If Democrats wanted to hand a second term to Trump on a silver platter...

[Hindsight was 2020]

As a NYer Gillibrand is a great senator but yeah she is pretty boring and won't go anywhere in the primaries

[Stranger in a strange land]

Mark Zuckerberg/Shaun King should do the trick.

[Figueira]

Kanye.

None of the other people who have expressed interest or otherwise been speculated on would totally roll over for Trump and stand no chance from the very beginning, though some (Gabbard, Ellison) may be relatively weak candidates.

People underestimate candidates like Cuomo at their own peril. He has some problems in the primaries, but much less than Clinton did, I think, and those problems largely evaporate in the GE. Most (though obviously not all) Sanders supporters (i) were more anti-Clinton than pro-Sanders and (ii) weren't true-leftists with doctrinaire views; they were anti-establishment voters. Even though Cuomo is definitely small-e establishment, average Democratic voters outside of New York have heard of him only a bit if at all, so he is not big-E Establishment to the rank and file. Clinton was pretty unique that way (maybe Pelosi or Reid would also get big-E Establishment treatment; obviously, they're not ever running for President). The same holds true in the GE; people thought of Clinton as big-E Establishment because she has been a nationally prominent politician for decades and disliked her for it. That's just not the case of someone like Cuomo (or Booker, or Gillibrand, or anyone else being branded "establishment"), no matter how small-e establishment they may be.

My worry about Cuomo is that he probably has skeletons in his closet.

This seems like a silly worry in the sense that every candidate has significant potential to have skeletons. Witness John Edwards. Without smoke, there's no point worrying about fire from one candidate but not others.

Cuomo was implicated in Bridgegate.

[Tintrlvr]

Kanye.

None of the other people who have expressed interest or otherwise been speculated on would totally roll over for Trump and stand no chance from the very beginning, though some (Gabbard, Ellison) may be relatively weak candidates.

People underestimate candidates like Cuomo at their own peril. He has some problems in the primaries, but much less than Clinton did, I think, and those problems largely evaporate in the GE. Most (though obviously not all) Sanders supporters (i) were more anti-Clinton than pro-Sanders and (ii) weren't true-leftists with doctrinaire views; they were anti-establishment voters. Even though Cuomo is definitely small-e establishment, average Democratic voters outside of New York have heard of him only a bit if at all, so he is not big-E Establishment to the rank and file. Clinton was pretty unique that way (maybe Pelosi or Reid would also get big-E Establishment treatment; obviously, they're not ever running for President). The same holds true in the GE; people thought of Clinton as big-E Establishment because she has been a nationally prominent politician for decades and disliked her for it. That's just not the case of someone like Cuomo (or Booker, or Gillibrand, or anyone else being branded "establishment"), no matter how small-e establishment they may be.

My worry about Cuomo is that he probably has skeletons in his closet.

This seems like a silly worry in the sense that every candidate has significant potential to have skeletons. Witness John Edwards. Without smoke, there's no point worrying about fire from one candidate but not others.

Cuomo was implicated in Bridgegate.

Bridgegate hurt Christie because he ordered the lane closings. It's irrelevant for Cuomo.

[Figueira]

Kanye.

None of the other people who have expressed interest or otherwise been speculated on would totally roll over for Trump and stand no chance from the very beginning, though some (Gabbard, Ellison) may be relatively weak candidates.

People underestimate candidates like Cuomo at their own peril. He has some problems in the primaries, but much less than Clinton did, I think, and those problems largely evaporate in the GE. Most (though obviously not all) Sanders supporters (i) were more anti-Clinton than pro-Sanders and (ii) weren't true-leftists with doctrinaire views; they were anti-establishment voters. Even though Cuomo is definitely small-e establishment, average Democratic voters outside of New York have heard of him only a bit if at all, so he is not big-E Establishment to the rank and file. Clinton was pretty unique that way (maybe Pelosi or Reid would also get big-E Establishment treatment; obviously, they're not ever running for President). The same holds true in the GE; people thought of Clinton as big-E Establishment because she has been a nationally prominent politician for decades and disliked her for it. That's just not the case of someone like Cuomo (or Booker, or Gillibrand, or anyone else being branded "establishment"), no matter how small-e establishment they may be.

My worry about Cuomo is that he probably has skeletons in his closet.

This seems like a silly worry in the sense that every candidate has significant potential to have skeletons. Witness John Edwards. Without smoke, there's no point worrying about fire from one candidate but not others.

Cuomo was implicated in Bridgegate.

Bridgegate hurt Christie because he ordered the lane closings. It's irrelevant for Cuomo.

Well it hasn't hurt Cuomo yet, but it shows that he's vulnerable to those kinds of scandals.

[JustinTimeCuber]

Warren, Sanders, Gabbard, Sherrod Brown possibly.

Also washed-up politicos like Kerry or Gore.

#BernieWouldHaveWon

[Flake]

Cuomo imho. Progressives don't like him and he doesn't have any independent appeal. Generally a bad candidate.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The Democrats will lose if they nominate an inexperienced newcomer, especially if it's a black or Hispanic nominee that has the aura of pandering.

They will have a chance to win if they nominate a candidate with deep experience who appears to be "Ready From Day One".  That appeal was moot in 2016, but it will be needed if Trump is vulnerable.  Trump will only be vulnerable if he is perceived as incompetent, and if that's the case, the Dems need to be ready with "Mr./Ms. Experience". 

[Shameless Lefty Hack]

Kanye.

