As Hillary fails to launch, the thinness of the Democratic bench will become more glaring. The very fact that M.O.M. 2016 was almost a thing indicates how little presidential timber the Democrats have after Barack Obama leaves office (presuming he agrees to do so).
So who still fits the suit? A little American hero named Jim Webb, that’s who. Webb has recently been flirting with the idea of a 2016 run, and that flirtation will get heavier. He’s got one of the most impressive résumés in America: Vietnam War hero; secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration; author of some extremely good war novels as well as the excellent popular history Born Fighting; Emmy-winning journalist; Democratic senator who served without scandal (the most important mark against him is that he voted for Obamacare) and crucially decided not to run again, reportedly out of disillusionment with Obama. He’s a successful politician and a lifelong public servant with the soul of a poet.
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