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Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts) Fri Jun 22, 2018, 12:53 PM Jun 2018

Jeff Merkley says he's 'exploring the possibility' of a 2020 presidential bid

Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley is "exploring the possibility" of throwing his hat in the ring in the 2020 presidential election, he told The New York Times in a profile published Friday.

Should Sens. Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders become candidates, Merkley told the Times he would "not necessarily" stay out of the race.

In April, the Oregon senator said he was "keeping the options open," but his focus remained on 2018.

Merkley has been in the news as of late for his visit to an immigrant processing center on the southern border and for calling the President's latest executive order "handcuffs for all plan," a nickname referencing his worry that the order will land entire families in prison.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/22/politics/merkley-nyt-2020-bid/index.html

Hmmm. I'm unfamiliar with him, except for his recent appearances on tv regarding the immigrant children imprisonment thing.

I expect we'll see other names pop up as possible Presidential candidates that weren't on the radar before.

12 replies

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Jeff Merkley says he's 'exploring the possibility' of a 2020 presidential bid (Original Post) Honeycombe8 Jun 2018 OP

From what I have read and seen get the red out Jun 2018 #1

he's a damn fine senator bdtrppr6 Jun 2018 #2

good senator, good liberal NewJeffCT Jun 2018 #3

I feel like a Booker/Harris ticket could be a winner. bearsfootball516 Jun 2018 #4

I would have a problem with Booker and Harris. Honeycombe8 Jun 2018 #5

You'll never find a perfect candidate though. Everyone will have flaws. bearsfootball516 Jun 2018 #6

I love Franken NewJeffCT Jun 2018 #8

Newsom NewJeffCT Jun 2018 #9

I'm a huge Booker 2020 fan. I'd get behind Newsom or Harris as the VP. bearsfootball516 Jun 2018 #12

I've met and spoken to him several times MurrayDelph Jun 2018 #7

He is a terrific senator. potone Jun 2018 #10

Merkeley's the real deal gratuitous Jun 2018 #11

get the red out

(13,466 posts)

1. From what I have read and seen

Reply to Honeycombe8 (Original post)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 01:01 PM

Jun 2018

So far, I like him. It doesn't bother me at all if several good Democrats enter the 2020 primaries. Hopefully we can go back to normal primary races, unlike the Clinton/Sanders race where too many Dems lost sight of the importance of unity once the dust settles.

bdtrppr6

(796 posts)

2. he's a damn fine senator

Reply to Honeycombe8 (Original post)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 01:02 PM

Jun 2018

but I don't think he has the exposure for it at this point. His work on the border issues will help that.

2018 Blue Wave needs to happen first though.

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)

3. good senator, good liberal

Reply to Honeycombe8 (Original post)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 01:06 PM

Jun 2018

but, he's 61 years old and the little I've heard of him, he's not the most dynamic of individuals.

For what it's worth, Democrats have done better with young & charismatic candidates - JFK, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama come to mind.

Cory Booker
Gavin Newsom
Kamala Harris

bearsfootball516

(6,377 posts)

4. I feel like a Booker/Harris ticket could be a winner.

Reply to NewJeffCT (Reply #3)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 01:08 PM

Jun 2018

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)

5. I would have a problem with Booker and Harris.

Reply to NewJeffCT (Reply #3)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 01:14 PM

Jun 2018

They both kicked Franken out of the Senate for no good reason, other than personal ambition (IMO). Plus I don't view them as Presidential material, which may explain why they felt they needed to get rid of those who were overshadowing them.

Unfamiliar with Newsom. I'll have to look him up, like Merkley.

61 isn't old for a Presidential candidate. But I get what you're saying.

bearsfootball516

(6,377 posts)

6. You'll never find a perfect candidate though. Everyone will have flaws.

Reply to Honeycombe8 (Reply #5)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 01:28 PM

Jun 2018

And I highly doubt they purposely got behind the effort to boot Franken because they felt he was overshadowing them.

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)

8. I love Franken

Reply to bearsfootball516 (Reply #6)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 02:04 PM

Jun 2018

His book "Lying Liars" back in the early 2000s really opened my eyes and eventually lead me to finding DU.

However, as funny as he can be, I'm not sure he has the dynamism that works as a presidential candidate.

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)

9. Newsom

Reply to Honeycombe8 (Reply #5)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 02:11 PM

Jun 2018

is currently running for governor of California after 8 years as Jerry Brown's Lt Governor. He made a big splash before that as Mayor of San Francisco with his push for gay marriage.

Booker is a Rhodes Scholar, Yale Law School graduate and a dynamic speaker.

bearsfootball516

(6,377 posts)

12. I'm a huge Booker 2020 fan. I'd get behind Newsom or Harris as the VP.

Reply to NewJeffCT (Reply #9)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 02:25 PM

Jun 2018

MurrayDelph

(5,299 posts)

7. I've met and spoken to him several times

Reply to Honeycombe8 (Original post)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 01:42 PM

Jun 2018

He's great. My wife once joked with him that if he ran for President, she'd vote for him twice. To which he quipped "Vote early, vote often."

potone

(1,701 posts)

10. He is a terrific senator.

Reply to Honeycombe8 (Original post)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 02:12 PM

Jun 2018

I’d love it if he decides to run.

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)

11. Merkeley's the real deal

Reply to Honeycombe8 (Original post)

Fri Jun 22, 2018, 02:18 PM

Jun 2018

He does a good job for Oregon, he's smart and realistic, and he doesn't overpromise. If he says he's going to do something, he does it. There's a lot of time in the next year, year and a half, for the Democratic field to come into focus. But Merkeley should receive some serious attention.

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