I should have said "a Barbara Lee-type". I doubt the congresswoman herself would even want to run.

Can our next nominee for president please not be born in the 1940s? Geez.

can do anything about improving our odds in 2018

I remember what Howard Dean said in 2009--that new blood should take over the reins, and that an incoming president should ideally be around 50 or younger. Keep in mind that at the time, he had just resigned as DNC chair, looking back proudly on his accomplishment of the last four years, and that Obama's presidency was an open book at that point. When no one with the necessary buzz of a 2008 Obama was making noises in late 2014, he went with Hillary, even though she was a year older than he was, and he considered himself already too old.

If there's someone out there who would be "just the one," I hope we have absolutely no clue who it is until 2019. I want the Republicans to be just as blindsided as they were in 2008, and our victory to be just as massive.

With a monster like him in charge, all bets are off as we are in strange new territory.

It might not be that tough. There are quite a few good candidates coming up. We have some good folks in California and others throughout the US.

and a bit older than Hillary.

I don't know what vitamins they take but I need some.

We need to find another Obama or JFK to run the next time. Someone with considerable charisma who can enthuse younger voters but have the experience to reassure the older voters that he can do the job. If we can find such a candidate he could easily win in 2020 and serve two terms. We have some time to find this person but we need to start looking now.

(I'd say Or THEY, too, but I don't think the country will be ready for that 'til the Thirties).

Obama and Bill, who were not only young and charismatic but brilliant policy wonks as well.

As Carville said a few days ago, the Dem bench is very thin, there are very few (if any) candidates out there that may fit the above criteria.

for starts