The lesser of two evils...

Is still evil. In preparing for the Democratic Presidential debate here in town tomorrow, I am reminded of an article from the Time magazine columnist, Joe Klein, who labeled Hillary "the lesser of two evils" remarkably early in the election cycle. His reason was the Clinton Foundation scandal and Hillary's response to it, which he decided would make Hillary a difficult candidate to elect. Republicans seem set to run devastating ads against Hillary in late fall of next year, if she is the nominee, but I'm not sure if I like the "lesser of two evils" mindset that has already taken hold in some people's minds.

I haven't made up my mind on this election cycle yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing Jim Webb on stage. I like him as a true center-left kind of guy, although he is a little more aggressive on foreign policy than I might like. He seems sensible and sane in an era of swagger and braggadocio (see Donald Trump). Whereas Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders can be described as typical liberals (especially Bernie), and they are pulling Hillary to the left, Jim Webb fits neatly to the right of Clinton in most areas, meaning he is more conservative than Hillary on many issues.

It's too bad Jim Webb isn't really trying to outgun Clinton in fundraising totals or name branding. He is an old-fashioned candidate in a fast-moving, tech-savvy, hyper-social-media-ized world. He would make a good VP candidate in the Joe Biden mold, someone who wouldn't overshadow the name on the top of the ticket but would give good foreign policy credentials to the ticket.

In my mind, he's the guy to watch tomorrow night. If he gaffes or looks uncomfortable, he's probably done as a Presidential candidate. But if he has a good performance, it could kickstart his campaign, meaning he may have a shot at VP. Still, I'm rooting for him.