Former Navy Secretary and Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb is likely to make a run for president in 2016, challenging Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination. Webb is an accomplished man, a Vietnam veteran, classic author, and no-nonsense Democratic roots with an appeal to working class voters, veterans and moderates. Webb is a no-nonsense man who will fight for his beliefs, and I think that the Democratic Party should strongly consider Webb as an alternative to Hillary Clinton. Now, let me be clear, I have not endorsed Clinton or Sanders or Webb; I will wait until September in the fall, to wait and see who can defeat the crazy Cruz/Walker/Pence crowd.
Webb has been controversial in the past, he's made some remarks towards women in combat. He's written a article called "Women Can't Fight". That would cause problems amongst some female voters in the Democratic primary. Webb has made some statements about the Confederacy, that may upset some progressive voters in places like Oregon, etc., but could help him the South (AR, TN, OK, NC) where the Democratic Party should make a comeback with smart, progressive ideals.
However, Webb is a tough debater, and he would probably make mincemeat out of Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, or even Ted Cruz in a October 2016 presidential debates. Webb is a man of the working class: He can win Virginia, make West Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, the classic Midwest (Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Iowa), and add coattails to Senate seats in 2016. Imagine a ticket headed by Jim Webb and Ted Strickland (who's running for Senate against Rob Portman, who may be a veep for a Bush or a Rubio)? Appalachia would love Webb. Webb would add numbers to the Democratic Party in southern Ohio (Niles, Stubenville, Piketon, Chillicothe), and would be a classic boon.
Webb should run an effective campaign regardless of if he wins the nomination; some pundits say that Webb isn't a good fundraiser, and that he isn't charismatic to win the Democratic nomination. However, if Webb runs, he could be formidable in Iowa, South Carolina, and beyond. Watch out for Jim Webb in 2016.
http://www.usnews.com/...
http://www.washingtonian.com/...
http://www.slate.com/...
http://www.politico.com/...
http://wcfcourier.com/...
http://www.latimes.com/...
http://www.nationaljournal.com/...
http://thehill.com/...