Although mid-term elections are still just over three months away, it is time to start preparing ourselves for 2020.
Some argue it is too early to eye the presidency since we need to focus first on regaining the majority in Congress; some take the opposite tack–if we haven’t lined up more definite candidates yet, it’s probably too late. (Only Maryland Rep. John Delaney is officially running at this moment.) Others feel Democrats lost their opportunity in 2016 and may not regain their footing for a while.
There is some mention of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo possibly throwing his hat into the proverbial fray. Other names being floated are former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).
Even 2016 Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he’s not taking a potential re-run “off the table.”
But what about someone not currently serving in Congress?
What about someone with experience running the Justice Department?
How about former Attorney General, Eric Holder?
Holder was a guest of the Cincinnati Democrats on Friday.
Without wasting any time, the first question City Councilman, Wendell Young, asked Holder was:
“Do you at least have any interest in being president of the United States?”
Holder responded:
“Am I interested it? Yeah, I’m interested!”
In fact, Holder, who served six years as the nation’s top law enforcement official in the Obama administration, has been publicly contemplating a presidential run for months while serving as head of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NRDC), the organization he formed to combat gerrymandering.
In New Hampshire in June, Holder told CNN:
“[We need] somebody who has the vision for the job, somebody who has got the necessary experience, somebody who has the capacity, physical as well as mental. Somebody who also has the ability to inspire people, to make people believe government can be the force for good and make people believe in this thing we call America. [They] have to be able to move people, to bring up together in ways this President has clearly not done.”
But Holder is not ready to make it official yet.
He told MSNBC host Chris Hayes:
“I’m thinking about it but I have not made any determinations.”
He cautioned:
“There is a personal component to it as well. People say it, but it really is true. It is a familial thing: I have kids; I have got a wife who is going to help be a part of this decision. That is for next year.”
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair, Ray Buckley, said:
“There are certainly a significant number of folks that would like to see him run. It will be a tough decision by the 24,36 of them because how do you differentiate yourself from the crowd? What we learned from Trump is that you really have to stand out or you risk not being recognized.”
If elected, Holder would be the first former Attorney General in history to assume the nation’s highest office.
About his work during the Obama years, Holder commented:
“I am very proud of the work I have done in the Obama administration, and I think that will galvanize a lot of support, were I to make that decision. And I think it is the work that I did in the Obama administration [that] will hopefully give me a platform to support candidates.”
Image credit: Business Insider
