Former Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va, announced Tuesday he is seriously considering running to be the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate for the 2016 election.
"I'm seriously looking at the possibility of running for president,” Webb said in an interview with the Associated Press. “But we want to see if there's a support base from people who would support the programs that we're interested in pursuing.”
Webb served as a Virginia senator from 2006-12, after which he opted not to run for re-election.
Center for Politics spokesperson Geoffrey Skelley said Webb does not particularly like engaging in politics, but cares about the policy debate.
“On the one hand Webb is not necessarily happy with the way the Democratic field is shaping up, so he’s considering throwing his hat in the ring,” Skelley said. “But he doesn’t really enjoy a lot of the elements of being a politician. He didn’t run for re-election, if that tells you anything.”
Webb’s aversion to campaigning may make it difficult to win states early on to procure funding, Skelley said.
“I don’t think he would do well in Iowa or New Hampshire because they are the kind of states that you really do need to be at least decent at retail politics — that means shaking a lot of hands, restaurant meetings and being willing and excited to do that kind of thing,” Skelley said. “I can’t see Webb particularly loving that.”
Skelley said Webb tends to focus a great deal on the U.S. military, particularly on how it relates to foreign policy.
“Webb’s strongest appeal is based on his military background and his interest in foreign relations as well as the use of the U.S. military in foreign policy,” Skelley said. “At the same time, another part of his appeal is that he is focused on economic opportunity or lack thereof among large portions of the American population.”
Skelley said Webb may be running to draw attention to issues he believes are priorities.
“[Webb] might want to run to make himself heard and sort of force the issues,” he said.
Read More
Honor Committee considers formal ban of AI detectors as evidence in trials
By Lexie Stadler | 7 hours agoThe Committee also addressed balancing student perspectives with those of Committee representatives during panel discussions.
Pro-Palestinian protesters form encampment near University Chapel
By CD News Staff | 8 hours agoThe encampment overlapped with a separate “May Day” protest on the Lawn, which was hosted by student activist group U.Va. Dissenters and the U.Va. Apartheid Divest Coalition.
Another aggravated assault incident reported to UPD
By Thomas Baxter | 8 hours agoThis is the first community alert of May.
