Hillary Clinton is the runaway leader in two new polls as the Democratic choice for presidential nominee. But the party's base is hoping that an ambitious Democrat will jump into the primary race to give her a fight,
The Washington Post reported.
In the surveys conducted by NBC and Marist College, Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire overwhelmingly picked Clinton to be the party's flag-bearer. The former first lady led the second place choice, Vice President Joe Biden, 70 percent to 20 percent in Iowa and by 74 percent to 18 percent in New Hampshire.
The Post's Chris Cillizza wrote that the former secretary of state could face several rivals for the 2016 nomination even though they know they have no chance of winning if she's on the ballot.
The reasons they will run include the hope of being on the ticket with Clinton or obtaining a spot in her administration, while others just want to promote their causes or ideals, the Post said.
Here's Cillizza's breakdown of the Democrats who may run:
Joe Biden: The vice president will likely jump into the race only if Clinton decides to pull out due to her age, health concerns or that being a grandmother has more appeal than being president. For Biden, "a race against Clinton is damn close to unwinnable for him — and he knows it," Cillizza wrote.
Martin O'Malley: The Maryland governor, who will be out of a job in January due to term limits, is hopeful that a strong run for president might result in prominent position in a Clinton administration, Cillizza wrote.
Elizabeth Warren: The Massachusetts senator, a populist loved by the liberal party base, "is the only person who could credibly mount a challenge to Clinton," Cillizza wrote.
Warren has repeatedly said she won't run for the presidency. "I am hard-pressed to see how she would forgo a run if Clinton took a pass," the Post political writer said.
Howard Dean: Although his hopes of becoming the Democratic nominee in 2004 were shot down in flames, the former Vermont governor "has the presidential bug," Cillizza wrote. Dean said Hillary Clinton "would have to totally implode in order for a grass-roots candidate to win the nomination," according to
a separate Post story.
Bernie Sanders: The Vermont senator, an independent, appears to want to run "largely to push his belief in the need for serious campaign finance reform," the Post's Cillizza wrote.
Brian Schweitzer: The former Montana governor "just seems to want to be back in the political game," according to Cillizza. Schweitzer has already shot himself in the foot with a criticism of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Despite his apology, his chances of making a mark in the race have been badly dented, according to the Post.
Kirsten Gillibrand: The New York senator "almost certainly will run for president at some point," Cillizza wrote. Gillibrand, 47, can bide her time "to build her liberal résumé for an eventual national bid," according to the Post.
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