Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Can anyone hang with Hillary?

Just as a number of Republican candidates are jockeying for position during the invisible primary (the months before anyone officially declares their candidacy) testing out their positions and promoting their electability, there seems to be a lack of candidates (aside from Hillary Clinton, who still has not officially declared her intentions) on the Democratic side that seem up to the task of competing against Clinton.  Read (or listen) to this article on NPR, along with he corresponding sound bites from her possible Democratic rivals and answer the following questions.

1.  Do you think any of these candidates has a chance against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary?  Why or why not?
2.  What is a primary and what are the top five states a candidates needs to win it?
3.  Pick a sound bite from the candidate you selected above and explain how it illustrates a major strength or a major weakness for that candidate.  ?Use an actual quote from the soundbite to illustrate and support your point.
4.  Who would you personally like to see run against Clinton in the primary?  Even if you are a Republican, what race would you like to see and why?

29 comments:

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

1. I don't think any of the other candidates have a chance to beat Hillary in the primary election. She is already such a prominent political figure. Even the people in this video could not think of any other well-known political figures that would run against her. Like Bill Richardson said in the video, no one wants to challenger her, and if no one challenges her, then she will definitely win the primary.
2. A primary election is the election that narrows down the number of candidates before the election for office. In order from highest number of electoral votes, the candidate needs California (53), Texas (36), New York (27), Florida (27), and Pennsylvania (18).
3. In a soundbite from 10/24/2014, Hillary Clinton said, "Don't let anybody tell you that...it's corporations and businesses who create jobs...That old theory - trickle down economics...That has been tried, that has failed..." President Obama has said the same thing, so her agreeing with him may help her to gain the voters who once voted for Obama. This will help solidify the chances that she can win the Democratic primary and get the chance to run for presidency. Since disagreeing with the trickle-down theory is a Republican view, she may gain votes from Republicans, which is earning her more votes too.
4. The only person I could think of to run against Hillary Clinton would be Elizabeth Warren. She was mentioned in the video as one of the only people who could potentially run against her. After researching her, I found out that she specialized in bankruptcy law at Harvard and has worked with the president and on many councils he has appointed her to. I think that if there is anyone that has to run against Clinton for the primary, she should. She is an active political figure, like Clinton, and is no stranger to working in our government.

Unknown said...

1. At this point in time I don’t believe any of these other candidates have a chance in the primary. Media and communications is such an important part of society now and the fact that people can barely even name any other contenders implies that they will already be inclined to listen to more of Hilary Clinton’s ideals. Additionally, people already know that she is such a big contender and nobody wants to risk the loss that they feel is inevitable.
2. The primary election is an election to select candidates to run for office. To win it it is important for the candidate to win California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida.
3. Bernie Sanders said “You should not be basing your politics on your color. What you should be basing your politics on is how is your family doing?” I believe this presents itself as strength and a weakness. This could sway white voters towards him, yet Hispanics and black voters might take this personally, as if being accused of being ignorant voters.
4. I would choose candidate Bernie Sanders to run up against Hilary Clinton. Since he is considered to be an independent, yet aligning himself more with the Democratic Party, there could be an increase in openness to both Democratic and Republican ideals, possibly coming to more agreements than in the past. Additionally, he has had a lot of experience in the House, as Mayor, and in the Senate where he had a 67% approval rating making him the third most popular senator at the time. This could in turn be a possible projection of what his presidential approval rating could be.

Unknown said...

1. Honestly I do not see any other candidate beating Hilary Clinton in the primary. The reason being is because Hilary has experience from her husband being the president at one point, and also her being the Secretary of State. Nobody wants to even challenge her.
2. The primary election is an election to choose a candidate to run for office. The candidate needs to win California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York,
3.Hilary Clinton says "Even though I am thinking about it really hard that is not why I am here" I feel this is important because Hilary kind of just wants to stay low about it so the media wont start twisting her words around and trying to put things in the wrong proportion.
4.I would choose Joe Biden to run against Hilary Clinton. Since Joe Biden and Hilary both have similar views, the very different ideas they have my be the focal point in the entire race. I would like to see a very close race but whoever win this could honestly be the next president of the United States.

