Perhaps it is my affinity for underdogs that led me to Jim Webb and actually made me feel impassioned toward helping him make it to the White House. Was it likely that he would actually be successful in doing that, or even come close? Most likely not. At a time when Democrats are moving further to the left, Jim Webb seemed out of step with the party he once identified with. That does not mean he was not a worthy candidate.
Despite being lumped in with Martin O'Malley and Lincoln Chaffee as an inadequate candidate, Webb had a message for his fellow democrats that was real and genuine. With more financial support, I believe he would have begun to gain some traction, adding to his legitimacy. However, even with greater financial support, it would still be unlikely that he could overcome the mountain known as Hillary Clinton, or start a wildfire with a grassroots campaign like Bernie Sanders. He is simply not liberal enough for modern day democrats; rather, the type of democrat Webb resembled has often been compared to John F. Kennedy. In other words, Webb's democratic party belongs to the past, sadly. Nevertheless, his centrist stance in the political spectrum would be ideal in today's world of politics.
It does not take a rocket scientist to calculate the differences between a liberal President and a conservative Congress. However, it might take a team of psychologists to determine how either party believes having a candidate so far right or so far left will ever accomplish anything while also remaining within their Constitutional boundaries as President. Jim Webb sees this problem as well, and in my favorite moment of the democratic debate, Webb told Sanders, "Bernie, I don’t think the revolution’s going to come. And I don’t think the Congress is going to pay for a lot of this stuff." Webb understands that partisanship will get this country nowhere, and while fiery orators and progressive rhetoric are pleasing to the ear and easy to rally behind, realistic solutions and bipartisanship will fix our country's problems. It is a shame that Jim Webb is no longer a contender for the democratic nomination, and with his exit, there is no longer a democrat that I support.
What I like best about Jim Webb is not what party he belongs to but the fact that he is a natural and experienced leader. Whether it was in the fields of fire in Vietnam or the Senate floor in the Capitol Building, Webb fought for Americans selflessly but strong. There is no doubt in my mind that he would be this same strong leader if his new battleground was the Oval Office. Although he is no longer seeking the democratic nomination, Webb has not ruled out an independent run. If he were to do so, the odds would be against him as history has shown us time after time. However, I believe it is important that Webb remains in the race. Regardless of the odds and the polls and the media, America needs a candidate in the middle, and voters should not have to choose between the lesser of two evils on election day. I will support Jim Webb for President until he definitively says he is no longer running because that means I will be supporting strong leadership, trustworthiness, and practicality.
