Can We Use 2016 Democratic Primary To Highlight Next Generation of Democratic Leaders?

I was inspired to ask this question based on the recent diary by Egberto Willies on Democratic re-treads.

The Democratic Party has mostly the correct values. It has mostly the correct policies. What it is lacking is a broad bench for Americans to see.

The Republican Primary may turn out to be another exercise of free comedic entertainment. But their candidates look like America even as they articulate lunacy. They have the young and Latino in Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. They have the Black man in Ben Carson. They have the woman in Carly Fiorina. They have the establishment middle-aged White guys in Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, and Scott Walker. And they have the religious fanatic in Mike Huckabee. Now that is diversity, not the one America needs philosophically, but visually.

Democrats should fear two things. The first is that the predictable Presidential surge will fail to materialize when all Democrats see are retreads. Secondly, a well defined narrative for Hillary Clinton could set in, a narrative that she could have problems shaking. There are many narratives that could come back and bite her as the Republicans jump on the income inequality train. Republicans know how to do that well especially for a flawed candidate.

So here is the question. Where is the Democratic bench? Are there any fresh candidates with great ideas ready to fill it? In today's politics the optics and semblance of what one will do is much more effective than a party's articulated platform.

He makes a very compelling point. Not to knock the qualifications of Hillary Clinton or, say, Bernie Sanders, but as a major party, the Democratic Party has a major platform in the form of the Presidential primaries that few other groups enjoy, giving it the power to showcase all sorts of things. While one of those things they should showcase is surely the best candidate we have for the next President, it can also be used to showcase important achievements, shape the rhetoric of future policy and planks, and the up and coming class of our next generation's leaders.

How is it that the Republican Presidential field shows more diversity than the Democratic Party's? Are we really sure this won't be a detriment to our overall chances in the 2016 elections?

In fact, rather than being a moment of potential weakness, why don't we use the Democratic Primaries as a chance to showcase the Party's strength?

Let us also not forget that the Primaries are a key time to motivate the base and likewise get a feel for the motivation of the base. This is when we get people to volunteer, get them to donate, and generally get them to feel a bit more optimistic and active. In all these regards, I'm sure HRC will be quite effective at motivating Democratic voters; but I feel having a larger slate of fine potential candidates would be that much more effective.

In fact, the Democratic Primary is the perfect place to showcase our best and brightest young leaders. Free from the confines of Capitol Hill gridlock, without any necessity to shape rhetoric based on GOP talking points, the Democratic Primaries should be a time to highlight, celebrate, and yes, even put some inexperienced few through some trials-by-fire, the best candidates our Party has to offer, that represent the party, and actually makes it a better representation of the American public overall. Every Democrat, from Hillary on down, should be championing a strong, wide array of primary candidates.

Late last year Al Sharpton called for a march on Washington over the recent rash of brutal police shootings. While I agreed with the premise of the need for such a march, and acknowledge that Sharpton has been an amazing leader in the fight for civil rights, and continues to be, I couldn't help feeling that this should have been a moment to highlight the movement's next generation of leaders. From the young athletes who drew ire simply for wearing I Cant Breathe shirts or walking out with the hands in the air, to the students who have organized protests in cities throughout the country, to the vocal activists in social media who made sure dozens of these stories of injustice were not disappeared by a complacent mainstream, there should be no lack of potential candidates for new leaders to invigorate the debate. All they need are the platforms. While Sharpton's contribution to the civil rights movement cannot be overstated, what we really need to see are these fresh young faces with the collective spirit we need who will continue to lead us in the fight for equal rights, for decades to come.

I feel it is important for the Democratic Party to do the same. By investing in our youngest leaders, giving them an opportunity to showcase their strengths to as large an audience as possible, we ensure that the party will maintain a strong masthead through the darkest of electoral cycles, and that is something the Democratic Party should continue to dedicate itself to accomplishing.

So, here are some suggestions for additional people who could run in the Democratic Primaries, and bring some much-needed diversity, as well as refreshing platforms.