Reid: White House options for 2020 resemble 'an old-folks' home'

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico

By NOLAN D. MCCASKILL 12/27/16 02:02 PM EST

The likely 2020 class of Democratic presidential candidates is starting to resemble “an old-folks’ home,” according to retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.

Reid recently told an aide that he was unsure whether he would support Vice President Joe Biden should he challenge President-elect Donald Trump for the White House in 2020 because the field has yet to take shape.

“It depends on who’s running,” Reid told the staffer, according to a New York Magazine profile of the Nevada Democrat published online Tuesday. “We’ve got (Elizabeth) Warren; she’ll be 71. Biden will be 78. Bernie (Sanders) will be 79.”

Indeed, as the Democratic Party looks to pick up the pieces from a tough November showing that shattered their hopes to keep the White House, make deep inroads in the House and retake the Senate, a roster of familiar faces has surfaced as top contenders for the next presidential election.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/harry-reid-2020-candidates-old-folks-home-232985

[elleng]

1. OH FFS!

[JudyM]

29. Ain't that the truth!

Reid needs to just. Go.

[elleng]

34. He has a place, of course,

but THIS opinion is one we can, and SHOULD, live without.

[Xipe Totec]

44. If he and the rest hadn't blocked the younger generations

by sitting on their chairs until they rotted, then, perhaps, we might have a younger generation to pick from.

[Crash2Parties]

52. Pelosi: We don't need change

[Xipe Totec]

55. When a low post count member seconds me, it makes me doubt myself, and my post. nt

No offense. in case you read past the nt.

[Crash2Parties]

71. Um, okay...but may I ask why, please?

[SharonAnn]

60. Yes, that happened in many of the states, too.

[politicat]

62. I agree.

Low-ish count, long history, though.

My county office and the current crop isn't much better. And I'm in a blue-blue-blue place, with a lot of young'uns who want to step up for both party and elected roles.

Institutional memory is a great thing, until it becomes inertia.

[Xipe Totec]

65. Yea, thanks. Apologies all around

But I do feel that incumbency hurts us more than the Regurglicans.

[DRoseDARs]

2. OMG STOP! No, you are NOT starting the 2020 race in 2016!

Fucking Politico. Fucking New York Magazine. Fucking fuck.

[DonViejo]

5. I've seen the same type conversation(s) and/or OP's here on DU...

speculating on who would run and their ages so, should we say "fucking DU" also?

[harun]

76. Damn right. It's going to take us a while to recover from 2016. Two years at least.

[DrToast]

3. Amy Klobuchar!

She would crush Trump (even though I don't think he'll run again) while maintaining a smile.

[mopinko]

21. or her brother in arm, al franken.

an all minnesota ticket would be fine w me. shove your coastal elite bullshit where the sun dont shine.

[RedWedge]

23. What is it about her that you like?

[DrToast]

30. A couple things....

To begin with I think she's very smart and capable. That's obviously necessary. But there are many potential candidates that have that. What I think she brings to the table beyond her capability is that she seems very likable and relatable. When I watch her in interviews, she's always relaxed and comfortable. She's genuine. She doesn't sound like she's blowing smoke up your ass.

I guess I could be wrong, but I think she would do well as a candidate despite her relatively low national profile.

[RedWedge]

37. I think the party needs more than "likeable" and "believable" right now.

I know she hasn't been in the senate very long, but her "capability" hasn't resulted in much either.

[DrToast]

40. Really? I think that's exactly what we need

Sure would have helped this year. And 9 years isn't exactly a short amount of time in the Senate

[J_William_Ryan]

42. Like Senator Obama in 2004.

[DrToast]

43. Yes, Obama-lite if you will

I don't think she would be as skilled a politician as Obama, but I see them cut of the same cloth.

[StevieM]

33. I could never vote for her. She associates with some of the worst players in the adoption industry.

Amy Klobuchar wants more emphasis on adoption. I want more emphasis on family preservation.

She will never get my vote.

[geek tragedy]

46. Sounds like what Johnson/Stein voters said 7 weeks ago nt

[StevieM]

48. I'm sorry, I should have been more clear in what I was saying.

I meant that I could never vote for her in a primary. I don't want her to be the Democratic nominee.

If she wins the nomination then she will get my vote.

[geek tragedy]

49. That's perfectly fair. Cheers nt

[doc03]

4. I agree with him 100% and I am 69 myself, we need new blood for sure. nt

[DonViejo]

6. Agreed. You're a year older than me but, I agree it's time to pass the leadership baton

[doc03]

8. You know and I know that at our age we are slower to learn new things. Take computers

we can drive ourselves nuts trying to figure something out and a 10 year old can fix it in seconds.
I missed a few weeks school in my sophomore year and failed Spanish. That was the only class I ever failed
and it always bothered me. Here a few days ago I bought one of those learning Spanish easy books
I think my ability to learn a new language is gone now. I can remember something that happened 40 years ago
like it was yesterday but can't remember where I put my car keys five minutes ago.

