By the fall of 2016, indeed, both Clinton and Warren may well be spent forces and mainstream Democrats could be looking for an experienced moderate — one who as president could practice the seemingly lost political art of compromise with the Republican majority on Capitol Hill.
The one Democratic candidate who fits that bill is former U.S. Sen. James Webb of Virginia, a combat-decorated Marine who served as President Reagan’s Navy secretary. Webb has voiced forceful opposition to U.S. interventions in Iraq and Libya and has railed against the corruption of Wall Street and the shrinking of the middle class under Obama’s presidency.
Webb’s remarks have drawn plaudits from such liberal pundits as Al Hunt and Mark Shields. And his background as a wounded veteran with Scotch-Irish working class-roots and an economic populist, almost certainly would appeal to blue-collar, middle-income voters likely to exhibit stay-at-home disdain for the likes of Hillary and “Fighting Liz” Warren.
It may be a long-shot, but there’s a growing feeling among Washington insiders that by mid-summer Jim Webb may well be sprinting into the lead for the Democratic nomination.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member