How Could Webb Have Won This Year?

[beaver2.0]

What route could Jim Webb have taken that could have given him the Democratic nomination in 2016?

[DINGO Joe]

Create some type of catastrophe that leaves only Appalachia above water.

[White Trash]

Hypothetically, had Clinton not run or been indicted and the rest of the Democratic field remained the same I think Webb would've had a chance. Webb would've taken a good chunk of the Edwards/Clark voters plus a handful of Clinton voters. Martin O'Malley would like have become the "establishment" or the DNC choice. Sanders would be regulated to a Howard Dean level of support. Lessig and Chafee would have gone no where but would've waited until South Carolina or Nevada to drop out.

In short, the race becomes similar to 2004. With Sanders taking the Dean supporters and states. Martin O'Malley taking the African American vote and the Democratic establishment. Webb takes the moderate and centrist wing as well as a good helping of DINOs.

[Suburbia]

Hypothetically, had Clinton not run or been indicted and the rest of the Democratic field remained the same I think Webb would've had a chance. Webb would've taken a good chunk of the Edwards/Clark voters plus a handful of Clinton voters. Martin O'Malley would like have become the "establishment" or the DNC choice. Sanders would be regulated to a Howard Dean level of support. Lessig and Chafee would have gone no where but would've waited until South Carolina or Nevada to drop out.

In short, the race becomes similar to 2004. With Sanders taking the Dean supporters and states. Martin O'Malley taking the African American vote and the Democratic establishment. Webb takes the moderate and centrist wing as well as a good helping of DINOs.

This.

[Blue3]

There are no Webb Democrats left in any substantial number, really. After the first debate, his fate was sealed.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Jim Webb?

[Wisconsin+17]

Asteroids.

[Maxwell]

That "I Killed a guy" thing he said at the Democratic debate would've killed (pun intended) at a Republican debate. He would've been frontrunner for a bit with that remark.

[This account no longer in use.]

Well, if Hillary and Bernie had thrown grenades at him...

[IceSpear]

Every other candidate besides Chafee dying after the filing deadlines but before many states voted.

[Mehmentum]

In all seriousness, he might have done better as a Republican.  He could have positioned himself as a softcore version of Trump.

[Holmes]

Clinton is indicted and Sanders dies, and MOM remains irrelevant.

[Reluctant Republican]

The man Webb says he killed reveals himself to be alive and storms the first debate with the intention of finishing the job and destroying Democracy. While the other candidates cower, Webb engages the man in a brutal hand to hand fight that ends with him stuffing a grenade down the guy's throat and tossing him away from the crowd.

It seems churlish not to give him the nomination after that, and voters otherwise attracted to Trump's tough talk flock to Webb. He wins a resounding landslide.

Immediately after being sworn in, President Webb leads an expedition overseas to combat Isis. Vice (Now Acting) President Hillary Clinton applauds his bravery.

[Mr. Smith]

He couldn't have barring CREEP-like activity on the other Democrats (which from Cruz or trump I could totally see happening)

[White Trash]

The man Webb says he killed reveals himself to be alive and storms the first debate with the intention of finishing the job and destroying Democracy. While the other candidates cower, Webb engages the man in a brutal hand to hand fight that ends with him stuffing a grenade down the guy's throat and tossing him away from the crowd.

It seems churlish not to give him the nomination after that, and voters otherwise attracted to Trump's tough talk flock to Webb. He wins a resounding landslide.

Immediately after being sworn in, President Webb leads an expedition overseas to combat Isis. Vice (Now Acting) President Hillary Clinton applauds his bravery.

Webb would lead the charge on horseback, M60 strapped to his back and broadsword held aloft!

[Higgs]

A guy like Jim Webb can't win the presidential nomination in today's Democratic Party

[standwrand]

if Bernie won the Republican nomination Webb could've won the Democratic nomination

[Famous Mortimer]

He couldn't have won but he could have done way better. Rather than flip flop on affirmative action (which pleased no one), he should have stuck to his guns, opposed affirmative action, talked about poor White people, said All Lives Matter, and been the anti-political correctness candidate. He would have at least broke 10% in the polls and probably won Oklahoma, come in second in Florida, and stand a good chance of winning West Virginia. Again, he wouldn't win the nomination but he would be more famous. Maybe people would actually take his threat of a third party run seriously (not that he'd win there either, but he could break 5%, maybe get Trumps endorsement if Cruz wins the GOP nom). Then he could write books, get a talk show. Which would all be pretty good, compared to reality where he is a total non-entity.

