Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has proclaimed that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has "a clear field" to cinch the nomination, but said the party lacked an "all-star" candidate like President Barack Obama.
"Right now we have Hillary Clinton. And that's it," Reid said in an interview with "The Rundown with Jose Diaz-Balart," according to
The Hill.
"There's not another Barack Obama out there. There are no all-stars out there," he said.
Reid was commenting on the suggestion that there isn't enough competition within the party to produce genuine debate on the campaign trail.
Reid was an early supporter of Obama's candidacy in 2007. He told MSNBC last year that he thought it was "an extremely healthy process" that Obama and Clinton challenged one another for the Democratic nomination in 2008, The Hill reported.
"Think how wonderful that primary was. Two all-stars. Two people that will be in the political hall of fame no matter what happens in the future, and they were involved in a primary," Reid said in the interview to be aired Friday.
"She has a clear field, and I'm glad she does."
Meanwhile, research by
Politico found that four in 10 Democratic insiders believe that Clinton is not spending enough time on the campaign trail.
"She needs to step it up dramatically," a pro-Clinton Iowa Democrat told Politico.
Some said they believe that her lack of visibility could leave her open to challenges from the left, compromising the enthusiasm of progressives who are looking to back her.
"We have this need to feel well-loved every four years," said an uncommitted New Hampshire Democrat, according to Politico. "If other candidates begin to make inroads, Clinton's absence will be noted."
A number of those surveyed said they thought she needed to make a major speech or event sometime soon.
"A big open-attendance event would go a long way because it would at least let people actually see her" in person, said a Democrat in Iowa, according to Politico.
But some Republican insiders believe that her absence from the campaign trail could be a strategic strength.
"She has no credible opponents," said a New Hampshire Republican, according to Politico. "She could hibernate for the next 10 months and be totally absent from the campaign trail. And still be fine."
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