[angrychair]

63. Problem is to who??

Finding Democratic Congress members under 55 is rare (the average is 59.6 for Dems) which is almost 5 years older than republicans. All Democratic Congressional leadership is significantly older than 60 and has been in Congress for decades in some cases.
We have allowed them to lead the Party despite stunning loses throughout the country, allowing 29 states to fall to republican control, putting up very little resistance in most states.

[jaysunb]

7. There's also Martin O Malley

who I think was the best candidate last go round.

[femmocrat]

9. I agree!

Also Corey Booker who gives a barn-burner of a speech!

[RBInMaine]

10. He's too dull and old news. Steve Bullock of Montana or maybe Corey Booker or Julian Castro.

[elleng]

27. Too dull? Too experienced and competent?

JUST the right attitude for Dems to adopt, NOT!

1. Ended death penalty in Maryland
2. Prevented fracking in Maryland and put regulations in the way to prevent next GOP Gov Hogan fom easily allowing fracking.
3. Provided health insurance for 380,000
4. Reduced infant mortality to an all time low.
5. Provided meals to thousands of hungry children and moved toward a goal for eradicating childhood hunger.
6. Enacted a $10.10 living wage and a $11. minimum wage for State workers.
7. Supporter the Dream Act
8. Cut income taxes for 86% of Marylanders (raised taxes on the rich).
9. Reformed Maryland’s tax code to make it more progressive.
10. Enacted some of the nation’s most comprehensive reforms to protect homeowners from foreclosure.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12813

[kwassa]

56. O'Malley lit no one up. Zero excitement.

I don't know why, I voted for him, but he pulled nothing in the Maryland primary, much less nationwide.

He doesn't have it.

[elleng]

61. Against hrc, of course,

and little $$$.

[pnwmom]

73. Yes, to all those. Or Gavin Newsome. n/t

[PragmaticLiberal]

35. That's probably a minority opinion...but it's one I happen to share.

[RBInMaine]

11. And Trumpenstein will be 74.

[liberal N proud]

14. There are others that they just refuse to look at

The Castro brothers come to mind among others.

[TexasBushwhacker]

80. I like the Castro brothers but I think one needs to be

Governor or Senator first. Serving in a statewide office is important for building their base. Cornyn is up for re-election in 2020 and he'll be 68. He may run again, or he may take some cushy lobbyist position. I think Dan Patrick will probably primary him, so that could be bloody.

Cruz is up for re-election in 2018, but I'm afraid we're stuck with him until 2020. I'm don't think he would challenge Trump again, although if Pense takes over he might challenge him.

[GusFring]

15. Sherrod Brown

[tenorly]

16. The tactlessness (and irony) aside, Reid should remember that our population is starting to as well.

Just compare our population pyramid from 1980:



to that of 2014:



and current projections for 2050:

[Sunlei]

19. out with the status quo. todays crowd can't even make the everyday banks pay 2% on savings accounts.

[ebbie15644]

20. Trump ran why not Mark Cuban for dems

[marylandblue]

25. Pretty sure he is not a Democrat

He even used to be friendly with Trump, until he found out how nuts Trump is.

[TexasBushwhacker]

50. Cuban leans Libertarian though he supported Clinton n/t

[ebbie15644]

75. This was said more on the sarcasm end but I do think we need someone that can speak and

get attention. I also think that if all we have is old people, we are in trouble. Not that I'm against old but it's time to show "new blood"

[cannabis_flower]

78. That doesn't really mean he's not a Democrat

Hill and Bill used to be friendly with Trump - went to his wedding, in fact.

[Bradical79]

70. Cuban would be bad

If you're going the celeb route someone like George Clooney would be better, imo.

[rtracey]

22. 2020

Gavin Newson......

[DrToast]

31. Not a fan....

Reminds me of John Edwards.

[independentpiney]

24. 2020 could be the start of the Al Franken decade

He'd crush trump in campaign trail entertainment value since that's what we've devolved to as an electorate, and then govern effectively for 8 years

[Crash2Parties]

53. +1 for the SNL ref

[paleotn]

26. Tammy Duckworth...

Joaquin Castro, Julian Castro, Cory Booker and dare I say.... Tim Kaine. That's just off the top of my head. Our bench of well known Dems may seem thin, but our full bench is certainly not. And wouldn't Kaine's integrity and common decency be a welcome relief for the majority of Americans after a few years of Trumpence disasters?

[Vinca]

28. He's on to something.

Remember, in 2000 nobody had heard of Barrack Obama and in 2008 he was POTUS. There must be someone closer to 50 than 80!

[JudyM]

32. Many cultures value the wisdom of elders. And wise leadership is precisely what we need.

It's appalling that chronological age should be used to limit these folks... if they have stamina and ideas that appeal to all age groups, as long as their minds don't show signs of failing, they should be given the opportunity.

I am stunned by people cavalierly dismissing these folks because they're older. And to not recognize it as ageism... we have fought for employment laws that prevent just such discrimination.

[potone]

58. True, and age alone shouldn't be disqualifying but...

with the current rate of technological change, there is something to be said for having some younger people in high office who are comfortable with modern technology. After all, that was one of the things that got Hillary into trouble, and it is clear that the economic basis of our country is changing as a result of the rapid technological developments. A younger person might be more attuned to these changes and comfortable with the new technology than someone in their 70s.

