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Washington Post's Chris Cillizza: it’s too late to draft anyone but Hillary now
Hotair ^ | 08/17/2015 | Jazz Shaw

Posted on 08/17/2015 10:18:47 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Some people are just wet blankets who want to take the fun out of everything. One such Debby Downer is the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza who thinks we’re all getting a bit too carried away with talk of Democrat voters feeling the Bern or waiting for the Second Coming of Joe. You see, here we are in August of 2015, nearly six months from when the first vote will be cast in Iowa and well over a year away from the actual election, but it’s far too late for anyone to replace Hillary. No, my friends, the die has been cast.

Dear Democrats: It’s too late to start over.

As in, there’s no replacing Hillary Rodham Clinton as your party’s front-runner for the presidential nomination. Not with Vice President Biden — even if he runs. Not with former vice president Al Gore. (I mean, come on.) Not with your ideal rich-person-with-no-record-and-a-fresh-faced-appeal…

The simple fact is that getting into a presidential race this late — and, yes, August before the election year is very late — has a disastrous recent history. Then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) entered the 2012 race in August 2011 and within three months had become irrelevant. Former senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee got into the 2008 Republican race late — and never went anywhere. Ditto Wes Clark in the 2004 Democratic nomination contest.

What all of those failed candidacies have in common is that their best day — at least in terms of polling — was their first day. It was all downhill from there.

In general terms I agree that the starting line for the presidential race track has been moving further and further back in the last two decades, much to the dismay of some of us. And given the complexity of organizing and sustaining a fifty state operation (or any significant subset thereof) you do need to get off to an early start and outorganize your opponents. But we’re talking about Joe Biden here. The man has run for president roughly one hundred times already (or at least it seems that way) and he’s the sitting Vice President. If he issues the call to arms I’m willing to bet that a fair number of politicos would answer. And honestly, that number could be a lot higher than it otherwise might considering how nervous Hillary is making everyone. I suspect that there are more than a few who would have already jumped ship if it weren’t for the fact that the only other rowboats surrounding her don’t look very seaworthy.

Ditto for the big donors. Yes, Hillary has had them lined up like ducks in a row since at least last year and they’ve done quite well by her. But nobody is interested in dumping cash down a rat hole and if it looks like Hillary’s upcoming play dates with both Congress and the FBI may tank their investment, Biden would start looking more and more appealing as a place to park their cash.

Also, were Biden to officially get into the race it would suddenly make the early state primaries a lot more interesting. He’s polling above ten percent in some places without even giving a hint that he’s interested, and those numbers would no doubt get a big boost if he announced. Add into the mix the fact that Bernie Sanders isn’t going anywhere and you have ripe conditions in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina for somebody being able to walk away with one in the W column with barely 30 percent support. It’s not as fractured as the GOP field, but remember… a 30% bar for victory suddenly makes Bernie Sanders look a lot more appealing. Bear with me for a minute here. Who is going to be jumping ship to support Biden? Would it be the Sanders supporters who think that Hillary already looks too much like the status quo or Hillary’s crowd? I’d be willing to bet that Uncle Joe wouldn’t put a dent in Bernie’s numbers and he would drain from Hillary’s pool almost exclusively.

And here I thought the GOP was having a drama filled year. Perhaps the Democrats will live to see interesting times after all.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016; democrats; hillary
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1 posted on 08/17/2015 10:18:47 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Who would want something like this in the White House, especially after the muslim we are trying to rid ourselves of....

oh yeah the 2% of idiots out there....

2 posted on 08/17/2015 10:20:58 AM PDT by HarleyLady27 ("It's the hard working, tax paying citizens of the United States that are suffering...")
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To: SeekAndFind

Oh it’s WAY too late.

The election is 15 months away !


3 posted on 08/17/2015 10:21:12 AM PDT by Col Frank Slade
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To: SeekAndFind

They can replace her easily.

I just don’t want them to because Hillary is a TERRIBLE candidate.

She cackles. She’s ugly. Her voice is annoying and you tune her out. She can’t talk for more than a minute without a huge lie, even on non-consequential matters.

She’s a terrible, terrible candidate. Likely the worst they’ve had in decades.

PLEASE don’t indict her. Keep her around so we can beat her like the old horse she is.


4 posted on 08/17/2015 10:23:01 AM PDT by TigerClaws
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To: SeekAndFind

Good grief, Lautenberg replaced Torricelli after the ballots were already printed. Democrats can do anything, no matter what law or reason says to the contrary.


5 posted on 08/17/2015 10:23:13 AM PDT by Chaguito
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To: SeekAndFind

Oh, it is never too late for Democrats to eat their own.