Michael Utset said...

1.) I think the only possible candidate that would have any chance against Hillary Clinton would be Vice President Joe Biden. However I think it would be very unlikely that he would overcome Clinton in the Democratic primary. I think that Clinton would overcome Biden because she has a more profound international reputation from being Secretary of State and the First Lady under President Bill Clinton.
2.) A primary is an election that narrows the number of candidates down before the main election. The five states that are needed to win the primary are California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
3.) I picked the Joe Biden sound bite, and the quote I used was " Joe Biden being a politician that loves his work." I believe that Biden would be a major contender for the Democratic candidate because of his work ethic, and love of his job and country as proved as doing the ceremonial swearing in.
4.) I would personally like to see Joe Biden run against Hillary Clinton in the primary because I feel like he would have the only possible chance to win against her. I also feel like he has the most experience compared to the other potential candidates. This would lead to a race that was very close being that both candidates worked for the Obama Administration, and have been involved heavily in the running of our country for a while now.

Unknown said...

1) Although Hillary Clinton is a “near lock on the Democratic nomination” I believe that Joe Biden stands a chance against Hillary in the Democratic primary. The current Vice President has a chance against the powerhouse Hillary because of his experience in office. Yes Hillary is a former Secretary of State but she has a track record for failing in presidential campaigns so I would not be surprised if this added to it.
2) A primary election is an election that narrows down the field of candidates before an election of office. This is how a political party nominates candidates for an upcoming election. The top five states a candidate needs to win are California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida.
3) I chose the Joe Biden soundbite because I am interested in what qualities he brings to the table. Joe Bided has “a deep love for the United States Senate” which shows his love for the nation and that is a important quality a leader in the Unites States needs. He greets all of the new and old senators that are being sworn in which so much enthusiasm and that trait may help him gain followers during his campaign.
4) I personally think Hillary Clinton is a shoe in for the Democrats but I would like to see Joe Biden challenge her because I believe he also has what it takes to run for the Democrats. Looking at all of the other candidates, he has the most experience and the best work ethic thus he has the best chance of defeating the house old name Clinton. Both candidates would represent the Democrats well but untimely the Republicans will prevail.

Rebecca Nicolas said...

1. They could have a chance against her not because of any political stand point but from a gender one. Men may not want to have a female as their president.
2. A primary is an election that has an exact number of candidates that will run for office. The candidate needs to win Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and New York.
3. When Hilary said “I am thinking about it” she basically gave the Democratic party some hope. This is a strength for running because she has a lot of people that will support her, especially in Iowa.
4. I think Joe Biden would be a good candidate because he is dedicated to his job and from the sound bite he sounds like he is loved all around. This would make for a good race against Hilary.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

1. I think Joe Biden has a chance against Hillary Clinton because he does have experience since he has been Vice President for two terms and he is also well known.

2. A primary election is the election that determines who will actually run for a party. The top five states a candidate needs to win are California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.

3. In Biden's sound bite, Biden is described as dedicated in the quote, "For Biden this is about fulfilling a constitutional duty as vice president but also clearly about his deep love for the United States Senate. He served there 36 years." This quote shows Biden takes his job seriously and is dedicated since he has been committed for such a long time, which is a huge strength.

4. I would like to see Joe Biden run against Clinton in the primary because as Vice President, he has a lot of experience.

Brie Burnett said...

1.) No, because many only consider Hillary specifically other than Joe Biden, the current vice president. However, he has not made any initiatives to running and many quote that they cannot think of anyone other than Hillary.
2.) A primary is a preliminary election, which appoints delegates, selecting candidates. The top 5 states are California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Also, no president that has not won Ohio has ever won an election.
3.) “Only one I can think of is Hillary Clinton, that’s about it” and they asked, anyone else?? ”Honestly, to be honest with you Hillary is the only one that pops into my mind.” This just proves that she is kept in mind and well known by many. The other people who were quoted that suggested another person other than Hillary still mentioned her first. This is a major strength for her because she is a strong candidate and many are considering her.
4.) In my opinion, I would like to see Jeb Bush run against Clinton since so many Bush’s have been in presidency and were very successful. It would be good competition since Jeb Bush was the Governor of Florida and previously was involved in politics.

