Without meaning to inflame anyone, let's assume that Hillary Clinton will be the next Democratic presidential nominee. Who are the current or emerging Democratic leaders behind her?
That can be a "fun" question (for political junkies), but it is also an important one. It is a question both of who could be the V.P. running mate in the near term, but also who may be a longer term national Democratic leader on so many vital issues (particularly if Clinton lost in 2016).
Often I see very disparate names mentioned, from Andrew Cuomo to Elizabeth Warren. Other times I see names like Martin O'Malley (Gov.-MD) or Kirsten Gillenbrand (Sen.-NY). Sometimes old standard bearers like Russ Feingold seem to have disappeared a bit from the public eye. Personally, I have started to be impressed a little by Chris Van Hollen (Rep.-MD).
Anyway, the above is an (obviously) incomplete list of frequently cited names just to make a point. Win or lose, I think Hillary Clinton's campaign would mark the passing of one generation of Democratic leaders, much like the case with George H.W. Bush or Bob Dole on the Republican side.
So who is next? Who do people think are the viable or important national Democratic candidates to keep an eye on? And why?
I would love to hear recommendations.
BTW: I recognize that Democrats have a history of sometimes elevating relatively unknown candidates, which can make this type of discussion a bit irrelevant - - with both Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama as recent examples. But still, there is no reason to count on that continuing, and the fact is that establishment candidates like Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Joe Biden, John Kerry, etc. equally have been in the leadership mix too. But, to be clear, if there is a non-traditional, non establishment candidate that you want to recommend, please identify him or her. That is the whole point.