[JudyM]

67. Technological advances matter but can be delegated. The presidency does not require any such

expertise! If Hillary had made different choices she wouldn't've had any problems at all. She had a guy on the side handling everything rather than going through proper procedures.

[PragmaticLiberal]

36. Kamala Harris, Deval Patrick, Kirsten Gillibrand etc etc

[DrToast]

41. Kamala Harris is great.

I was hoping she would be the next CA Gov.

[ellie]

45. Kamala Harris

All the way!

[DonCoquixote]

38. booker, gilbrand, castro

not that age should mean much considering trump will be 74.

[HoneyBadger]

39. Priscilla Chan (Facebook wife)

Philanthropist, Harvard Doctor, self funding, considered a genius, child of refugees, fluent in Chinese and Spanish

[kwassa]

57. No. Not another plutocrat.

[DAMANgoldberg]

47. Personally...

I would love nothing more than Alan Grayson to run for President. It won't happen, but I love his policies.

A name to watch out for: Anthony Foxx, current US Transportation Secretary from Charlotte, North Carolina (biased).

[RayStar]

51. Tim Ryan OH

He's young and handsome. Brave enough to challenge Mrs. Pelosi.

[NNadir]

54. When the country has been saved historically from a disastrous Presidency, in an unknown...

...person comes out of nowhere and sometimes wins.

This was the case after James Buchanan, generally regarded as the worst President ever by historians, who was succeeded by Abraham Lincoln, who in 1860 was a former one term congressman who had lost a Senate race in 1858 to Steven Douglas.

I know that I personally didn't think of Barack Obama as a leading candidate after the Kerry defeat in 2004, and yet he saved our country from a Bush disaster which Trump is likely to exceed.

FDR was well known by 1932, but he had only been elected Governor of New York in 1928 - the year Hoover took office - and before that had been out of politics because of his polio. I don't think that many people in 1928 assumed he would be President.

Trump is likely to be so bad, that a strongly Democratic Congress will be elected in 2018. One never knows whether the situation will be so bad that the constitutional restriction put in place to prevent "another FDR" might be repealed. In this case Obama might be another FDR.

Trump, and Pence who will surely wade into this slime, might both be impeached, a la Nixon Agnew (resigned). I don't think that anyone in 1972 thought Nixon and Agnew would be gone 2 years later, and yet they were.

The country is sure to suffer tremendously in the next four years, and I suspect we have no idea who will restore it, but we must hope that the American genius for self regeneration will find us again as it has in our history.

Our country has surely not faced a worse prospect since the days of Buchanan.

[pangaia]

59. As a 73 year old, I tend to agree with him. Not because of slowing down, Some do. Some don't.

Since so many demos seem to make the mistake of bringing a balloon to a knife fight, what about Tony Bourdain?

[EMAN51]

64. New blood.

Gavin Newsom.

[EMAN51]

66. Let me be clear. Gavin Newsom.

[GoCubsGo]

68. I strongly suspect he will be the next governor of California.

Perhaps he might run for President down the road, but I don't think it will be in 2020.

[EMAN51]

69. You are probably right.

But he does have national aspirations, and would kick ass.

[GoCubsGo]

79. I'd vote for him in a heartbeat. n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

74. I agree.

I think more and more people are noticing his leadership at the national level, too.

[TexasBushwhacker]

82. Good looks and charisma never hurt anyone either n/t

[ooky]

72. We can probably run a monkey and win in 2020

after people have had their fill of Republican congressonal over-reach and Trump's broken promises. The "jobs" he's not going to bring back should alone be enough to sink his bid for a a second term.

[TexasBushwhacker]

81. True, but I want us to run the best 🐵 n/t

[Renew Deal]

77. He's correct

And Trump is the oldest person ever to win. Americans typically look for fresh blood.

[OrwellwasRight]

83. And all recently re-elected leaders of the Dem Party in the House

are septuagenarians.

The Party leadership does not have a great record of mentoring and raising up the next generation of leaders. Unfortunately, the R Party does--just look how young Paul Ryan is. Now imagine how he comes across on TV (minus what he is saying of course): young, good looking, active, quick on his feet, etc. Appearances matter, perceptions matter, and we know this factually and have known it for years. it is part of the reason Kennedy beat Nixon in 1960.

The Democratic Party needs to get better at raising up younger leaders. There has to be a balance between seniority and respect for elders and lifting up a new generation of leaders before they themselves are all in their 60s. Like Frank Pallone and Ed Markey. They were once touted as the "next generation" of leaders for the Commerce Committee. Markey eventually got tired of waiting, ran for the Senate. He is now 70. Pallone finally got the Ranking Member nod at 63. He is now 65, and age when most people are considering retirement.

Obama is a good example. New, young, fresh face when he was elected? Yes. With extensive elected leadership experience? No. How could the Party have better lifted him up so that he came into the presidency with as much leadership experience as Ryan will have when he hits Obama's age, for example???