[Mr. Morden]

Hypothetically, had Clinton not run or been indicted and the rest of the Democratic field remained the same I think Webb would've had a chance.

No way would the rest of the field have remained the same if Clinton hadn't run.  At least a half dozen additional candidates would have been in the race without her.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Only if Iraq and foreign policy is the number one issue. He could have positioned himself of being careful not to get involved in unnecessary conflicts but still making sure the enemies of the US dont gain ground.

[Figueira]

Maybe if he had run as an actual Democrat. I don't think Webb is actually that right-wing; he just played that part in this election for some reason.

[White Trash]

Hypothetically, had Clinton not run or been indicted and the rest of the Democratic field remained the same I think Webb would've had a chance.

No way would the rest of the field have remained the same if Clinton hadn't run.  At least a half dozen additional candidates would have been in the race without her.

And there is no way they would've done any better than the rest of the field. The only people I could see jumping in would be either Tammy Baldwin or Evan Bayh. Maybe Tim Kaine. Maybe. But they would've done as well as the Republican establishment in the GOP primary. 1% or 2% with maybe a little support in their home states.

Now I know some feller is just jumping at me to say Biden. But I think if Biden could've won, he would've this time around. Biden right now just doesn't have the emotional strength to do it (loss of his son) and is trying to smooth the Presidency's relations with the congress. Biden knows he can make more of a difference staying as the Vice President, then he could've as a candidate.

[Famous Mortimer]

Maybe if he had run as an actual Democrat. I don't think Webb is actually that right-wing; he just played that part in this election for some reason.

This is incorrect. He actually tried to become more of a generic Democrat for the sake of this election. That's why when he was asked about his past opposition to affirmative action (while he was a Democratic Senator) he flip flopped and said he was for it now/tried to explain away his past opposition as "only opposition to Asians using it!" The fact that you and a lot of other people had a hard time understanding that shows just how odd the position was. He should have just gone hard to Hillary's left or hard to Hillary's right. I think the right would have would have made more sense since he would have had it all to himself, unlike the left where he'd be battling with O'Malley, Sanders, and Chafee.

[Kingpoleon]

He couldn't have won but he could have done way better. Rather than flip flop on affirmative action (which pleased no one), he should have stuck to his guns, opposed affirmative action, talked about poor White people, said All Lives Matter, and been the anti-political correctness candidate. He would have at least broke 10% in the polls and probably won Oklahoma, come in second in Florida, and stand a good chance of winning West Virginia. Again, he wouldn't win the nomination but he would be more famous. Maybe people would actually take his threat of a third party run seriously (not that he'd win there either, but he could break 5%, maybe get Trumps endorsement if Cruz wins the GOP nom). Then he could write books, get a talk show. Which would all be pretty good, compared to reality where he is a total non-entity.

This. Also, run heavily in states like OK, FL, SC, and etc. A combination of the Schweitzer western vote and the conservadem/centrist vote in the South and Midwest would have been enough, especially if he only campaigned heavily in South Carolina and did OK there.

[Mr. Morden]

Hypothetically, had Clinton not run or been indicted and the rest of the Democratic field remained the same I think Webb would've had a chance.

No way would the rest of the field have remained the same if Clinton hadn't run.  At least a half dozen additional candidates would have been in the race without her.

And there is no way they would've done any better than the rest of the field. The only people I could see jumping in would be either Tammy Baldwin or Evan Bayh. Maybe Tim Kaine. Maybe. But they would've done as well as the Republican establishment in the GOP primary. 1% or 2% with maybe a little support in their home states.

Plenty of additional candidates would have gotten more than 1 or 2% in a Clinton-less field.  Both Gillibrand and Klobuchar, for example, were laying the groundwork for a run back when Clinton looked more uncertain about whether she'd pull the trigger.  You don't think the "it's time for a woman" sentiment among many Dem. primary voters would have been worth more than a few percent?