On the left, Howard Dean open to presidential bid

[caraher]

45. What Larkspur said

I love Grayson but he's pretty much where he should be, in Congress pushing everyone left and calling out the bullshit. Outside our circles he's not terribly well-known and the RW noise machine has plenty of material from him that will be very effective in scaring off "independents." So if Dean forestalls a Grayson candidacy that's not a bad thing. But I don't think Grayson is interested anyway.

As much as I'd love to see her do it, I'd be shocked if Warren ran in 2016. And based on what Dean said, I think he'd step aside if she did run. After all, his statement was along the lines of "I might do it if I don't see anyone representing my values" running, and I don't think Dean would feel hesitate to support Warren wholeheartedly. And I do think there would be a big advantage to having Warren vs. Dean carry the torch for the left if Clinton is the leading candidate, because that takes the whole "first woman" thing away from the media. That would leave them with beating up Warren on her actual policy recommendations, and that is a kind of coverage we should welcome! (Though, of course, the chattering class would present it through discussions of "electability...&quot