Is Kerry going to jump in?

[TTUBatfan2008]

Just saw him hint at it on CSPAN in Munich on Saturday. Wall Street Journal reported on it in the below link:

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/02/13/how-about-john-kerry-for-president-mulling-in-munich/

[Motown_Johnny]

1. We have not elected a former Sec. of State since Buchanan

It is extremely unlike Kerry will jump in now. He still has a job to do and can't just quit on a moment's notice.

Besides, he has no campaign structure in place and no funds.

This is a 2 person race. I don't see that changing.

[CoffeeCat]

6. I agree...there is little to no chance of anyone jumping in

Bernie is shaping up to be the frontrunner. It's likely that he'll be our nominee. The Clinton campaign is crumbling.

I don't think it's possible for someone to build a Presidential campaign at this late stage.

I heard an NPR reporter (he had a British accent; don't remember the name) discuss a conversation that he had with Michael Bloomberg, two months ago. This happened before Bloomberg discussed jumping in the race. The reporter asked him if he'd consider running for Pres in 2016. Bloomberg laid out a strong case for why it would be impossible. He said that there was no way that he could build a ground game, at this point. No way to do it and therefore his candidacy could never succeed.

Bloomberg was correct. So, I don't know what all of the later bluster was about when Bloomberg threatened to run. He obviously didn't mean it.

I know the establishment is reeling because Bernie threatens all of their goodies, but the Democratic party is speaking through these elections.

Maybe the establishment should just shut up and listen.

[TTUBatfan2008]

7. Harry Reid and "brokered convention"

Remember that news story in recent days? If the Clinton campaign implodes, it would not surprise me if Kerry is the backup plan at a brokered convention.

[CoffeeCat]

19. I think all of that is just big-bad-wolf huffing and puffing

Democrats are speaking through these elections. If Bernie wins the states, the Superdelegates will vote for Bernie--just as they did with Obama.

The SDs will not violate the will of the people.

This was the hot drama in 2008. So much hand wringing about the SDs going for Hillary, even if Obama was the nominee. Brokered conventions were discussed and the implosion of the Democratic party. It was all hot air.

It's hot air today too.

We just need to get through this primary and let the chips fall where they may.

[kryptoniandawn]

27. They already did

The SDs already did vote against the people in NH. Why won't they keep it up?

[JonLeibowitz]

29. Superdelegates can and do and will change their alignment if Bernie wins big in the actual voting.

[pengu]

53. They don't vote until the convention

[global1]

25. Now The Stakes Are Even Bigger For The Dems To NOT Have A Brokered Convention If Hiillary Implodes..

With a Supreme Court Justice at stake and the balance of SCOTUS moving more to the left - if the Dems try to end around a Bernie Sanders primary win over Hillary - they will lose a lot of millennials that Bernie brought into the process. It will just reinforce what they have been saying before Bernie - that their vote doesn't count and that the system is rigged against them. The millennials would sit out the election. Not only would the Dems lose the millennials - but they would lose the General Election. An end around - brokered convention - for the Dems is a sure loss in November and a guaranteed win for the Repugs.

[Betty Karlson]

2. With Clinton being a rudderless and sinking ship, the status quo needs a raft.

No way that they would join hoi polloi at the SS Sanders.

[Live and Learn]

4. But Kerry has a swift-boat.

[Betty Karlson]

9. Rove had the swift-boat. But that one hit a snag in 2006 / 2008.

(Which is why Jeb! is still swimming and / or drowning.)

[99th_Monkey]

13. +10

[loyalsister]

3. I hope not

It would indicate another candidate has a deluded belief that he will live in perfect health far beyond the average life span.

[tk2kewl]

8. another? deluded? which candidate?

[loyalsister]

16. The story is speculating Kerry jumping in

He would be the 3rd. Life expectancy for females is 81.2 years; for males, it's 76.4 years. It has increased over the years with medical care and in some cases healthier lifestyles. But, that does not change the ages of onset for a range of hundreds of potential natural changes that will interfere with a high stress job- like leader of the free world.

[tk2kewl]

21. oh. ok. i thought you were insinuating an old deluded candidate was already in the race

[SheilaT]

33. That's the life expectancy at birth.

For a man already 74 years old, it's another 11 or so years. The longer you live, the longer you continue to live, up to a finite point. And Bernie seems to be in excellent health, to say the least.

And how old was Nelson Mandela when he became President of South Africa?

[loyalsister]

44. And, Ronald Reagan lived a very long time after he left office

- with Alzheimer's. It is my understanding that symptoms began while he was president.
Just because there have been no serious bodily failings until now doesn't mean there won't be. In fact it is guaranteed that the opposite is true.

[SheilaT]

47. It was pretty obvious to the most casual observer

that Ronnie was in the early stages of Alzheimer's at least by his second term.

Bernie shows zero signs of such things, and again, I'll point to his obvious good health.

Heck, I'm only 67 myself, and he strikes me as having plenty of stamina for the office.

[loyalsister]

48. Ya know what a difference a year makes in early life?

The same goes for later life. The years to come will not just be average. They will be the most gruelling of either's experience. Why do you think that most people either do or very much want to retire in their 60s?

I prefer Bernie, but neither he nor Hillary are in anything resembling "optimal health" with the confidence of more than 4 yrs to go in good health- by definition of being human.

[SheilaT]

49. Hillary does not at all seem to be in optimal health, I agree with you there.

But there is zero evidence that Bernie is not. Have you seen the clip of him running for a train recently? And to my casual eye, he seems far more energetic on the campaign trail than she does. Of course, those high dollar fund-raisers with wealthy donors might be a lot more grueling that I realize.

