2016 is rearing its head, and Democrats stand at an advantage. A number of regulars on this site did not support Clinton in 2008 (like myself) and chose Obama over her based on her support for the Iraq war and her corporatist tendencies.
I myself was hoping for a Warren 2016 campaign, and would've taken time off of law school in order to work for her, along with a bunch of my fellow activist millennials. She truly was/is the only person capable of challenging Clinton. She has announced more than a dozen times that she isn't running, and much to my chagrin, I believe her.
So, what now?
Simply put, we don't have a progressive candidate. With full knowledge that its still 2014 and that Iowa 2016 is far, far away, we don't have a challenger, and there isn't as powerful and stark an issue as Iraq. Clinton looks like she's going to skate to the nomination and cream whoever the GOP puts up after their psychotic bloodbath clusterfuck they have in store for IA-NH-SC-NV. Whoever wins the Republican primary won't be able to walk to the middle and beat Clinton. AfAms, women and latinos will turn out to win the Kerry states plus one, putting Team Blue in the White House for another four years.
But as many dissapointed progressives have learned, winning elections isn't as important as progressive governance. As it stands, we won't be able to get true progressive governance out of Clinton. In my opinion, she is too opportunistic and quick to sell out progressives in the name of political expediency. This is our problem.
Her problem? The troublesome leftmost wing of the Democratic party that cost her the nomination in '08.
The solution? We build a coalition before the primary begins. Warren pledges support for Clinton in exchange for major concessions - picking key cabinet appointments, writing key parts of the Clinton platform, as well as a fast-track into Senate leadership. Chuck Shumer has his eyes on being Senate Majority Leader, and Mr. Wall Street would be far too kind to his home-state industry. Having Warren in a Senate leadership position would 1) temper Shumer's pro-Wall St. behavior and (more importantly) 2) Put Warren in line to eventually become Senate Majority Leader.
Let that sink in for a moment. Elizabeth Warren, without term limits, effectively in control of 1/6th of the US Government, setting the legislative agenda, fighting for the middle class.
Clinton glides to the nomination, and we get our champion.
Its something that progressives concerned with another Clinton Presidency should consider.
Bonus: every time a Teabagger hears "Clinton-Warren Coalition," they shit themselves.