The “Who is running in 2020?” tea leaves thread, Part 3

[Frodo]

Sen. Elizabeth Warren to announce her candidacy next Saturday on February 9.  

[Joey1996]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

Good

[Frodo]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

A similar reason as to why Hillary Clinton chose not to run either. 

[Harlow]

Sen. Elizabeth Warren to announce her candidacy next Saturday on February 9.  

She’ll be announcing at Everett Mills, an old textile mill characteristic of Massachusetts during the early 20th century. It is also the site of the 1912 Bread and Roses strike, and is currently a multi-purpose office building.

I have no way of proving this, but I somehow predicted she would announce at an old, repurposed Massachusetts mill as a symbol of old industry becoming something new.

[Politician]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

Good riddance.

[Mr. Morden]

Brown has a campaign manager in waiting:

https://twitter.com/HenryJGomez/status/1091502011747631104

Bill Maher asks de Blasio about running for prez at about the 45 second mark here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt07dSZCxww

and he says “I’m not ruling it out.”

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

Here is the relevant excerpt, which also suggests that Bloomberg and McAuliffe would bow out if Biden runs (though Bloomberg has said that he’ll decide this month, and who knows if Biden will announce his plans by Feb. 28th or not):

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[The Free North]

Bloomberg would make a great president, but he wont win.

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

Bloomberg would make a great president for billionaires and the ultra wealthy, but he wont win.

[All Along The Watchtower]

why does anyone think Bloomberg will be a thing

[Heebie Jeebie]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

I don't care at all about Bloomberg or Biden, but I would like to see McAuliffe enter the race.  Not that he'd get my vote or anything, but someone should represent the moderate, centrist wing of the party and McAuliffe is probably the best choice.

[Mr. Morden]

The Hill says that O’Rourke’s inaction has led many top Democratic donors to assume that he’s not going to run.  Meanwhile, prospective-but-not-yet-declared candidates Bennet and Klobuchar have been “burning up the phone lines” to reach out to donors:

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/428083-beto-orourke-sees-stock-fall

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[Heebie Jeebie]

Meanwhile, prospective-but-not-yet-declared candidates Bennet and Klobuchar have been “burning up the phone lines” to reach out to donors:

I've long been sold on the idea of Bennet as an ideal running mate for Harris, but I'm starting to think he might be my sleeper pick in the presidential race.  If Biden, O'Rourke, and McAuliffe all do decide not to run, that leaves a big opening to be filled by a moderate.  Bennet might just be the man to assume the role.  (Hickenlooper's presence complicates things, though.)

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

It's not 1996 anymore. Thank god.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

It's probably for the best.

[Mr. Morden]

Hogan:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-facing-revived-chatter-of-possible-gop-primary-challenge

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[Rookie Yinzer]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

It's not 1996 anymore. Thank god.

[libertpaulian]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

As a libertarian with centrist tendencies, I'm praying a centrist with a serious chance at the nomination jumps in; however, I'm glad it's not going to be any of these three.  They represent the absolute WORST in politics, especially TMac.

Maybe someone like Beto, Klobuchar, or Brown jumps in.  (Yeah they're more to the left than actual centrists, but definitely more moderate and practical than someone like Warren, Bernie, or Harris.)

[An American Tail: Fubart Goes West]

Meanwhile, prospective-but-not-yet-declared candidates Bennet and Klobuchar have been “burning up the phone lines” to reach out to donors:

I've long been sold on the idea of Bennet as an ideal running mate for Harris, but I'm starting to think he might be my sleeper pick in the presidential race.  If Biden, O'Rourke, and McAuliffe all do decide not to run, that leaves a big opening to be filled by a moderate.  Bennet might just be the man to assume the role.  (Hickenlooper's presence complicates things, though.)

His attack on Ted Cruz’s hypocrisy last week helped boost his profile. He’s been rumbling about it for a while. Fun fact, he would be the first president born outside of the US. His dad was a diplomat serving in India.

[Heebie Jeebie]

His attack on Ted Cruz’s hypocrisy last week helped boost his profile. He’s been rumbling about it for a while. Fun fact, he would be the first president born outside of the US. His dad was a diplomat serving in India.

Yeah, I'm definitely updating my map of the electorate.  There's a new top six in my book...



Those six would actually make a pretty banging administration.
President:  Kamala Harris
Vice President:  Michael Bennet
Secretary of State:  Cory Booker
Secretary of Treasury:  Elizabeth Warren
Secretary of Defense:  Kirsten Gillibrand
Attorney General:  Julian Castro

[RI]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

The Democratic Party is racing at breakneck pace toward George McGovern territory.

[Lambsbread]

Biden potentially not running because he thinks the party is moving left is the best news to come out of this election cycle yet.

[Mr. Morden]

Moulton in New Hampshire:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/02/02/moulton-makes-mention-race/twDneqQCWUfDogg1quv6dL/story.html

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[Beet]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

It's not 1996 anymore. Thank god.

1996 was more "left" than today. A 6-3 center-left supreme court majority, more progressive tax structure, more financial regulations in place, ICE didn't exist, no Patriot Act, housing more affordable, less debt, lower deficit, no Fox News, etc.

[Mr. Smith]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

The Democratic Party is racing at breakneck pace toward George McGovern territory.

This isn't a bad thing.

And the GOP pole-vaulting past Barry Goldwater and shacking it with Jesse Helms to great reward is evidence of that. It's not like the old trajectory towards Joe Lieberman or '80's Mondale did anything useful anyway.

[Beet]

Bloomberg, Biden and TMac now reconsidering and less likely to run due to Dem leftward shift.

The Democratic Party is racing at breakneck pace toward George McGovern territory.

This isn't a bad thing.

And the GOP pole-vaulting past Barry Goldwater and shacking it with Jesse Helms to great reward is evidence of that. It's not like the old trajectory towards Joe Lieberman or '80's Mondale did anything useful anyway.

Political polarization is bad for democracy.

You get things like government shutdowns. You get gridlock and the inability for Congress to solve problems. That opens the door to dictatorship. If the U.S. becomes a dictatorship it will not have any better claim to lead the world than China or Russia. The founders didn't design the Constitution with partisan politics in mind. When people become more loyal to their partisan factions than what brings us together, including respect for rule of law, in spirit as well as letter, America is dead. When that happens, YOUR rights will be dead.