The DNC should encourage the second tier to jump in and run, it will give them needed experience

[CK_John]

and training for when it will count for something. Build our own clown car full of potential.

I don't thing the average voter will put up with a POTUS without at least a matching House or Senate in 2016.

Example the current situation with the AG the President can appoint but that doesn't mean the Senate has to vote on the appointment.

[blkmusclmachine]

1. ,

,

[Agnosticsherbet]

2. Just who are the second tier, and for what offices should they be encouraged to run?

By the way, 10 Democrats and 24 Republicans are running for the Senate. Democrats have the advantage in 2016, with Republicans having more seats to defend in a Presidential year when more Democrats tend to vote.

[CK_John]

3. For the brass ring, of course.

[Agnosticsherbet]

4. Rachel just announced that Jim Webb says he does not think he can raise the money

to run. I can't find the story on the web.

Bernie Sanders announced that he may not be able to raise the money to run. http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/run-2016/2015/02/09/bernie-sanders-the-billionaires-may-just-win.

No pictures of O'Malley can be found since he broke his arm, so he may also not be running.

That means that there are not challengers to a Clinton run.

How does the DNC encourage second tier candidates?

In 2012, the cost of the election for president was around 2.5 billion dollars. The DNC's job is to collect money, but a lot of the collection must come from the candidates. Second tier candidates do not have the links to donors that the first tier have.

In 2012, Romney and Obama both raised of a billion, and Obama raised slightly more than Romney. This year they are expected to need almost twice that much.

When first tier candidates like Sanders and Webb can't raise more than a 200 million, what can the DNC do?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

6. that is a shame

[Agnosticsherbet]

13. This is the first time this has happened since the modern primary system was created.

No one can predict if it is good or bad.

Republicans are on record encouraging a run between Warren and Clinton because they think such a primary will leave whoever wins scarred. Since they are involved in a primary with a buss load of Presidential hopefuls, they appear to be concerned that an acrimonious struggle will weaken their eventual winner.

I find it amazing that ten Republicans can raise upward of 200 million dollars for a primary, but four Democrats can not.

Some of us here at DU will say this is a bad thing because Democrats father to the left will not have a chance to have their issues debated.

Some will say it is good because without a bruising primary Hillary Clinton will be able to out spend what ever Republican emerges from a bloody battle.

I am disappointed that there will not be more voices on our side, if this comes to pass.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

16. The more the better. It will show the public at large that we all care.

It would just be a debate on how best to accomplish. For instance,
how do we stop poverty in the US? We would get multiple productive answers.

It would be in stark contrast to a Republican debate on how to round
up immigrants and electric fences.

[Agnosticsherbet]

18. If Hillary runs unchallanged, the Republcian primary will be every clown attacking Hillary.

Whoever can say the loudest ugliest things about the Clinton's will have an advantage.

So I dont think it is good for anyone.

[MohRokTah]

7. The money problem is why Hillary Clinton is so inevitable.

She has the capability to raise $1 billion with ease.

Nobody else can match that, and without money you can't run.

[brooklynite]

11. So, you're not coughing up the money Sanders needs?

I was told that Sanders had grass roots appeal, and that they would give him the resources he needed.

[MohRokTah]

12. I've been donating to Ready for Hillary PAC.

I will donate to her campaign committee once it forms.

I picked the winner early in this race, just like I did in 2007 with Barack Obama.

I like Sanders but I do not see him as anything approaching electable on a national level. I believe were he nominated, he would lose and lose badly. I'm talking Dukakis badly.

[Hekate]

27. Has the estimable Sanders re-registered as a Democrat yet?

He's a nice guy, and I appreciate that he wants to get his ideas out there, but he has a snowball's chance....

[CK_John]

10. They only need that big money if they are running to win, but if your running for experience

you just need time and a filing fee.

[Agnosticsherbet]

14. They must pay a fee in fifty states.

They must set up offices in every state.
They must be able to buy ad time or will believe they can run.
Bernie was concerned that 200 million would not be enough to even make a real try.

That says a lot.

[tracks29]

17. Bernie is running against the money however

I'm not saying he will or even can win but a guy like Bernie can run and have an impact without raising the money. I have little doubt he will do just that and announce in the near future.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

5. Wish Howard Dean and Bill Richardson would - I love both of them. nt

[MohRokTah]

8. Howard Dean has endorsed Hillary Clinton. eom

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. Yes, I know. Still wish he would run

[CK_John]

21. One thing about DU, noone ever gets old and everybody lives forever. I just

hope it will be warmer for St Paddy's day let alone who will be the candidate in July of 2016.

[FSogol]

15. Geez, everyone on DU is beginning to sound like the little kids that want to

open their presents on Christmas Eve instead of opening them on Christmas morning. It is still a long way until the elections.

The Democrats will:

have a primary
have more than 4 candidates in the primary
have debates
have campaign stops in various states
have speeches and gaffes
have changing front runners and surprises

The election season and campaigns are getting too big and too expensive. Kudos to Clinton, O'Malley, and everyone else for delaying their announcements.

Learn some patience people.

[brooklynite]

19. I would agree with everything except the last...

...I have no expectation that any candidate other than Hillary Clinton will be the front runner.

[FSogol]

20. You can't envision her losing a few primaries at some point?

Then, someone else would be in the spotlight for a few weeks.

Has anyone ever won every single primary? I doubt it.

[brooklynite]

22. Losing a Primary doesn't necessary mean you're not the front-runner...

...if you're still leading in Delegates.

And honestly, other than a few outlier States with caucuses, I don't see where Sanders is able to do better than Clinton. Her support (as much as some people here will disagree) is too broad among both liberals and centrists.

[FSogol]

23. Depending on which primary, a certain region or grouping of wins

could give someone, say O'Malley a few weeks in the lead. I do agree that HRC will most likely prevail, but other Democratic candidates could capture a moment in the sun.

[brooklynite]

24. O'Malley? Not a chance

He might win MD as a favorite son, but Hillary will have a large lead by then.

[CK_John]

25. Hillary does not have to enter any primaries and would still win at the convention in Philly.

[Agnosticsherbet]

26. There are 3,254 pledged delegates from primaries and caucus states

There are another 794 Superdelegates for a total of 4,047 Democratic delegates. Whoever wins a simple majority wins the nomination.

Though it is technically possible that a majority of delegates could change their vote and give it to Clinton, such a thing is not going to happen unless something tragic occurs, as it did with the assassination of Robert Kennedy.

Because delegates are awarded proportionally in primaries and Caucasus, it is possible in a race with more than two candidates that Hillary could lose every primary and still have enough delegates to win.

Hillary Clinton will eventually announce her campaign. I'd bet it is between March and July this year. The longer other candidates hold off, the longer Clinton will hold off.

[oldandhappy]

28. senate, house, governorships, state legislatures...

I agree we need to encourage people to run ... and ... there are other races than president!
We will have lots of people ready to run when we are ready to do the hard work of making money available.

The Kocks pick their candidates. The national dems wait to see who can make a running start. I saw that in the elections last fall. Good people where I am got no support because they could not raise their own massive amounts of money. We are looking at that in planning for 2016. We will keep our money local.

[JI7]

29. Martin O'Malley has already tried to run , Bernie Sanders has indicated he is interested

but none of them are getting any support.

Obama saw he was getting support which is why he announced he would run. candidates don't just start campaigning after annoucning they will run. they do a lot of things before that to see how much support they are getting.