberalynn]

37. Warren

[WDIM]

39. Governors

Hickenlooper
Malloy
Hassan
And my fav gov Brown of OR

[Dems to Win]

40. I'm Ready for Barbara Lee

We need a "Draft Barbara Lee" movement. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have drained this country of blood and treasure and there is no end in sight. Let us turn to the one brave woman, the lone prophetic voice in our Congress who stood against these travesties and whose warnings have sadly come true.

I'm Ready for Barbara Lee -- the only member of Congress wise enough to vote NO on the AUMFs of 2001 and 2002. She also voted NO on the Patriot Act.

Demand the BEST for our beloved country! Draft Barbara Lee!

[Dems to Win]

41. Senator Patty Murray, Janet Napolitano are other good names

Problem is that the Democratic Establishment made the deal with Hillary in 2008 that if she stood aside for Obama, the entire leadership of the Democratic Party would get behind her in 2016. Thom Hartmann has talked about this recently.

Harry Reid encouraged Obama to run in 2007. He's not done that with anyone this time around, and he won't.

No well known potential candidates will step forward because they know they will get no support from Dem leaders or big fundraisers. It's Hillary's turn.

O'Malley is on record supporting Hillary in 2010. If he runs, it wont be a serious effort, but it will serve as a place for the Anyone But Hillary voters to mark their primary ballot, so they can then be convinced to follow along with the party in the GE. If Hillary is truly unopposed, those ABH Democrats might be so angry they would be tempted to stay home in the fall. Better to give them a name to vote for at primary time. O'Malley might then be rewarded with Commerce Secretary or whatever cabinet post he wants.

Bernie might run because he wasn't party to the 2008 deal and his candidacy won't depend on conventional fundraising with the party bigwigs. His campaign would have to be entirely fueled by outside the beltway money and volunteers.

IF we could generate 10 million postcards to Liz Warren, she might feel obligated to answer the call. MoveOn and Democrats for America are trying to draft her, so I've joined that effort, hence my sig block.

[Logical]

45. Why not a poll? nt

[Rex]

46. Al Gore, Howard Dean, John Kerry, Henry Waxman

Joe Biden, (not forgetting the ladies) Nancy Pelosi, Kirsten Gillibrand, Barbara Mikulski, Maria Cantwell to name a few...

[TBF]

48. Julian Castro would be #1

Liz Warren
Bernie Sanders
Jill Stein

[dolphinsandtuna]

50. my picks

Sheldon Whitehouse
Bernie Sanders
Joe Biden

[Agony]

53. Zephyr Teachout

[HuckleB]

54. Udall.

[Thinkingabout]

55. Wow, wonder where some are going with their picks. Guess some wants

The GOP to win.

[craigmatic]

56. Al Gore can still make a run.

[wildbilln864]

57. all of the above. n/t

[realFedUp]

58. I like Hillary

Nt