Unknown said...


1. At this point I don’t believe that either one has a chance at all. I think Hilary Clinton has this thing wrapped up on the Democratic side. No one is even touching the waters and announcing that they are running. Clinton is getting so much press at this time, she’s so strong with her husband, being a senator and secretary of state it’s just not likely at this point in time.
2. Primary election is when they are going to elect the Democratic candidate and Republican candidate. The top five states are based on the electoral vote for the general election. California, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
3. Elizabeth Warren stated “There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own – nobody.” I think that was a weakness because I do believe that there are people who got rich on their own. There is such a thing as a self-made millionaire. I understand that people have to buy your products and services, you get loans from banks, etc. so there is some assistance there but I just believe people do have the ability to get rich on their home.
4. I would like to see Joe Biden run against Clinton in the primary.

Unknown said...

1.I honestly don’t think any of the other candidates have a chance of beating Clinton because she’s has been dominant in the Democratic Party. She is a well-known figure in the political world and people already vision her has the first female president. Vice President Joe Biden has a prominent recognition but its apparent that Hilary Clinton has the vote in the Democratic Party.

2.A primary election is an election that narrows the field of candidates before an election for office. The primary states for candidates to win elections are Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Florida, and New York.


3.In Hilary Clinton sound bite, she states “I have always believed that women are not victims, we are agents of change, we are drivers of progress, we are makers of peace---all we need is a fighting chance” Clinton is empowering women to give them a chance to excel and women will make a prominent impact to the world

4.I would like to see Hilary Clinton to run against Joe Biden, since they are well-known figures in the Democratic Party.

Unknown said...

1) I think Joe Biden has a chance against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Primary, he's very well experienced, and has served as the country's vice president for two terms. Also, Clinton has run before and lost, I think Biden has a good chance.
2) A Primary, is an Election that determines what candidates will be running for office, from each Party.
The top five states a Candidate needs to win are, California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
3) 'That's so Joe' sound bite "Joe Biden, a politician who truly loves his work,'' this is a strength for Biden, because it's assuring to potential supporters, that he really cares, takes his position very serious, and has a strong commitment to what he does.
4) I would like to see Joe Biden run against Hillary Clinton in the Primary, I think he has a good chance against her, possibly the only person in the Democratic party who does.

Unknown said...

1. I do not think that any of the candidates have a chance against Hillary Clinton because she is the most popular and familiar to everyone. The people interviewed in Chicago could not even think what the other candidates’ names were, which shows how little importance they have. If people can only think of Hillary Clinton, I don’t expect the rest of America to think any differently.
2. A primary is a nominating election to select candidates to run for public office. The top five states a candidate needs to win it are California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
3. A sound bite from Time Miller’s quote, “And that list of strong candidates after Hillary is so small as to be potentially nobody,” displays the strength Hillary Clinton has towards the election as possible candidate outweighing the other possible people running. She is without a doubt the most popular one that comes to everyone’s mind, which further illustrates how much more of a chance she has as becoming the next Democratic representative for the 2016 presidential election.
4. I would like to see is Elizabeth Warren. I say this because I feel like if Hillary runs, people will vote for her because she would be the first female president and because of her popularity from former president Bill Clinton and her political involvement for the past two decades. I think it would be interesting to see two women running and then see who would win between the two.

Gabi P. said...

1. The candidate that I believe has the best chance against Hillary Clinton is Vice President Joe Biden for the simple fact that he has been vice president for the past 6.5 years and has the prior knowledge, accessibility, and intimacy to the presidency and the responsibilities that entail.
2. The primary is the election to narrow down the number of candidates to before the official election for running for office. The five states that need to won are California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
3. When Joe Biden stated, “Democrats need to be open to compromise with Republicans”, this demonstrates his willingness and determination to put aside differences between the two parties and get things done for the benefit of the country as a whole.
4. I would personally like to see Joe Biden run against Hillary Clinton because it’ll be interesting to see who would come out the victor, despite Hillary being the favorite child of the Democrats.