[loyalsister]

52. They are probably both in good health- for now

But a lot changes quickly in later years for all of us as our bodies naturally wear out.
I am reminded of a Seinfeld episode where a guy who was in his 90s died and Kramer said very seriously, "that'll make you think."

[SheilaT]

5. No one else is going to jump in.

No one who isn't already running has any sort of structure in place to run a campaign. Not to mention the fact that deadlines are either past or very fast approaching to get on ballots.

Back when Bernie did jump in, there was a certain amount of concern that he was getting such a late start, and that was a full year and a half before the election.

[TTUBatfan2008]

12. Harry Reid and "brokered convention"

Maybe Kerry is the backup plan for Harry and Barack in case Hillary's campaign implodes.

[SheilaT]

46. There won't be a brokered convention.

If Hillary drops out, Bernie is the only one running, and unless a whole bunch of "favorite sons" start getting delegates, he will get the vast majority of delegates, and the convention will just be there to make him the official candidate. The same if Bernie drops out.

As it is, since there are 4763 available delegates, and 2,382 are needed for the nomination, it is literally not possible to have a brokered convention with only two candidates. If there's a third even semi-strong candidate, it could happen. But it's not going to.

Back before all of the states had primaries and caucuses, the state party did a lot of selection of delegates, and very often delegates were pledged to "favorite sons" at least through the first round are so of the process. A lot of deal-making went on in back rooms. But I think it's since about 1968 that the Democratic Party went to primaries and caucuses in all states (I might be off by one or two cycles) and then in 1984 they came up with the Super Delegates as a way of both ameliorating popular vote, and rewarding certain party faithful/elected officials.

People really need to stop thinking a brokered convention is even remotely possible.

[TDale313]

10. Oh gods I hope not.

As a Deaniac, I held my nose and voted for him in '04 after he got the nomination- even though I always believed he was a pretty flawed candidate. We were beat over the head with party loyalty and "electibility". (Sound familiar?) I would not vote for him again.

[TTUBatfan2008]

14. Deaniac

How does that feel these days with Dean as an insurance lobbyist?

[TDale313]

17. Sad at what's become of him, honestly

But the energy at the time and the community that came out of that campaign were great. It had a heartbreaking end, but was one of the best experiences I ever had. And only a very small part of that was him. I don't know if you remember how stifling those years were- how isolating it was for people who opposed the Bush administration and the war. He gave voice to that, and more importantly coming together for campaign helped many of us see we weren't alone and weren't nuts in seeing how messed up things were. I got no regrets.

[TTUBatfan2008]

18. I definitely remember...

Entire media including MSNBC dragged us into the war through rah-rah propaganda. I couldn't believe the power of the media to destroy a campaign with a single embarrassing moment lasting 3 seconds.

[Live and Learn]

24. I'll second those emotions as a former Deniac too. nt

[DJ13]

11. Maybe there have been preliminary talks about being Bernie's VP?

That would eliminate the "lack of foreign policy experience" meme the Clinton side keeps throwing around.

[TTUBatfan2008]

15. That would be interesting

Bernie did say he definitely wasn't taking advice from Henry Kissinger.

[kryptoniandawn]

28. Holding out for Elizabeth Warren

I am.

[DJ13]

30. I want her as well

[Le Taz Hot]

20. No.

[bvf]

23. No. n/t

[saltpoint]

26. It would surprise me. I think it would

be an undertaking that would fall short. John Kerry is hard at work in his current job generally and aiming for greater stability in the Middle East particularly.

Kerry is under-praised, IMO. He seems content with his current task and more effective at it than most.

[Fearless]

31. Bwahahaha! Yeah right.

[MattSh]

32. I hold Kerry in no higher regard than I do Hillary... nt

[Autumn]

34. Please proceed SOS Kerry. Two SOS's, millionaires who have both lost bids for the White House

running against Bernie.

[MineralMan]

35. No. There's your answer.

Either Hillary or Bernie will be the nominee. The primaries have barely started.

[99Forever]

36. Don't know, don't care.

Doesn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell if he's dumb enough to try it.

The tide has turned and the establishment can drag any one of it's tools out to sacrifice and it won't change a damn thing.


The Revolution is on. Lead, follow, or get out of the way.


Feel the Bern!

[SheenaR]

37. They can try

These games. If they steal this at the convention, forget the GE, forget the SC noms and forget the future of the Party

[Skwmom]

38. Kerry's chance of being elected President - ZERO. n/t

[mcar]

39. No

[Ferd Berfel]

40. Don't fucking tell me I'm obligated to support Hillary

with this shit going on.

The DNC is quickly becoming irrelevant

and save the BS about the big bad republican boogie-man. Right wing DINOS are just as bad

[PonyUp]

41. If well-known Hillary can't beat Bernie, they think Kerry can? Delusional. n/t

[Agschmid]

42. No.

[Attorney in Texas]

43. No. Our options are (1) Clinton and lose general election or (2) Sanders and expand Democratic base

[kenn3d]

45. options are: (1) Clinton and lose general election or (2) Sanders and expand Democratic base

Oh yes, I'll have the number 2 please.

I do hope the Democratic Party will come to its senses and honor the will of the voters. The current state of machine politics in the party is truly disgraceful.

[restorefreedom]

50. no one else is jumping in

more establishment bullshit to try and convince bernie supporters that when hillary implodes, he still won't be the nominee.

fortunately, we are on to their game and no one is buying

[randys1]

51. Nope