And we're past due on that end of things.

Naaah, Central America and southwards!

Only Van Buren and Bush the elder have pulled it off since the 12th Amendment.

The other alternative is if Clinton loses in 2020. How many unsuccessful V.P. candidates have become President (F. Roosevelt is the only one that I can think off and that was many years later).

Nixon had one corrupt VP and had the stank of corruption pull down his successor when he resigned, Carter lost so badly to Reagan that his VP was also surrounded by a miasma of failure, Gore DID win, IMO, and Cheney was much too ill. If you go back as far as Truman, his VP was old as the hills and the party wouldn't nominate him back in the smoke-filled room days.

We haven't had too many situations where we had a presumably healthy and vigorous VP following along after a popular POTUS in recent years. Biden thought about it, but a) He's not young anymore, b) He's had family tragedy recently, and c) He's got some difficult stuff in his past. Also, people like him better as a bridesmaid as opposed to a bride, as it were. He never made a dent when he ran for POTUS, but as VP, he has been quite popular. Sometimes, it's good to play 2nd fiddle well.

We'll just have to see what Kaine does--I will say that he has the temperament for the top slot; he's also got leadership skills and an ethical core that is appealing. He'd only be the 2nd Catholic to make it to the bridge, too, though that is probably much less of a plus/draw (and might even be a minus) than it would have been in years gone by. And then, there's desire--he might have it, he might not. He's humble, and he's into the concept of public service.

Time, as it does, will tell.

Kaine isn't that old, but he would be 66 by the time Hillary were to complete 8 years.

Where is the next generation of progressive leaders -- people in their 40s now?

Two term VP, loser in the tight 60 race, 62 runs for CA governor loses big, then of course wins 68 and 72 race. I realize that he didn't win as a sitting VP but thought it should be mentioned.

So Kaine only has to win the Democratic nomination. And he happens to be completely lovable. Once Dems get to know him better he will be impossible to stop. We are so lucky to have such great leaders in the Democratic party. Imagine if we had people like Ted Cruz or Sarah Palin or grumpy McCain. Romney was good but he is an exception.

US have never given a party 5 consecutive terms.

In terms of dignity, they now have none. They've no gravitas, no moderates, no 'reasoned voices' save ancient mariners like McCain and Jeff Flake--and that's being relative.

As a crew, they'll probably spend a few years spitting at Clinton like deranged snakes, which doesn't do much for their "look."

We may get lucky. Especially if we behave like the adults in the room.

I'm not counting chickens, but I am optimistic. We CAN do this.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Aspire to inspire.[/center][/font][hr]

Republicans won six in a row in the industrial age. Except for Grover Cleveland, they won every election from Dred Scott to Woodrow Wilson

Lincoln 1860, 1864
Grant 1868, 1872
Hayes 1876
Garfield 1880

B. Harrison 1888

McKinley 1896, 1900
Teddy Bear 1904
Taft 1908

They only lost 1912 because they split in two. If Roosevelt had taken the nomination, they'd've had another 20 year hold on the White House. Pretty impressive. All it took was for the opposition party to bog down in the swamps of racist-enabling and attachment to a radical ideology.

let's get 2016 taken care of first.

Go Joe.

beyond her control. Otherwise, Madam President for eight years!

The ONLY Democrat I saw after President Obama's two terms was Hillary Clinton, and my wish is going to come true. But I haven't looked beyond her.

I'm not saying Democrats won't remain in the WH; however a second term for Hillary isn't a given. Three reasons:

1) The party-in-power hasn't been given more than three consecutive terms since 1932-52, in which FDR and Truman combined for a 20 year run. That 20 years included most of the Depression, the Dust Bowl, WWII, the start of the Cold War, and Korea. Since then, it's been a pretty regular 8-year switch, with the exceptions of Carter (4 years), Reagan/ H.W. Bush (3 terms), and now (we all hope) Obama/Hillary. (and yes, Gore won the popular vote but lost in the EC - he should have extended the Democrats stay in the WH after 2000).

2) Notwithstanding #1, and assuming that Barack Obama completes his term, Obama/W. Bush/B. Clinton have completed a trifecta of three Presidents being elected twice and serving out two full terms. The last time that happened? 1801-1825 -- Jefferson/Madison/Monroe. I'm not saying HRC can't get elected to be the fourth straight two-termer, but it would be unprecedented (or perhaps, unpresidented?)

3) She'll be either the oldest or close to the oldest person ever to take the office (irony, since Bill was one of the youngest Presidents).

Please don't mistake this for lack of support. I've already cast my vote for HRC, and I consider myself a stalwart supporter. I'm just laying out the facts (facts that would have applied equally to Bernie Sanders, I might add). Could I see her running again? Sure. Could I see her announcing after the 2020 midterm that she won't seek re-election, and give Cory Booker or Tim Kaine a shot at it? Equally possible.

believe that with Barack and Michelle Obama working to ensure a Democratic Congress (or a Congress that isn't beholden to obstructionism) will play a major role in the successful presidency of Hillary Clinton.

The reasons you offer are a little outdated. Those happened in the time when M$M were the only news outlets available to Americans. That's no longer the case. Savvy internet-based campaigning nearly won Sanders the Democratic primaries and it has certainly played a major role for getting the first black president in our country elected to the highest office (although not the most powerful).

Also, PoC are a fast-growing demographic. We won't be 'minorities' in this country for much longer. During those years as you've outlined, there were more Anglo-White voters than PoC. PoC will stay with the Democratic Party as long as they don't become the pro-Corporate-ONLY Republican Party over the next few years, which is still possible as much as a 'bubble' as DC is. PoC don't mind some policies that help corporations, but there's got to be a fair balance. Currently, due to too many pro-corporate Republican policies, the benefits skew in favor of corporations and wealthy people and we're eager to change that.

As my firm belief that Hillary Clinton would run for the presidency in 2016, back when she was telling everyone she was done with politics after being SoS for President Obama, I believe that she'll run for a second term. She's a strong woman (Scorpio) who feels she owes women a second term to stand on equal footing with her male predecessors. It's just how she is - barring any circumstances beyond her control that might happen in the coming four years, of course.

I also believe that the next president will be Latino. Latinos are the fastest growing demographic among PoC, so I believe that a Latino-American will become the next president after Hillary Clinton.

I guess we'll see soon enough. For now, I'm eager to see Hillary Clinton in the White House and Senator Sanders head of the Budget Committee!

I suspect this post may be getting just a TAD ahead of ourselves...

I don't know if she would, but she would make a great POTUS.

Give it time, and she may decide she misses politics and wants to jump in. I mostly get the impression that she's over it and is counting the minutes until Barack's term ends.

That would be a leftover from the European kingdoms which the Declaration of Independence cast aside. Maybe some here should read more Thomas Paine, or Thomas Jefferson, or James Madison. You choose.

I love Michelle Obama. But I am wholly against POTUS family dynasties.

Hillary Clinton gets a saving throw because her candidacy sits on decades of wonderful public service.

or Kamala Harris.

ONLY WOMEN FROM NOW ON.

Men have had a few hundred years, give us the same!

And I assume Hillary will be in office for 8 years.

just think back to 1996 and try to predict Barack Obama.

Lighten up. Dream a little. Pick yer favorite, and IMAGINE.

didn't mean to sound harsh.

I should have said idle speculation.

I was playing along, making the point about Obama 10 years before he ran.

Fun is good.

He's been acting like a potus candidate for years.