Hillary Clinton is certain to be one of the candidates in the presidential race in 2016. That doesn’t mean Democrats are happy about it though. In fact, lots of big-money Democrats are lining up against her and other candidates are voicing their desire to run against her. Will the Democratic party face a 2012-GOP-like division?
It’s likely. Democrats have very real concerns when they think about Hillary as a candidate. She’s a Wall Street pet and has not taken a strong stance on income inequality or climate change. These are all major issues that liberals are demanding be addressed in the upcoming elections.
Other candidates are finding funding from big-money donors seeking to put opposition on the field against Hillary. Elizabeth Warren is a favorite to contend against Hillary, though she has stated emphatically that she will not be running. Bernie Sanders is also looking to start a fight against Hillary and has the backing of some very deep pockets.
Even donors who have previously supported Clinton are wary of backing her again. According to Politico, billionaire Tom Steyer “has pledged to spend more than $50 million in the 2014 midterms supporting Democrats with aggressive stances on environmental issues, including fighting climate change.” He isn’t backing Hillary though:
“Yet Steyer – who supported Clinton in 2008 and in July had her over to his San Francisco home for an informal get-t0-together [sic] – thus far has resisted Ready for Hillary’s entreaties to formally commit to her in 2016. Sources say Steyer raised eyebrows in Hillaryland last month when, on the sidelines of a climate change awareness march in New York City, he told MSNBC that she could benefit from a primary challenge.”
Hillary isn’t the clear choice for the liberal voters. The battle lines that are being drawn make that abundantly clear.
