Under-the-Radar Candidates

[The Undefeatable Debbie Stabenow]

I really do think that Moulton could make some noise in the primaries, and those around him seem to think he's looking to run at some point. I certainly think he would lose against higher-profile candidates; if anyone with the name recognition of Warren or Biden, or even just anyone who has already distinguished themselves in the national scene a little bit like Harris, runs, he stands little to no chance. That being said, I do think he could have some success (I don't know, maybe Edwards 2008 numbers in a couple states if he's lucky?), maybe enough to prop himself up for another run later on or something.

I think Baldwin could be a solid candidate too (I personally would like her very much) but she doesn't really seem the firebrand type, and I would think many Democrats would be looking for a firebrand-esque candidate to take on Trump. I think her chances of gaining a lot of traction would be limited in a very crowded field, considering she hasn't really made enough noise in the Senate to have significant national name recognition. In a less crowded field though, especially if she somehow ends up as the most liberal candidate in the group (I mean, Warren is really the only top-tier candidate noticeably more progressive than her, and Harris and Brown are the only two high-profile candidates I can think of that are about as progressive as she is), she could win over a majority of Sanders supporters while picking up some of the more liberal Clinton 2016 voters to be competitive. I'm not sure about her odds in the general, but I do believe she would be a fantastic candidate to unite the Democratic base, as I think she would be much more well received by the moderate faction of the party than Sanders was while being more well received by the liberal faction of the party than Clinton was.

I think Feingold is a really interesting prospect as well. He definitely fits the "under-the-radar" description, and I think he would be popular in the Midwest and likable from both sides of the party just like I think Baldwin would, should he win the nomination. I think Feingold would probably do better in the primaries than Baldwin though, as Bernie supporters I think would flock to him more than they would to her.