Unknown said...

1) I don't think really has a chance against Hillary. She already has a set image of being tough and dominant to the point that no one wants to run against her.

2) A primary election is the election of the candidate from a party to run as president. The top five states that a candidates needs to win is is Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, Florida, and California.

3) In the soundbite from Ben Sanders he says "Today we are seeing the collapse of the American Middle Class. You have working class families who have given up the dream of giving the dream of sending their kids to college." I think this is a strength of Sanders since he is discussing a pressing issue of America, which could allow many people to vote for him in order to see this change. When Sanders said "You should not be basing your politics on color, you should be basing your politics on how your family is doing." Even though I think Sanders has a point, this could be a weakness. Many of the minorities may think that they are being accused of being ignorant since they only vote for the color rather than the policies.

4) I would want to see Ben Sanders run against Ben Sanders since I agree with most of the topics he was discussing. He has similar views as Hillary, but can challenge her on the Iraq vote and the U.S foreign policy. Also what I like about Ben Sanders is the pressing of the middle class.

Alana Hall said...

1.) Currently, I do not believe any of the other candidates have a chance against Hilary Clinton in the Democratic Primary. In the video, Bill Richardson said that if no one steps up to challenge her, then she will ultimately win the primary. Also, Clinton is a name that is very well known and she has no lack of prominence in the political world or finding allies. No one else could name a person eligible to campaign against her so that shows promise for her route to presidency.
2.) The primary is an election that reduces the current number of candidates and is a final step towards the election for office between two people. The top 5 states to win for a candidate is California, Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, and Florida.
3.) In every mention of Hilary Clinton’s name, there is no Democratic opponent that has even a chance against her. A group with executive Tim Miller targeting potential Democrat candidates says, “And that list of strong candidates after Hillary is so small as to be potentially nobody.” This said, Clinton continues to be the clear frontrunner for the Democrats even though she has not yet announced her running.
4.) I would personally like the see Hilary Clinton faced against Joe Biden in the primary, but specifically an open forum where she is pressured with her loss in Iowa and with the current Democrat Vice President who has an advantage in knowing the more modern functions and tricks of the government. Clinton and Biden would make a strong pair, however, I do believe Clinton needs to bring some change into current political agendas as our country’s focus seems to be skewed down the wrong path.

Unknown said...

(1) I do not think that any of the other candidates have a chance against Hilary. I think this because a lot of politics is based on politics and how well people know you. Americans political participation rates have declined over the years, so if Hilary Clinton is the only name they know because that's who they always hear good about, then she is most likely going to win, just through word of mouth.
(2) A primary election is when the Democratic and Republican parties choose their candidates for the general election. The top five states are California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York.
(3) The sound bite I chose was from Martin O'Malley. I think his sound bite illustrated a major strength. He said words like "again and again and again" showing that all of the other candidates have done nothing towards change, but he wants to be the one who actually changes something. I think it gives the people hope.
(4) Personally I would like to see Joe Biden run against Hilary because they are both very well known and very well rounded people. I think it would be kind of interesting to see who actually wins

Cody Gandionco said...

1) I believe Joe Biden could contend with Hillary Clinton if he committed himself to running, since his soundbite shows he has many substantial connections with the Democrats of the Senate. But other than Biden, the others do not stand much of a chance and have not been making any notable moves toward candidacy. Even people of the "Democratic Hotbed" of Chicago did not know much about the other candidates.

2) The primary election is the election that the political parties use to select their candidate to run for office. The candidate needs to win the elections of the states that go first in the primary elections; those states are Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and Florida. Their win in those states will influence a win in the upcoming elections.

3)Speaking of Joe Biden's participation in the Senate, Biden's soundbite says "he served there 36 years." I see this as a strength because Biden has a long experience in politics and connections with Democrats in the Senate.

