How About Jim Webb for President?

[yellowwoodII]

Let's not get ourselves in a twist over the inevitability of Hillary or the inavailability of Elizabeth. Surely, we Democrats have a broader choice.
I like Bernie Sanders, but some will question his Democrat status.
Jim Webb, a Vietnam veteran himself, spoke against the Iraq war, but who listened?
He's a scholar.
He's considering a run.
https://theamericanscholar.org/what-is-it-good-for/#.VPsv9yB0yUk
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/15/jim-webb-weighing-white-house-run-under-right-circ/

I think it's a mistake to narrow the list of candidates so early in the game. Let's get some other opinions.

[wyldwolf]

1. Confederate sympathizer.

[marym625]

4. exactly why I said I have to look closer

At him. But I still am happy to see something about anyone else.

[Historic NY]

15. He calls himself a Jeffersonian .....

[marym625]

2. K&R!

Need to look more closely at him but so glad to see a post about anyone else!

[leftofcool]

3. No!

[Kalidurga]

5. No

I want someone besides Hillary though. But, thank you for asking. The more names out there and the more talk about alternatives the better.

[Snotcicles]

6. No thanks.nt

[Algernon Moncrieff]

7. I like Webb

He's my 2nd choice

[gwheezie]

8. I didn't like his position on women in the military

He's not a very good campaigner. He has some positions I support.
If he does make a serious run it will be a very different campaign than what we're used to.

[A Little Weird]

9. He's not a friend to environmental causes

Very pro-coal. I liked his stance on the Iraq war, but I haven't heard much else about him that I'm impressed with.

But I do agree that it's good to be looking at other candidates. I don't expect anyone to be perfect, but I would like to find a candidate that favors the middle class over the 1% (doesn't support TPP or expansion of H1B, etc.), that takes climate change seriously (and other environmental issues like fracking), and that views war as an absolute last option.

[MBS]

12. He's also pro-Keystone XL n/t

[still_one]

10. Regardless, of how people feel about Jim Webb, the last I heard was that he did not think he could

raise enough funds to be a viable candidate, and may not run

Even if Bernie runs as a Democrat, the odds are very slim that he would get the nomination, in spite of his excellent and consistent record. Yes, the country needs someone like Bernie, but that kind of change is not going to happen quickly, and definitely not in time for 2016. When you have states like WI, who voted out Russ Feingold, and voted for Scott Walker 3 times, along with other states that were traditionally blue, it is going to take a lot more time to get the message out.

However, Martin O'Malley might be able to put up the best challenge, though it would still be an uphill battle if Hillary runs

[WorseBeforeBetter]

11. "Jim Webb Wants to Be President. Too Bad He's Awful on Climate Change."

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/jim-webb-climate-change

[WorseBeforeBetter]

13. "Jim Webb Calls for Prison Reform"

http://thinkprogress.org/yglesias/2009/03/27/192301/senator_jim_webb_calls_for_prison_reform/

[LWolf]

14. I am open to ANY

non-neo-liberal Democrat considering a run.

So far, of the other names offered up, I prefer Russ Feingold.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

16. "Webb is not a dove" and "only recently evolved to support marriage-equality."

1. Webb is not a dove.

Webb opposed the Iraq War from the beginning. His stance on the issue has led to many people calling him a dove-ish democrat, but that characterization is not all that clear. Webb did not oppose the war in Iraq on humanitarian grounds, but rather because he believed it was a strategic error, arguing that the conflict would sap vital resources from military engagements in other parts of the world and strengthen Iran. “I am not against fighting when fighting is necessary,” he told Inside the Navy at the time. “What I am for is making sure you are fighting the right war.” A Vietnam veteran, Webb famously said in 2007 he still believed that the Vietnam War was a good idea, and partially blamed the “anti-war left” for the way things turned out. In his announcement video, he speaks vaguely of “ill-considered foreign ventures that have drained trillions from our economy and in some cases brought instability instead of deterrence,” but doesn’t name names. Webb was opposed to military intervention in Libya.

2. Webb only recently evolved to support marriage-equality.

Webb was against same-sex marriage during his time in the Senate, although he was opposed to a Virginia constitutional amendment that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. Last month he told The Richmond Times that he was “comfortable with the evolution” the issue has seen over the past few years. “I think it has been a good thing for this country,” he said. Webb also voted to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell after having campaigned against it.

....

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2014/11/21/3595651/jim-webb-2016/

[TheKentuckian]

24. I'm not big on Webb but those two points are contextual weak as can be

1. He was correct on the grounds of his objections even if one might prefer a different primary filter. Not being a fool deserves some credit and certainly beats being a fool and also not having moral objections as well as being a fool with moral objections that were ignored due to being a fool.

Ideally, we'd lock onto someone with the strategic vision to at least like in this case to be able to see right in front of you coupled with a functioning moral compass.

2. Plenty of very prominent recently evolved folks some often presented as trusted champions at least in certain circles and get an unflinching pass for their own need to "evolve".

[TwilightGardener]

17. I could see supporting him. But if he's going to run, he needs to hire

top notch people, get some donors, and get serious about the whole thing, and I haven't seen that yet.

[shraby]

18. No thanks. I don't like his stand on things.

[dissentient]

19. I think he is an intriguing candidate, would like to see him run

He always struck me as a sharp and charismatic guy.
I think he would be interesting to watch in debates.

Also, he would have appeal in the South, which Democrats normally would write off as unwinnable (like, for example, if Hillary was the candidate)

Plus, he has that presidential aura or presence, something that is hard to define, but he has "it".

[Itchinjim]

20. Pro labor and Vet.

He has appeal across party lines. He could bring the"Reagan Democrats" back to the party. He's not perfect, but he sure beats a corporatist like Hillary.

[A HERETIC I AM]

21. How about Jerry Brown?

I could not agree with Bill Maher more fervently in this case

https://m.

[frazzled]

22. How about not /nt

[HereSince1628]

23. No thanks.

[bluedigger]

25. I'd like to see him run, but I wouldn't vote for him.

Too conservative for my taste, and that would probably kill his primary chances, but he has the experience for the job. He'd probably drive a lot of progressives to third party candidates and split the vote if he was nominated. I could see HRC tapping him for VP actually.

[BlueCaliDem]

26. No thanks. Too conservative for my taste. eom

[Man from Pickens]

27. Webb has integrity

something we definitely need a restoration of, badly

Plus he'll take veterans' heath care seriously and not plunge us into a series of pointless wars. If we can get those things that's worth a lot of compromise.

[pangaia]

28. No.

[woolldog]

29. ugh, I hate it.

I will vote for any democratic presidential candidate though. But not my first or second or third....choice for President.