Opinion: Why are you running for president?
By Paul Waldman Paul Waldman Opinion writer covering politics Email Bio Follow Opinion writer April 22 at 4:00 PM In late 1979, as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was preparing a primary challenge to President Jimmy Carter, he sat for an interview with Roger Mudd of CBS News. “Why do you want to be president?” Mudd asked. Kennedy paused as though he hadn’t considered the question before, then gave a somewhat rambling answer.
Before we do, there’s another entrant: Rep. Seth Moulton , who just announced that he is running, joining fellow House members Tulsi Gabbard , Tim Ryan , and Eric Swalwell , as well as recently departed representatives Beto O’Rourke and John Delaney . There was once a time when it was assumed that unless you had been either a senator, governor, vice president, Cabinet secretary, or perhaps a general, you simply didn’t have the gravitas to run for president.
I have an agenda that differs from that of all the others. While this doesn’t have to mean the most ideologically outward agenda, in practice it often does. Sen. Bernie Sanders can claim to be most distinct by being farthest to the left, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren has the most comprehensive agenda. Gov. Jay Inslee has a campaign focused on climate change.
I make you feel things no other candidate makes you feel. This is not mutually exclusive with any other rationale, but there are some candidates who bank on making voters feel a certain way — hopeful, inspired, energized, or maybe even some less happy emotions. O’Rourke makes this implicit claim.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why Apple was so upset with Qualcomm — and why it finally had to give inApple buys modem chips from companies like Qualcomm to enable the iPhone to connect to cellular networks.
Read more »
Opinion | Why did the world stop for Notre Dame?Opinion: Why did the world stop for Notre Dame? Our response seems disproportionate — until you consider the cause.
Read more »
Opinion | Why do we choose to believe liars?Opinion | F. Diane Barth: 'Denying reality, or not crediting something we know is true, is a way to unconsciously protect ourselves from the pain of an untruth.' - NBCNewsTHINK
Read more »
Opinion | Why Notre Dame is getting the attention America's black churches never couldOpinion | George Johnson: 'We shouldn’t allow our emotions to be monopolized and influenced by the systems that continue to protect white empires.' - NBCNewsTHINK
Read more »
The No Ban Act: Why we plan to make moves like Trump's Muslim ban illegal | OpinionIf a president wants to ban a group from the country, they would need to demonstrate that there is an actual legitimate reason.
Read more »
Opinion | Why we’re pushing back against the Egyptian president’s constitutional coupOpinion: Why we’re pushing back against the Egyptian president’s constitutional coup
Read more »
Opinion | Evan McMullin: Here's why Trump's betrayal and obstruction should trigger impeachmentOpinion | Evan McMullin: 'I was in the CIA. Here's why Trump's Russia contacts should trigger impeachment.' - NBCNewsTHINK
Read more »
Opinion | Why did Sean Hannity suppress the Trump Tower story?Fox News host earns his designation as the White House's shadow chief of staff.
Read more »
Opinion | Why Should Congress See Trump’s Tax Returns?Opinion: Can Congress demand President Trump’s tax returns? Congressional-committee disclosure was never so politicized before, writes Jay Starkman
Read more »
Opinion | Why Sanders’ Fox News town hall should worry 2020 DemocratsOpinion | Steve Krakauer: Sen. Sanders' Fox News town hall was a win-win for Sanders and for the cable news network — both from an intellectual and a strategic perspective. - NBCNewsTHINK
Read more »