4) I would like to see Joe Biden running against Hillary Clinton since he is also a well known public figure, and is already the vice president. I think it would be entertaining.

Emily Bradford said...

1.) I do not really think any of the other candidates are going to beat Hilary Clinton. She is a known political figure, her husband has been president so she is somewhat experienced in that way and she is female and therefore will likely get a large female vote to become America's first female president.
2.) The primary election is basically an election where the the candidates running for office are narrowed down before the big election. California, Texas, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania are needed to win the election.
3.) I chose the soundbite having to do with Hilary Clinton as there is a lot of talk about her running. In Iowa she said, "I am thinking about it." Many Democrats don;t know of anyone running but Clinton and although she did not announce that she was running, she seemed to be highly considering it and gave the people who want her to run hope.
4.) I think it would be interesting to see Elizabeth Warren run against Clinton as they are both females. It would be cool to have a female representative and neither would be at the advantage of gender when they were running against each other as they are both females.

Aysia Hunt said...

1. I think there is a chance however i also believe that there isn't a chance. I think that there is not a chance because Hillary Clinton is so well known and she is very dominant on the Democratic side. However I think that Biden does stand a chance against her because he has so much knowledge that is needed.
2. A primary election is an election that will determine what candidates will be running for office, from each Party. The top five states a Candidate needs to win are, California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
3. One sound bite that stood out to me to would be when Biden said “Democrats need to be open to compromise with Republicans”, this is because ultimately regardless of which side wins an election the needs of the country should be met first and should be what comes first. Clearly there will be disagreements between the two sides but as Biden said they should be willing to compromise with one another.
4.In the primary i would like to see Biden and Clinton run against each other because they are both two well known "figures" on the democratic side and wold make for an interesting race.

Unknown said...

1. I don't think any of these other candidates could beat Hillary, short of Hillary having a stroke in the middle of the campaign trail. However, these candidates could push Hillary's political agenda further to the left than it would be should she run unopposed (especially if Elizabeth Warren runs), which is something that Democrats and the country need. However, I would definitely support Martin O'Malley as Clinton's running mate, as he is a good Democrat with an excellent record as Maryland's governor and could use the leverage as Vice President for a future presidential run.
2. The Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada. This is because they are the first five primaries to happen in the U.S., and therefore receive some of the most coverage (particularly New Hampshire and Iowa by all candidates, and South Carolina by Republicans).
3. "Who other than Hillary Clinton should we be researching?" This is one of Hillary's biggest strengths—she's the most obvious candidate. All other potential candidates are just straws grasped at by Democrats to make the primary elections look like a fair fight. The fact is, Hillary will be the frontrunner of the Democratic party, will be the most difficult rival that ANY Republican challenger will have to face in 2016, and unless Ronald Reagan comes back to life and is allowed to run for a third term, Hillary Clinton will easily become the next president of the Untied States.
4. I would like to see Elizabeth Warren run for the primary nomination against Hillary Clinton—not to win, but to force Hillary to stick to a more Democratic platform rather than the conservative Democrat's agenda that she likely will have without a polite shove in the right direction. I would also like to see Martin O'Malley run so that the country can see that he would make a great Vice President and, one day after Hillary has served two terms, a great President.

Trinity Peak said...

1.I don’t think any of the possible candidates have a chance against Hilary Clinton because she has already held a position in The Whitehouse and she is a name that everyone knows so people will lean towards voting for her more so than others they've never heard of.
2.A primary is an election in which the candidates who are going to run are chosen. The top 5 states are California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
3.In the sound bite about Joe Biden it’s said that “For Biden this is about fulfilling a constitutional duty as Vice President but also clearly his deep love for United States senate.” I feel as if this is a weakness for Joe Biden considering in the article he said “To be blunt with you, I think I could do a good job.” Which I feel that’s him being too cocky rather than thinking about the main duties and problems that need to be addressed.
4.I would like to see Joe Biden run against Hilary Clinton because Biden has seen the way Obama has approached things during his presidency so he can’t be much different and also he is personable and the people seem to like him.