6 posted on 08/17/2015 10:23:17 AM PDT by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: SeekAndFind

If Hillary were to tragically drop dead, I’m sure the Democrats would find a replacement (Warren?) who would charge forward to a massive victory. I daily pray for Hillary’s good health over the next two years. /s


7 posted on 08/17/2015 10:23:46 AM PDT by JimSEA
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To: TigerClaws

They can replace her easily.

I just don’t want them to because Hillary is a TERRIBLE candidate.

She cackles. She’s ugly. Her voice is annoying and you tune her out. She can’t talk for more than a minute without a huge lie, even on non-consequential matters.

She’s a terrible, terrible candidate. Likely the worst they’ve had in decades.

PLEASE don’t indict her. Keep her around so we can beat her like the old horse she is.


I agree with everything you wrote here.


8 posted on 08/17/2015 10:25:47 AM PDT by samtheman (Trump/Cruz '16)
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To: SeekAndFind

This is BS.

Chris Cillizza will end up in the bunker with Hitlery.


9 posted on 08/17/2015 10:26:00 AM PDT by McGruff (Trump/Cruz 2016 - My Dream Team)
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To: SeekAndFind

Too late? The Iowa Caucuses and NH Primary aren’t for months yet!.......................


10 posted on 08/17/2015 10:26:00 AM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: SeekAndFind

11 posted on 08/17/2015 10:27:18 AM PDT by Diogenesis ("When a crime is unpunished, the world is unbalanced.")
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To: Chaguito

It’s possible to replace her, but it needs to be done by November to get them in front of Iowa voters. The question is....who? Gore already hinted that he won’t sign up for the job. I can’t think of any senator that would have that national status or big-name. With the exception of Bill himself....there’s no one that fits the situation.


12 posted on 08/17/2015 10:27:42 AM PDT by pepsionice
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To: SeekAndFind

One of the problems with this analysis is that he assumes that big money donors still have money that want to give to another candidate. Hillary Clinton had already tapped most of the big money Dems and that money will not be transferred to another candidate.

Any Democrats who jumps in now is at a disadvantage money-wise because Hillary has sucked up so much cash already.


13 posted on 08/17/2015 10:29:22 AM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius (www.wilsonharpbooks.com - Sign up for my new release e-mail and get my first novel for free)
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To: SeekAndFind

Why would the Democrats want the Presidency in 2016?

To get national health care? To get homosexual marriage?

They’ve emptied the treasuries. What’s left for them?

The American Press will start pushing the homeless problem and problems with the economy once the Republicans take over.

The Democrats are giving up too easy.


14 posted on 08/17/2015 10:30:24 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: SeekAndFind

Geez, just open a phone book and put your finger on any page!


15 posted on 08/17/2015 10:35:01 AM PDT by mrsmith (Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
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To: SeekAndFind

It will only get worse for her if she stays in the race. She’ll never see prosecution, but the constant connection between “Hillary” and “FBI investigation” is causing some long, sleepless nights for the darkside.

And that’s a GOOD thing!


16 posted on 08/17/2015 10:42:23 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Liberalism is the poison ivy that infests the garden of society.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I totally disagree with the author.

Elizabeth Warren met with Valerie Jarrett over a year ago and promised that if she were to run and WIN, she would keep VJ on as senior advisor.

Hillary hates VJ and made it clear that is Hillary won, she would appoint Cheryl Mills as senior advisor.

Valerie Jarrett has no intention of giving up her position.

VJ is running the show, and she wants Hillary out.


17 posted on 08/17/2015 10:43:28 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: ScottinVA

If she is guilty of worse things than General Petrayous then how could she get a pass?


18 posted on 08/17/2015 10:47:34 AM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God Bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: samtheman; TigerClaws; All

They can replace her easily.

I just don’t want them to because Hillary is a TERRIBLE candidate.

She cackles. She’s ugly. Her voice is annoying and you tune her out. She can’t talk for more than a minute without a huge lie, even on non-consequential matters.

She’s a terrible, terrible candidate. Likely the worst they’ve had in decades.

PLEASE don’t indict her. Keep her around so we can beat her like the old horse she is.


I agree with everything you wrote here.

_______________________________________________________

And make that at least two of us!


19 posted on 08/17/2015 10:49:01 AM PDT by proud American in Canada (May every person have the chance, every day, to listen to the sound of children laughing in play.)
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To: A CA Guy
If she is guilty of worse things than General Petrayous then how could she get a pass?

She's a Clinton -- the pass is automatic. That's how it works in this country, unfortunately.

20 posted on 08/17/2015 11:00:46 AM PDT by ScottinVA (Liberalism is the poison ivy that infests the garden of society.)
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