The 2016 Democratic nominee's ideology...

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Use your own judgement as to whether certain candidates are to the left or right of the President, though it's clear where, say, Liz Warren or Mark Warner would fit.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Other than O'Malley, all the democratic candidates are to the right of Obama, there is very little room to the left of Obama.

I'd say that Elizabeth Warren, Deval Patrick, Martin O'Malley, and arguably Brian Schweitzer (if you ignore guns & coal) are to Obama's left.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

To the left. Most of the potential democrats are to Obamas left but Cuomo.

Cuomo is also to the left of Obama on social issues. All of these candidates will have an easier job espousing liberal talking points now that the president has "evolved".

Cuomo is demonstrably to Obama's right on economic issues, however.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

To the left. Most of the potential democrats are to Obamas left but Cuomo.

Cuomo is also to the left of Obama on social issues. All of these candidates will have an easier job espousing liberal talking points now that the president has "evolved".

Cuomo is demonstrably to Obama's right on economic issues, however.

Yep, nothing wrong with that. Social issues are what the candidates are going to hang their hats on in the primary, however. Martin O'Malley certainly won't be trumpeting his fiscal record.

I'm certainly socially liberal, but I honestly have a problem with the Democratic Party abandoning its New Deal and Great Society principles while doubling down on social issues. It wins elections (I doubt it helps in your state, though ), but it feels like we're forced right and end up losing our ideological souls. Andrew Cuomo, based on his record as governor, would be the most right-wing Democratic nominee in over 90 years.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

You do have a point. Cuomo does have to deal with what he's handed with, though my concern is that he went about it the wrong way. We'll see how his national campaign goes if he does choose to run.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I'm fairly "moderate" on gun control, but I don't think you have to be either totally socially libertarian or a 100% Nazi. The argument that one might make for supporting marijuana legalization and some gun control is that while weed is fairly harmless except to the user (and only if they smoke a lot for a long period of time), a person who shouldn't have a gun can easily use it to harm others.