Hillary Clinton’s road to the White House in 2016 has come to a fork, with some Democrats urging her to take the path in a more progressive destination, while others advise her to continue down the centrist trail.
According to The Hill, liberal Democrats feel the time is right to push the political agenda leftward and capitalize on the success of the “war-on-women,” gay marriage advocacy, and economic inequality themes that have made headway under the Obama administration. Moreover, with a rising population of Hispanics that have grown weary of the GOP’s agenda of smaller government and less entitlements, liberals don’t want a leader that may be looked upon as a centrist.
Laura Friedenbach of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee posits that Hillary could close the door on any political rivals surfacing by simply embracing the “rising economic populist tide in America.” However, according to Friedenbach, if Clinton chooses to side “with big corporations against everyday people, there will be a huge amount of political space for some insurgent to run on an economic populist platform.”
The Hill observes that one such rival could be Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Last year, a New Republic article calling Elizabeth Warren Hillary Clinton’s worst nightmare, maintained that Democratic voters were more and more anti-business and support increasing government regulations. Moreover, the article points out that, according to a Pew Poll, voters under 30 who lean “overwhelmingly Democrat… view socialism more favorably than capitalism.”
Nevertheless, in an article on Monday by Politico, although there is a group of Democrats out there who are “wary of Hillary,” they are not opposing her candidacy. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick typifies this group when he asserts that, “She is an enormously capable candidate and leader,” but he worries about her being touted as an “inevitability,” because that is “off-putting to the average voter.”
Meanwhile, California Gov. Jerry Brown explained to ABC News that he recognizes Hillary’s talent but advises: “She’s got the capacity… But like any front-runner, she has to be cautious and wise in how she proceeds forward.”
Joining the Hillary camp, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell agrees with Patrick and Brown that Clinton being perceived as inevitable could work negatively against her campaign. Nevertheless, Rendell asserted that for 2016 “the rank-and-file Democrats, the political Democrats, the donor Democrats… are of the strong belief that only Hillary can pull this off,” unlike 2008, when they felt either Obama or Clinton could bring the presidency home.
With all this being said, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid offers perhaps the final say on just where Democrats will position themselves if, indeed, Clinton decides to run: “Everybody knows I love the Clintons… including Chelsea.”
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