Webb recently stated how "Some people say I am a Republican who became a Democrat, but that I often sound like a Republican in a room full of Democrats or a Democrat in a room full of Republicans" (CNN), referencing the fact that his political views do not completely align with either party's platform. He and his advisers have acknowledged that running in either the Republican or the Democratic campaign would not be a wise strategy, considering that his opponents would be much more in-line with each of the parties' platforms, something that is quite important in today's trend of increasing political polarization.
Despite his failure in the Democratic race, Webb still feels confident about running for president under an Independent banner. "If we ran an independent race, I honestly could see us beating both [Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton]" (New York Times). He believes that his pragmatic views regarding a number of social and fiscal issues, as well as his criticism of the current state of campaign finance in America, would greatly appeal to the people of the United States. He also thinks that he would have much more success if he was not directly competing with candidates who simply reflected the ideas of their respective parties. As a result, if he decides to run as an Independent, Webb and his campaign advisers expect large funding boosts and a surge in popularity.
What do you think?
If Webb runs as an Independent, will his popularity among the American people and his funding increase? Why?
Would any Independent candidate, not just Jim Webb, stand a chance in this presidential race? Why of why not?
Was Jim Webb ever a serious candidate for the presidency, or do you believe that he was simply a part of the race to boost his political appearance?
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/10/20/jim-webb-withdraws-from-race-for-democratic-presidential-nomination/
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/20/politics/jim-webb-2016-election-drops-out/
3 comments:
I don't think Webb running as an Independent will have any impact on the election, because the field right now is simply too deep. He didn't impress many in the Democratic debate, and a mere party change won't solve that. I do, however believe that this the beginning of trend we will see as 2016 inches closer. A big name that we could see sway to the center before November of next year is Trump, who has flip flopped on the possibility of running as an independent. In the first Republican debate, he refused to rule out the possibility of running as an independent, but however did sign a pledge to not do so a few weeks later (BBC). The field, especially from the right side, is so deep, and the vote could really end up being impacted by a strong candidate from the Independent party. I do believe that an independent candidate can shake up this election. However, I just don't think that Webb is that guy. The only reason Jim Webb is known widely now was for his appearance in the debate, in which he was very brief, and complained for more air-time.
Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34144850
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jim-webb-campaign_5627eed2e4b08589ef4a9386
I felt a little bad for Webb. It doesn't matter if he runs as an independent or democrat or anything. He had to talk for five minutes at the Democratic National Debate about how he didn't get time to talk. He won't gain any popularity, and that's mostly because the Democratic and Republican candidates have such strong contenders and characters. It would be hard for him to break out of the boring shell he's created for himself unless he did something completely drastic and turned himself into the next Trump. I don't think any Independent candidate stands a chance in the race, just because this race is already so hyped up and the candidates are already charging ahead at full speed, even though the actual election is over a year away, and I haven't heard of one independent candidate yet on any news site. I think if an independent runner ran with lots of press, possibly, because I think people are sick of how far drastically far left and how drastically far right candidates have become to win their nomination. However, Jim Webb could not win that for the independents. I never thought Jim Webb ran for real, distinct reasons. He did it to me so he could gain political coverage; I mean, the man complained about airtime while using his airtime. If he cared about issues, he would have addressed why he had an A rating from the NRA and why he thought affirmative action was racist against white people. It was frustrating to watch him debate and only ask why he didn't have more airtime. He acted like a child who wanted more attention, in my opinion. However, people now remember him, and that's what he wanted.
Because his views do not align with either party, I felt he was not going to get a significant amount of support. It is possible that he might receive support as an independent, however, because he did not speak much and his views do not align with anyone else's I feel he will not receive enough support to win the election. I agree with Olivia's comment. Both the democratic and republican party's have strong characters. Running as an independent will not increase his chances to win because his presence is overshadowed by the other candidates. I also agree that running as an independent will not impact the election. Since his views are neither too far left or right, he will not draw votes away from either or the parties.
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