Maxwell Cassella said...

1. I do not believe so because she is the one everyone is familiar with and so she would be the only choice in most peoples opinion.
2. The primary election makes it so there is only a few candidates running for office. California, Texas, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania.
3. javascript:NPR.Player.openPlayer(348612802, 348612803, null, NPR.Player.Action.PLAY_NOW, NPR.Player.Type.STORY, '0')
This soundbite Hillary says: I have not decided to run yet. the crowed then did not like this. This shows she has a lot of people wanting her to run.
4. I want Joe Biden to run because he is a strong leader and has a good shot in beating Hillary and if there is another democratic president I want them to be a good strong leader

Sydney Clark said...

1.Out of all of the Democrats mentioned in the article, the only one that may possibly have a chance to win is Vice President Joe Biden. Although Biden will has gained many valuable years of experience serving under President Obama, ultimately Clinton has a greater chance, having served as the Secretary of State.
2. A primary is an election that narrows the field of candidates before an election for office. The states that a candidate needs to win include New York, Florida, Texas, California and Pennsylvania.
3. A sound bite from “That’s So Joe” says “But the essence of Vice President Joe Biden being Joe Biden — a politician who truly loves his work”. This exemplifies Biden’s commitment to the state and serving his country. This quote serves as an affirmation of his front-runner status as a Democratic nominee, possibly as a competitor to Clinton.
4. I would like to see Biden run against Clinton, as he has the greatest chance of any other Democratic candidate to win against her in the primary. Both candidates have similar viewpoints on issues, so this could make for an interesting election.

Anonymous said...

1) I believe that Hillary Clinton will hands down, dominate the primary given her years of experience in international politics as secretary of state.
2) Primary- an election in which the chosen candidates for the presidential election are chosen.
3)Although what Joe biden said was admirable, I still feel Hillary has more of a leg-up in this election.
4) Elizabeth Warren has potential to run against Hillary Clinton given her degree in Bankruptcy law and has experience in government.

Unknown said...

1) I don't think that any candidates stand a chance against Clinton in the democratic party because of her experience from her husband.
2) A primary is an election that determines the candidates who will run for office. The top five states a candidates needs to win are: Texas, California, Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida.
3) I decided to choose Joe Biden's sound bite, "I hope you love the senate as much as I do...greatest institution in the world" this shows a major strength because of his love, that shows great character, and possesses leadership like qualities.
4)I would like to see Joe Biden run against Clinton in the primary because he might be the only one close to Clinton, in terms of winning. I believe that this in turn will cause a close race due to their popularity.

Chester Vergara said...

1)I don’t think Hillary Clinton should be worried about anyone but Joe Biden. I think that Clinton’s popularity plays a huge role. Hilary Clinton is well known and has a broad image in the Democratic Party.
2)Primary election decides the number of candidates before an official running of election. The five states that need to be qualified are California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida.
3)Clinton stating that “we are makers of peace”. I think this is important because it emphasizes the importance the need of the people and how we are involved in everything we do. We can either choose peace or something else because we make up the society.
4)I would like to see Joe Biden and Hilary Clinton run because they’re both bold figures in the Democratic Party.

Unknown said...

1. I don't think anyone of these potential candidates have a chances against Hilary. None of the other Dem. choices seem to be very interested in actually running.
2. A primary is the beginning part of the election process where potential candidates are narrow down to a select few. To win the primary the candidates needs to win votes from TX, CA, Fl, NY, and Pennsylvania.

3. I chose a sound bite bout Elizabeth Warren. This shows a weakness for Warren because she is all over this issue of this provision that favored Republicans. This is an issue that will effect tax payers (aka majority of US voters) so she is helping a lot of people. Included in the article were comments about "The White House being strongly opposed of this" , Warren's persistence with this issue shows a strength towards her chances if she chooses to run for Presidency.

4. I would personally like to see VP Joe Biden run for presidency. I believe he could do a good job seeing that he has direct experience with the life of the President. His efforts will be from experience.