None of the other people who have expressed interest or otherwise been speculated on would totally roll over for Trump and stand no chance from the very beginning, though some (Gabbard, Ellison) may be relatively weak candidates.

People underestimate candidates like Cuomo at their own peril. He has some problems in the primaries, but much less than Clinton did, I think, and those problems largely evaporate in the GE. Most (though obviously not all) Sanders supporters (i) were more anti-Clinton than pro-Sanders and (ii) weren't true-leftists with doctrinaire views; they were anti-establishment voters. Even though Cuomo is definitely small-e establishment, average Democratic voters outside of New York have heard of him only a bit if at all, so he is not big-E Establishment to the rank and file. Clinton was pretty unique that way (maybe Pelosi or Reid would also get big-E Establishment treatment; obviously, they're not ever running for President). The same holds true in the GE; people thought of Clinton as big-E Establishment because she has been a nationally prominent politician for decades and disliked her for it. That's just not the case of someone like Cuomo (or Booker, or Gillibrand, or anyone else being branded "establishment"), no matter how small-e establishment they may be.

My worry about Cuomo is that he probably has skeletons in his closet.

This seems like a silly worry in the sense that every candidate has significant potential to have skeletons. Witness John Edwards. Without smoke, there's no point worrying about fire from one candidate but not others.

I'm no Boy Scout, but this sure looks like smoke to me:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/nyregion/cuomo-former-aides-charges.html?_r=0

[Vega]

Kanye.

None of the other people who have expressed interest or otherwise been speculated on would totally roll over for Trump and stand no chance from the very beginning, though some (Gabbard, Ellison) may be relatively weak candidates.

People underestimate candidates like Cuomo at their own peril. He has some problems in the primaries, but much less than Clinton did, I think, and those problems largely evaporate in the GE. Most (though obviously not all) Sanders supporters (i) were more anti-Clinton than pro-Sanders and (ii) weren't true-leftists with doctrinaire views; they were anti-establishment voters. Even though Cuomo is definitely small-e establishment, average Democratic voters outside of New York have heard of him only a bit if at all, so he is not big-E Establishment to the rank and file. Clinton was pretty unique that way (maybe Pelosi or Reid would also get big-E Establishment treatment; obviously, they're not ever running for President). The same holds true in the GE; people thought of Clinton as big-E Establishment because she has been a nationally prominent politician for decades and disliked her for it. That's just not the case of someone like Cuomo (or Booker, or Gillibrand, or anyone else being branded "establishment"), no matter how small-e establishment they may be.

My worry about Cuomo is that he probably has skeletons in his closet.

This seems like a silly worry in the sense that every candidate has significant potential to have skeletons. Witness John Edwards. Without smoke, there's no point worrying about fire from one candidate but not others.

I'm no Boy Scout, but this sure looks like smoke to me:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/nyregion/cuomo-former-aides-charges.html?_r=0

Cuomo reminds me a lot of Christie but instead of one big ethical scandal, there are several small ones instead.

[arjavrawal]

I don't think I've seen deBlasio's name mentioned here either.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The Democrats will lose if they nominate an inexperienced newcomer, especially if it's a black or Hispanic nominee that has the aura of pandering.

They will have a chance to win if they nominate a candidate with deep experience who appears to be "Ready From Day One".  That appeal was moot in 2016, but it will be needed if Trump is vulnerable.  Trump will only be vulnerable if he is perceived as incompetent, and if that's the case, the Dems need to be ready with "Mr./Ms. Experience". 

Why not fight fire with fire? It worked this year. And the last four presidents we've had have all been less experienced than their original opponents.

The experienced Bush 41 lost to Clinton because of a recession and a diffident persona, with help from a 3rd party.

Bush 43 was Governor of Texas, not significantly less experienced than Gore, and with Chief Exec experience Gore did not have.

Obama won due to a financial meltdown.  McCain mishandled that situation during the campaign.

Trump won because of a revolt against the political class in general.  He also won because of his immense experience as a corporate CEO, which folks are very much OK with and looking for in a President.

Trump has no "political" experience.  If he's a flop with 25% approval ratings, this will be a valid point for his opponent.  There is no fighting fire with fire with Trump; he's better at fighting with fire than any politician in my lifetime.

[The Mikado]

Bush 43 was Governor of Texas, not significantly less experienced than Gore, and with Chief Exec

Gore had been a Congressman for 8 years, a Senator for 8 years, and a Vice President for 8 more years after that. He had been continuously in politics for 24 years. Bush had spent six years as Governor of Texas and, besides that, had no political experience outside of a failed house bid in 1978.

[President Johnson]

Hillary was the first that came to my mind.

Others that haven't been mentioned: Nancy Pelosi and Tom Wolf. Also wanted to mention Elliot Spitzer and Blago, but they have zero chance to get nomination.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

Hillary was the first that came to my mind.

Others that haven't been mentioned: Nancy Pelosi and Tom Wolf. Also wanted to mention Elliot Spitzer and Blago, but they have zero chance to get nomination.

Ha, reminds me of how big Blago's ego was. Maybe he could set up town halls where he speaks via Skype from his prison cell. At least he is imprisoned in a swing state, so he could have rallies at the prison.

[Bones]

Anyone. Trump wins 2020 in a walk no matter who runs.

It depends on what happens with the economy during the next four years. If things keep going reasonably well, Trump will probably win. If the economy slows down or crashes, I think his base could revolt, and a Democrat like Warren might be able to win them over.